When to replace road tires?

[tuba_transport]

I have a set of Michelin Race Pro 3 tires on my road bike. I have already rotated them once. They are both a bit squared off and have picked up a good number of nicks.

I have a new set I got a killer deal on which I can swap out. But since these things are generally pretty darn expensive I don't want to throw away the current ones until I get full use out of them.

When should I retire road tires?

[jabberwocky]

I retire mine when they lose enough tread/get enough nicks that they are picking up road debris and abrading through tubes. Or if I'm seeing the cloth liner through the tread.

I generally get several thousand miles out of my $25 Panaracer Paselas.

[sourceofdenial]

I usually ride them until its impossible to ride them anymore. Be a bit careful though, sometimes wet traction suffers when most of the rubber wears off.

I ran an old set of Tufo tubulars until threads started to show, then ran it on my trainer until it went pffff. You arent really doing any damage by running tires too long, might as well get your moneys worth(especially since ProRaces are so expensive).

Heh, this thread made me remember all the set of ProRaces I ran in college that I patched with duct tape to keep them going. I was probably a threat to the collegiate peloton...

[rscobb]

I only get around 2000 miles on tire before I replace it. I might be throwing money away but I hate having a ride spoiled by a screwed up tire... it can be a long walk home in road shoes.

Also, I worry a lot about front tire blow outs and think less about replacing the rear. The last thing I want to have happen is to be taking a downhill turn and have it blow out. I have had it happen on my mountain bike and hit the dirt face first hard. Can't imagine it on concrete!

Also, I would never run a front tire that has any sidewall issues.

[jabberwocky]

What gets me to replace them is usually when the tread gets really thin, and the tire starts picking up fine sand in the larger cuts which eventually abrades through the tube. I check the tires once in a while now, and if its thin and has large cuts in it it gets replaced. Changing tubes at 6am in the cold sucks.

I always keep the newer tire on the front and the more worn one in the rear.

[PunkRock]

It depends on what type of road riding you do. If you do hammerfests, then it would probably be best to change them before the squaring becomes too pronounced or begins revealing the cloth thread underlayer. At this point, it won't take much to puncture through the remaining, thin layer of rubber. This could be painful if it happens during the fest. If you ride more casually then keep riding them until the cloth threads become visible. Then, swap the tires. This is what I do.

As for the nicks, pull the tire off the rim, turn it inside out, and check if a nick goes all the way through the tire. Either hold a flashlight underneath the hole to check or try poking through the hole with something. If it goes through the tire, then it can stretch and grow bigger. Plus, the tube is now directly exposed to road debris. Retire it from the road and use it on your trainer. Otherwise, remount and use it some more on the road.

[CRAIG2]

This might be just me, and it might be a rather baseless comment, but I personally like to avoid the "race" tires for all around use. I'm not really ever going to "race", so it's not like I am ever going to appreciate any potential weight savings. Race tires just seem to scream less material and maybe faster, but I like durability. This holds particularly true with my mtn bike tires - the Speed Kings (Conti) on my GT are probably lighter, faster, and more efficient than my Vertical Pro's (Conti) that I run on my NRS, but I've punctured twice in as many months, and the Vertical Pros seem to really offer more grab. Granted, I'm sure they're not as efficient.

But, as I'm sure you know, it's best to take into account the type of riding you're going to be doing when choosing a tire.

Most importantly - ALWAYS BUY A TIRE THAT LOOKS REALLY SUPER BAD A$$ ON YOUR BIKE. Red if you can help it. And tires with red on them will make you faster, instantly.

All that said, Michelin makes a great tire - I rode a set of Michelin Axial Super Comp 700x23's for hundreds and hundreds of miles without any issues, dry and wet conditions, hot, cold, pretty much all over northern and central VA, and parts of MD... Great tires. Made in France, though. Sacre bleu. :D

[tuba_transport]

This might be just me, and it might be a rather baseless comment, but I personally like to avoid the "race" tires for all around use.
...
But, as I'm sure you know, it's best to take into account the type of riding you're going to be doing when choosing a tire.

I like lightweight 23mm tires on the road bike because I need all the help I can get to keep up with Pete. I get a little bit quicker and he goes out and looses another 5lbs.

The type of riding I like to do on the road bike is to attain personal records over medium distance rides around town. I have wandered out of town for some Leesburg routes, which I really miss, but mostly 30-55 mile routes around the NOVA area.

