Normally The Keepers reserve our Reverence articles for products we’ve used for years, or with new stuff that has had at least six months of duty. Riding the cobbles of Belgium and Northern France can put most gear (and bodies) through six months of abuse in just a few weeks, so in this case the work these tyres have been put through there and in the months since qualifies them for a deserved earlier dose of Reverence.
Selecting what gear to run for the Cobbled Classics Keepers Tour wasn’t too hard a task; there are some things which just go with cobbles bikes like double wrapped bartape, alloy steerer fork and of course box section rims laced 3 cross. Tubular or clincher was about the only tough decision I had to make. I managed to find a cheap pair of Ambrosio tub rims, but as they were 36 hole it proved impossible to find a cassette hub in time for the tour. How bad could clinchers be? After all, Freddy Guesdon won Roubaix on clinchers in 97, and the Pavé boys would have spare wheels if something went terribly awry. It wasn’t the cobbles that would claim my clinchers, but the ham-fisted rock apes generously referred to by airlines as baggage handlers.
Choosing a tyre to run was probably the easiest task. It had to be Vittoria’s Open Pavé CG‘s, based on what I’d seen gracing Pro’s bikes in just about every edition of the Spring Classics I’d witnessed. The distinctive green herringbone tread stripe is as synonymous with these races as are crazed fans, beer and frites en mayo. Unfortunately the ‘Open Tubular’ doesn’t come in the 28mm width of it’s tubular brethren, but a 24mm version only. That extra mm wasn’t a lot but it was something. The real benefit of the tyres though is the 320TPI casing, yeilding a super smooth ride on any surface. Coupled with Vittoria’s Latex inner tubes, the feel of cushioning under the bike is definitely noticeable. Over all of the 21 secteurs we rode on the way to Roubaix, then another 15 of the worst a few days later, topped with a full complement of Flandrian roads, I only once feared I might hear the dreaded hiss from my tyres. Nailing an edge of a nasty cobble hard enough to feel the rock hitting the rim, the tyre bounced off and the slippery latex tube stayed intact. On return to NZ, I inspected the tyres for damage and was surprised and delighted to find nary a nick or any signs of wear.
I’ve been riding the Pavés ever since the Tour, and don’t want to swap them out at least until the Kiwi winter is over. The ride continues to impress with their sheer suppleness (dare I say souplesse?) over rough surfaces. They aren’t the lightest or fastest rolling, but neither am I. For summer I think I’ll try the lighter Corsa Evo SC‘s, which look just as cool with their tan sidewalls and are another Pro favourite. And if you’re worried about a green stripe clashing with your bike’s paint job, I think there should be a Rule #8 ammendment that the only coloured tyre allowed on any bike, due to it’s unrivalled heritage, is the venerable and now ReVered Open Pavé CG.
Thanks to Graeme at Cycle Sport NZ for his generosity in supplying the tyres and tubes.
[dmalbum path=”/velominati.com/content/Photo Galleries/brettok@velominati.com/Open Pav/”/]
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Nup, that's Zipp pronounced with a Kiwi accent, the veiny english git Bretto and I used to work with got the biggest kick out of the NZ accent. I used to go to work in New Zealand and have to hang out with a fricken pom, an Aussie and a Tongan bike mechanic. Like the UN on bikes.
Is it odd that I get carbone over a set of Reynolds aero wheels? I just never hear anyone talking about em.
The VMH just asked what I was reading...Hulk jizz, latex blow outs, and fat buttery asses...you all are on FIRE today!
@the Engine
"I run them at 155psi (as per the instructions) and (so far) they've worked very well considering the shocking state of our roads"
That's crazy talk! I'd say that's waaaaay too high. I'm a big fella as keep my 25mm tyres below 100psi, the old 23mm maybe 105 to 110. Lower pressure=faster rolling, better cornering, more comfy
I'm with Gianni on this one, I'm running the Vred's on Velocity a23's with latex tubes and I'll pump mine up to 100psi at the max. So when you count discharge pressure loss they're round about 90-95psi. Buttery.
@frank That graphic is spot on, I'll tell you on Saturday about my client who wanted a responsive website that works in IE6
@urbanwhitetrash
That sentence right there is worth a whole topic at the Apple WWDC. I'm actually working on a responsive design for Velominati right now and it relies on browsers not sucking. Which is part of the reason I'm pushing out things like the new posting box now - so that the updates that come out with the new site design with be purely cosmetic and not include functional changes.
I'll be the first to admit: MS is great at office products and the Visual Studio (or TFS) is the best dev suite around. But stick to what you're good at; their browser, OS, and Version Control sucks ass. (Incidentally, I worked at MS for a while and the only tools they used were the Office, OS, and dev tools, the rest, they used 3-party stuff - including version control - which was OPEN SOURCE, believe it or not.)
I myself and the companies I've worked for have dumped more money into IE than anything else. IE should be considered its own technology stack; not a browser. To MS's credit, though, they are working on it and have a whole "interop" team devoted to making their tools play nicer with everyone else. We'll see. IE9 is not a promising step in that direction.
It goes back to what @sgt was talking to me about yesterday - the Law of Comparative Advantage. MS is good at some things. Terrible at (most) others. Stick at what you're good at. Apple, who I hold in high regard, is also good at certain things and not others, and they should stick to the good stuff and ignore the bad shit.
So should I, by the way. Enough with the writing and posting, or riding of bikes. Guess I'll stick to drinking. Like Brett - he's good at sitting around and having a purdy mouth. Not much else. We should stick to what we're good at.
@minion
There is no question in my mind that you are the smartest person on this site.
Sorry everyone else. That's as troubling a conclusion for me as it is for you.
My best friend's last name is Drescher, so its not as bit an insult as you think, by the way.
As far as Zipps wheels - they are very vertically compliant, but the most amazing thing about them is I have more trouble with my Ksyriums in winds than I do my Zipp 404's. The Zipps are fucking awesome wheels.
@Gianni
That's crazy talk too! But I don't want to give away my story. But you're fucking crazy to ride at below 100psi, unless you're on the cobbles or comparatively rough terrain or you're afraid of bruising your vulva. (If you have a vulva, you should be afraid of bruising it, by the way, and run low tire pressure. Everyone knows this. I'm just surprised that Gianni has one. That's all.)
@Marcus
Not rising to that bait. Nice try.
@minion
More like the Commonwealth? Can't imagine that Victorian we-own-the-world mentality trickled all the way down to your Kiwi upbringing?