One of the things that strikes me most about the English is they don’t appear to have developed any sort of “inner dialog”. It seems anything that passes through the brain is parlayed directly to the tongue; if the thought being expressed is an insult to you, it will generally include a query for confirmation: “You’re not terribly clever, are you?” At least the English have developed the sophistication to keep their voices down which is a skill English children apparently don’t develop until adolescence. I recently spent some time on a small aircraft sitting opposite a young English girl who loudly narrated the progress of her camera’s zoom functionality which, due to the plane’s low cruising altitude, meant it was pointed out the window and in constant operation for the duration of the two-hour flight.
While I don’t consider myself a savage, I also don’t possess the dignity of soft speech; my voice carries as it is, let alone if I’m enthusiastic or angry, which between the two covers about 99.93% of my existance. I’m not sure why people place value on speaking quietly or, for that matter, having any sort of inner dialog. I think this is why I get on well with the English: I spend most of my life trying to sort out what the living beings around me are thinking; if they all had a readout on their forehead or spoke every thought that ever crossed their mind out loud, it would save me loads of time which would free me up for riding my bike.
Riding tubular tires is kind of like riding the tire equivalent of the English, except less cold. Riding tubular tires on deep-section rims is like riding the tire equivalent of English pre-adolescents. (I realized during proofing that I am getting dangerously close to pedaphile territory; this analogy isn’t as clever as it seems, is it? New paragraph, then.)
A well-made, hand-stitched tubular tire is a revelation to ride. The first time I rode tubs, it was aboard a set of Vredesteins which are excellent tires. I was immediately struck by how responsive they were, and how well they cornered. Then I rode a set of FMB Paris-Roubaixs and was struck by all those same things except they also felt like two cushions under my rims, carrying my smoothly from one imperfection to the next as I floated over the tarmac. The most striking thing was the sound: a hypnotic hum that brings the mind inexorably closer to becoming One with The V, the hum sooths and makes you more alert in equal measure; its pulsation reveals the smoothness or imperfections of your stroke with every revolution of the pedals. Clinchers can do much of the same, particularly when ridden with latex tubes, but nothing compares to a well-made tubular to sing the praises or holler the frailties of your stroke.
The Hum whispers to me when I’m climbing well; it shouts at me when I’m suffering worst (read: climbing badly), reminding me to stop pedalling squares and focus on the fluidity of the stroke. The more V is channeled into the pedals, the more difficult it becomes to achieve a Magnificent Stroke. It also hints that its easier to push round smoothly at a low cadence than it in in a high cadence; track racers who can turn round at 160rpm while delivering full power astound me.
The Hum has brought me closer to a Magnificent Stroke. It calls out when I stray, it soothes when I am near. I seek it, I embrace it. Always.
Vive la Vie Velominatus.
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@teleguy57
Sorry to hear you had such a crap run with the Strada's. I've only had the cheaper Vulcanos as a training tyre - was tempted by the Strada's though. Thanks for the advice: I still have two sets of Corsa Evo CXs to get through before I buy again but will look at both the Pave's and the Veloflexes when the time comes. Will keep the Corsa Elites in mind for trainers too.
@PT
Thanks. The Corsa Elites are pretty impressive for an inexpensive tire. I'm not sure I can tell much different between them and my Vit Paves. They have a butyl vs latex tube, so when I pump them up before my daily ride it's usually just one or two strokes of the floor pump and I'm good to go.
They come only in black sidewalls, which for many is optimal. Very nice ride in the 25 width.
@frank
The two-step questionnaire to decide:
If your bike can take them, why not? And if you're not racing, again, why not? For training, there's no real reason not to ride big rubber. The only reasons to decide against big tyres are clearance on the frame and aerodynamics. Rolling resistance is lower and cushioning higher - why not 27s on both sets of tyres?
@frank and @tessar: sage counsel taken -- a pair of FMB Paris-Roubaixs in 27 are on their way to me! Should be aged enough to mount ride in Apr 2015.
@tessar
I thought rolling resistance was only lower at the same pressure as a narrower tire? Meaning you can have lower rolling resistance OR more cushion, but not both at once.
@teleguy57 had a blast riding my 27s today.
@pistard
It's both. Tom Anhalt, mechanical engineer and expert on everything round & rubbery, did several comparisons between different-sized tyres and usually the 10-15psi drop in pressure is not enough to negate the improved resistance of a wider tyre. For example, the Specialized Turbo Cotton - currently the king of the hill when it comes to rolling resistance - tests faster in the 26mm version @85psi than the 24mm @100psi.
@tessar
Thanks! Some interesting reading there when I get my nerd on. I know it's never an absolute RR/pressure trade-off, but those are some significant numbers.
@tessar
Very interesting. Now I know fuck-all nothing about all of this but if this is true, why do pro's ride 23's at all? Obviously my little brain is missing something here. Cannot imagine that the weight is the only reason but maybe that is it?
@Buck Rogers
Two-and-a-half reasons:
However, things are changing. This year 24mm and 25mm rubber was the norm for many teams. This is the first generation of pros who rode bikes at (or near) the weight limit for the entirety of their careers, and now need to find other ways of improving their equipment. And yet we still see teams like Garmin waste their efforts by letting riders choose the R5, instead of forcing them on the S3/S5. We still see climbers with shallow tubs and a lead weight in the BB shell of their hyperlight bike.
At the end of the day, Aero + Rolling Resistance > Weight, but since you can't quantify these properties as easily as "Whoa, I lifted a milk-jug heavier than this frame!", it's harder to convince people of those advantages. Even Frank goes around once in a while with his idea on the climbing advantage of shallow tubs.
@Buck Rogers
The all encompassing weight of tradition? As a first thought that sounded right, but as my internal monolog progressed I realized for the Pro's (and more importantly) their sponsors nothing is sacred except winning. So. Now I am flummoxed.