I run lightweight tires on the road bike and my singlespeed mountain bike. The full suspension bike gets 1kg boat anchor tires. If I ever actually get enough money together for a fixie it will probably have big heavy cheap road tires on it.

[punga]

This might be just me, and it might be a rather baseless comment, but I personally like to avoid the "race" tires for all around use. I'm not really ever going to "race", so it's not like I am ever going to appreciate any potential weight savings. Race tires just seem to scream less material and maybe faster, but I like durability. This holds particularly true with my mtn bike tires - the Speed Kings (Conti) on my GT are probably lighter, faster, and more efficient than my Vertical Pro's (Conti) that I run on my NRS, but I've punctured twice in as many months, and the Vertical Pros seem to really offer more grab. Granted, I'm sure they're not as efficient.

But, as I'm sure you know, it's best to take into account the type of riding you're going to be doing when choosing a tire.

Most importantly - ALWAYS BUY A TIRE THAT LOOKS REALLY SUPER BAD A$$ ON YOUR BIKE. Red if you can help it. And tires with red on them will make you faster, instantly.

All that said, Michelin makes a great tire - I rode a set of Michelin Axial Super Comp 700x23's for hundreds and hundreds of miles without any issues, dry and wet conditions, hot, cold, pretty much all over northern and central VA, and parts of MD... Great tires. Made in France, though. Sacre bleu. :D
Hey, I have red tires and they don't make my bike go any faster. But its a red frame and they came with it, Serfas something. I don't pay much attention to road tires, but these seem to grip pretty well and compared to mountain bike rolling resistance, they're like coasting on ice.

p!

[repoman]

I have a set of Michelin Race Pro 3 tires on my road bike. I have already rotated them once. They are both a bit squared off and have picked up a good number of nicks.

I used to rotate my road tires too until I found Sheldon Brown's website. Since the rear tire will wear much faster than the front, he recommends never rotating tires so that you always have your best tire in front. Read here: http://www.sheldonbrown.com/tire-rotation.html

Just move the front (or best tire) to the rear, and buy a new one for up front.

Repo

[tsunayoshi]

I'm running the budget stock tires that came on my roadie for the moment...when I get the $$ they will be replaced with either a pair of Bontrager HardCases or Specialized Armadillos. I want durability to prevent the previously mentioned long walk home in bike shoes.

[CRAIG2]

I like lightweight 23mm tires on the road bike because I need all the help I can get to keep up with Pete. I get a little bit quicker and he goes out and looses another 5lbs.



Just let a little air out of Pete's tires when he's not looking. Or make him ride that unicycle. And buy red tires. :D

[Dirt]

Race tires: Road feel is sooooo nice. ON a long ride that makes a big difference.

Rotating tires: For training rides where you're not really pushing the handling, I'm okay with rotating them. If I was racing or doing some serious mountain riding, then I'd follow Sheldon(may he rest in peace)'s recommendation.

When to replace them: Like Jabberwocky said, at some point the tires get so thin that they become really flat-prone. That definitely comes at different times. My Pro3's lasted FOR EVER!!! Even with little cuts in the rubber, they seemed to keep going. I finally retired them when they were down to the threads. When I did replace them, it was like a breath of fresh air... The new tires felt quite a bit faster and better.

If you're gonna do a long, important ride, you might want to change the tires to the new ones.

As for keeping up with me: You have a great opportunity to KICK MY BUTT! I'm now officially off the bike for the forseeable future. I'll be off at least 3-4 weeks. It may be longer than that. I'll know more early next week. If you're up for it, we can do some road rides in January if we get some decent weather.

Sorry to digress.

Pete

[werace424]

I'm running the budget stock tires that came on my roadie for the moment...when I get the $$ they will be replaced with either a pair of Bontrager HardCases or Specialized Armadillos. I want durability to prevent the previously mentioned long walk home in bike shoes.

The Bontrager Hardcase tires are great for flat resistance. I have 1400 miles on the same set and have only had one puncture. (I know I just jinxed myself, but oh well.)

They are a little heavy, but like Jabberwocky said, changing a flat at 6am sucks. I don't care what the temprature is.

[jabberwocky]

I'm running the budget stock tires that came on my roadie for the moment...when I get the $$ they will be replaced with either a pair of Bontrager HardCases or Specialized Armadillos. I want durability to prevent the previously mentioned long walk home in bike shoes.Unless you are commuting on very bad roads (like sidestreets downtown) hard-core flat resistant tires like those are probably overkill.

As a compromise, check out the Panaracer Pasela TG (tourguard) tires. They can be had for under $30, are available in several sizes and have a lightweight kevlar liner to make them more flat resistant than your average road tire. They also have very low rolling resistance (my 28mm Paselas are comparable or better than the 23mm roadie tires I run on my other fixie) and they wear quite well.

My various sets have close to 10,000 miles in them, with only two flats that I can remember (one caused by an extremely worn tire, the other by a roofing type nail going through the tire).

[Dirt]

For me, commuting is a completely different story when it comes to tires. I don't care about weight, road feel or looks. All I care about is durability. I want the tire to feel heavy and dead. Anything that makes it so that I have to work harder to get some workout value out of the 2 hours per day that I spend on the bike is a good thing. I also like that the tires are basically indestructable. I top them off with air once per month whether they need it or not.

In the spring when I get back on my road bike, the light and lively wheels will feel wonderful!

Pete

[eloach]

I have a set of Michelin Race Pro 3 tires on my road bike. I have already rotated them once. They are both a bit squared off and have picked up a good number of nicks.

I have a new set I got a killer deal on which I can swap out. But since these things are generally pretty darn expensive I don't want to throw away the current ones until I get full use out of them.

When should I retire road tires?

2000 miles max on those. Spring is good for replacement if you can wait that long.

How do you like that tire? I guess since you bought more, you like them. They now have a 25 version as well. I have been thinking about using it on one of my bikes. I have heavy touring 25s on it now for winter.

The tire is a race tire, so it doesn't last as long as a non race tire.

[eloach]

I like lightweight 23mm tires on the road bike because I need all the help I can get to keep up with Pete. I get a little bit quicker and he goes out and looses another 5lbs.

The type of riding I like to do on the road bike is to attain personal records over medium distance rides around town. I have wandered out of town for some Leesburg routes, which I really miss, but mostly 30-55 mile routes around the NOVA area.

I run lightweight tires on the road bike and my singlespeed mountain bike. The full suspension bike gets 1kg boat anchor tires. If I ever actually get enough money together for a fixie it will probably have big heavy cheap road tires on it.

I think my Specialized Reflective Armadillo Elite 25s weigh more than my wheels (Easton EC90 SLX)... or at least close. They slow me down, but that's okay. As Craig says, I am only racing my buddies. I will probably put the 3s on that bike come spring just to try it out with some faster tires. Their is so much crap on the roads and trails it makes me hate the idea of putting new tires on in the winter.

[sourceofdenial]

I gotta throw a vote out there for Veloflex tires--they are similarly priced to ProRace3s, and ride incredibly nice. They are my clincher of choice when I opt to spend money.

[Dirt]

How do you like that tire? .
Pro3 is definitely my clincher tire of choice at the moment. This year I rode a set of Pro3s, Conti GP4000S Black Chilis, Vittoria's Secret Open Corsa EVOs and Hutchinson Fusion 2s. All of them were 23mm size.

Contis were a close second. The Pro3's felt awesome at lower tire pressures. I ran them at about 110psi and they felt wonderful... and really fast.

[Dirt]

I gotta throw a vote out there for Veloflex tires--they are similarly priced to ProRace3s, and ride incredibly nice. They are my clincher of choice when I opt to spend money.
I haven't tried them yet. I've read great things about them though.

[sourceofdenial]

I haven't tried them yet. I've read great things about them though.

They are really nice, have a very supple feel that smooths out the ride. I also like that certain models have a small bit of tread, I think it helps a bit when the ride has a little dirt or gravel thrown in.

This year I'm going to try and ride tubulars exclusively since I've got some extra rims to build up, but if that experiment fails, I'll be back on veloflex clinchers.

[tuba_transport]

How do you like that tire? I guess since you bought more, you like them. They now have a 25 version as well.

I like them very well. I am only 2,000 miles into my roadieness so my opinion might not be the most experienced. I am still trying to get the proper feel for cornering a road bike.

But I have ridden 3 different sets of tires so far and the Pro 3's are the best of those three. Luckily I have found them at nearly half price both times I purchased them. They are crazy expensive.

[Dirt]

This year I'm going to try and ride tubulars exclusively since I've got some extra rims to build up, but if that experiment fails, I'll be back on veloflex clinchers.
I too am going back to the dark side for the road bike. I'm slowly building my dream bike and it is going to to have tubulars. That's another conversation for another day. I haven't explored what is out there as far as tubies go.

[sourceofdenial]

Dirt, you should buy some of my tubulars. I went a little nutso and now have 7 NOS pairs of various Ambrosio, Campagnolo, NISI, and FIR. I'm mildly compulsive.

[werace424]

Unless you are commuting on very bad roads (like sidestreets downtown) hard-core flat resistant tires like those are probably overkill.

As a compromise, check out the Panaracer Pasela TG (tourguard) tires. They can be had for under $30, are available in several sizes and have a lightweight kevlar liner to make them more flat resistant than your average road tire. They also have very low rolling resistance (my 28mm Paselas are comparable or better than the 23mm roadie tires I run on my other fixie) and they wear quite well.

My various sets have close to 10,000 miles in them, with only two flats that I can remember (one caused by an extremely worn tire, the other by a roofing type nail going through the tire).


If you rode through Oxen Hill Farm around the tidal basin East of I295, You would understand my approval of the tire.

There is a ton of broken glass in that area and it at the end of a 20mile ride into/or at he beginning going home, ride, I like flat resistance. :):):)

But I will check up on your recomendation. You are a fairly wise rider. :o

[Dirt]

Dirt, you should buy some of my tubulars. I went a little nutso and now have 7 NOS pairs of various Ambrosio, Campagnolo, NISI, and FIR. I'm mildly compulsive.
Thank you!

I'm going way to the dark side. I've actually got many sets of training and race wheels from years ago. In my oodles of spare time in the last two weeks, I've cleaned the glue off of two sets and rebuilt one of the wheels with a modern set of hubs.

For the dream bike, I'm getting a set of Zipp wheels.

Pete

[sourceofdenial]

...then you should buy my Zipp clinchers laced to 240 hubs.

I fulfill dreams, thats my job.

[Dirt]

...then you should buy my Zipp clinchers laced to 240 hubs.

I fulfill dreams, thats my job.

Hahaha. Maybe. I think I've got all the clincher wheels that I could need for the forseeable future.

I'm looking at getting a Zipp 303 front and 404 rear tubulars. I haven't decided if it is worth going with the ztech custom setup and really getting them custom to my taste.

[jabberwocky]

But I will check up on your recomendation. You are a fairly wise rider. :oHeh. Well, if you truly ride a nasty route, then by all means run the tire thats most reliable for you. My route is mainly W&OD though, with some miscellaneous Reston trail and Vienna backroads thrown in. The Paselas do a good job of straddling the line between "light and fast" and "durable and reliable". Plus they are cheap (can be had for 20 bucks each online sometimes).

Just an option for people who don't really need tires that can deflect bullets. And unlike Pete, I have some mornings where I just want to get to work as quickly and efficiently as possible. ;)

[tsunayoshi]

The Paselas do a good job of straddling the line between "light and fast" and "durable and reliable". Plus they are cheap (can be had for 20 bucks each online sometimes).

I can get the HCs with some red on them...so I can get bullet proof and still look fast. :D

I'm just riding the roadie for a change of pace and for times like now when trails are trash. I want to buy one set of tires that will survive anything. I may change my mind in the future once I get more accustomed to the skinny tire thing.

[CRAIG2]

I can get the HCs with some red on them...so I can get bullet proof and still look fast. :D

I'm just riding the roadie for a change of pace and for times like now when trails are trash. I want to buy one set of tires that will survive anything. I may change my mind in the future once I get more accustomed to the skinny tire thing.

I've always had good luck with Conti and Michelin. I think my other half to be has the Panaracer (?) T-swerv (?) Messenger or something for commuting, and has yet to have a problem. It's a grippy tire, but it's a 28cm, so probably no the fastest. Personally, I like the Contis - some have mentioned sidewall tearing issues in the past, but I have yet to have a problem, and the Conti Gatorskins I have on my cross bike (for commuting) are still labeled as having been handmade in Germany.

I've heard that the Vredstein (sp?) tires are excellent if you'd just like to go fast - some of those I think can be inflated to 140psi.

[walsh]

I like lightweight tire, but I've been traditionally disappointed by the durability of Hutchinson Carbons. They were stock on my first road bike, so for some reason I stuck with them far longer than I should have, despite the fact that the different rubber compounds in the tread seem to separate within a season, even when ridden relatively infrequently.

I typically replace road tires when I flat out of a ride and my father-in-law gets on my case about the (inevitably) pitiful condition of my tires. :o He rides about a thousand miles a month, tends to be hard on equipment, and will only ride Conti Grand Prix 4000's.

[saba]

Conti GP4000 have been an excellent all-rounder but nothing spectacular. The Vredestein Fortezza TriComp that I am running now have been to this point as good as the GP but have that extra pop

[rscobb]

I run Vittoria Open Corsa they have a very high thread count (290 tpi). They don't last long, and are really expensive, but I love the way they feel.

[CRAIG2]

Aww, heck. Forget wear and tear. You should invest in new tires as often as necessary so that the color of your tires always coordinates with your outfit. Geez. Duh!

[Dirt]

I run Vittoria Open Corsa they have a very high thread count (290 tpi). They don't last long, and are really expensive, but I love the way they feel.
James Dean tires. Live fast, die young! ;) They are actually rated to hold substantially more pressure than most rims.

[jabberwocky]

James Dean tires. Live fast, die young! ;) They are actually rated to hold substantially more pressure than most rims.Just out of curiosity, whats the point with the insane pressure tires? I typically find that overinflated tires are slower than ones with the correct pressure on anything but glass-smooth pavement. My Paselas are best with around 110psi. More than that actually slows me down.

I know it varies by tire though. Are those tires simply fastest with higher pressure?

[Dirt]

Just out of curiosity, whats the point with the insane pressure tires? I typically find that overinflated tires are slower than ones with the correct pressure on anything but glass-smooth pavement. My Paselas are best with around 110psi. More than that actually slows me down.

I know it varies by tire though. Are those tires simply fastest with higher pressure?
Depends on the surface upon which you're riding. Most stuff around here you've got the right pressure. I've ridden some roads that are so smooth that they beg for a little more pressure. That doesn't happen much in this area.

It often times is a sign that you're dealing with a fairly well thought out tire if they say that it can handle 160psi.

110-120 is pretty good for this area... depending on rider weight, tire width etc.

My commuter bike tires get about 85psi in them. That's plenty for them since they have crap for road feel.

[jabberwocky]

It often times is a sign that you're dealing with a fairly well thought out tire if they say that it can handle 160psi.

110-120 is pretty good for this area... depending on rider weight, tire width etc.Ah, ok. Just curious. I arrived at 110psi purely through experimentation (I used to inflate them higher but noticed that I was faster and smoother as the week went on and the tires lost pressure). The 23mm tires on my other fixie like a little higher pressure (120ish). The Paselas are only rated for like 90-100psi, but I've always run them higher than that with no problems. I don't think I even check tires rated pressures anymore when I buy them. :)

Just wondering if some people are running, like, 160psi on the roads around here. And, you know, if that works well. :p

[rscobb]

I used to run pressures of around 100 psi, until one time my shop put on a new tire just before a ride as a favor and put them at 115psi. The road was pretty rough, but it did feel faster. I agree that the 110-115 feels optimal. I guess it also depends upon body weight? Any old road racers out there with an opinion? Is higher always faster?

[eloach]

Supposedly harder = faster on the road due to less rolling resistance due to less tire on the road and better power transfer due to ZERO flex in the tire at about that point.

Of course, that only REALLY holds up if what you are riding is straight and dry or you are a fantastic rider, IMO. Some folks run 130 PSI. Higher than that I think you need glue ons.

An over blown example would be to ride a MTB on the road with 20 PSI in the rear tire and then inflate the same tire to 60 PSI. At 20 PSI the rear of the bike will feel very mushy and you will loose power as you pedal. At 60 PSI you will notice a substantial difference in firmness and how much of your power is transferred.

[eloach]

I've heard that the Vredstein (sp?) tires are excellent if you'd just like to go fast - some of those I think can be inflated to 140psi.

Nice tire, for the <1000 miles they last. At least the Race 3 is good for 1500 or so from what I have heard.

[eloach]

Hahaha. Maybe. I think I've got all the clincher wheels that I could need for the forseeable future.

I'm looking at getting a Zipp 303 front and 404 rear tubulars. I haven't decided if it is worth going with the ztech custom setup and really getting them custom to my taste.

I am under the impression a set of tubular tires last less than 500 miles and then they must be replaced. Is that accurate?

Are you going to race this bike? It sounds like a race bike.

[jabberwocky]

Supposedly harder = faster on the road due to less rolling resistance due to less tire on the road and better power transfer due to ZERO flex in the tire at about that point.Thats true, up to a point. But eventually you reach a situation where the tire is so hard that it is no longer conforming to the little imperfections in the road as you ride. Pavement isn't perfectly smooth; a tire with the right amount of pressure will absorb those small imperfections though. If the tire is so hard that it is moving up and down minutely over those small imperfections, you are losing efficiency over the tire that is conforming to them.

Obviously the proper pressure will vary by tire, rider weight and pavement. Track guys, for instance, usually run very high pressures (like 160psi). But they are running on indoor tracks that are very smooth. I kinda wonder what pressure pro cyclists run in a race on regular pavement? Are they running really high pressure, or a more normal road pressure?

[CRAIG2]

Nice tire, for the <1000 miles they last. At least the Race 3 is good for 1500 or so from what I have heard.

1000 miles is plenty - I change tires to match my outfits ;):D Beauty before function, baby!!!

[eloach]

Just wondering if some people are running, like, 160psi on the roads around here. And, you know, if that works well. :p

I run 100 PSI on the century bike and 115 on the faster bike. I think you will be hard pressed to find a tube around here that can take 160 PSI without blowing out in the middle of a ride. At speed on pavement, that can be really bad. I'd rather be slow than be the next candidate for a face transplant (hey... am I the ONLY one who is wondering WHERE DO THEY GET THE FACE???).

I find I start sliding around and feeling insecure at anything over 115 PSI, but I have not tried a large assortment of road tires. There might be others that stick well at 130 PSI.

[Dirt]

I am under the impression a set of tubular tires last less than 500 miles and then they must be replaced. Is that accurate?

Are you going to race this bike? It sounds like a race bike.
Mileage depends on your tire choice for sure. Tubular tire construction isn't so different from some high-end road tire construction. That is particularly true with tires like the Vittorias.

I generally found that decent quality tubulars are good for 1000-1500 miles. They are not really like clinchers that are easy to rotate regularly. I tend to ride them till they die.

That said, I ride tubulars much less than I do clinchers, so they will actually last much longer time-wise. Tubulars will likely only be ridden on Sunday rides. I'm planning on continuing commuting on the fixie or another bike yet to be built through the year. This bike will purely be a weekend warrior or something for long day rides while vacationing.

Though it will be decked out like a race bike, I'm not planning on racing it. I'm building a bike that will be fun to ride in the mountains. When I say in the mountains, I'm talking about the Alps, Cascades, Sierra Nevadas and Rockies. :D

Tubulars are a pain in the ass in many, many ways. They also are really worth it if you have the patience to deal with them. They're also not cheap at all. Flat tires get really expensive.

Pete

[tuba_transport]

Flat tires get really expensive.

Pete

You know what? I have had exactly one flat on the road bike so far. And your tube is still in my front tire from that roadside change.

Can I borrow it a little bit longer?

[sourceofdenial]

If tubulars last less its also because the stress they see is much higher. Higher cornering loads, stronger braking, etc. It's like most everything else bike related, you train on it, don't have to replace stuff that often, then race a weekend and find out afterward that you need new pads, tires are worn, etc.

I currently have two sets of cross tubulars and two sets of road tubulars. I've gotten three seasons of racing on one set of tubulars and they are starting to look obviously worn, so they are now pit wheels. I'm pretty satisfied with the wear--with my cross clinchers I'll usually burn through a set once a year.

My road race wheels are Continental Competition Pros, and I put a few stages races on them several years ago, handful of crits, and now, just general hard long rides. I try and be selective on when I use them, but they have worn very nicely, and are by far the nicest tubular I've run as a race tire. I usually run ~125psi. They feel like they roll forever.

My other set of tubulars is an older pair of veloflexs, and they have certainly worn a lot faster, but its a softer rubber. Also a very nice tire.

I had a set of tufo tubulars that I used for probably close to 4000 miles. When I only had one bike and one set of wheels, I did a light tour from Boulder to Steamboat Springs and didnt encounter a problem. I was naive and only took a small pump and a tube of tufo sealant. Didn't have any problems though. Tufos are generally regarded as being harder rubber though, so they tend to last longer.