The tires are hand-crafted using a needle and thread. They are equipped with the Vectran puncture protection belt, which appears to be very effective, see below. Some research on the internet reveals that the tires weigh 260 grams (700c x 22mm, with a recommend inflation of 110 psi and maximum of 170 psi). New for 2008, they are made with Continental’s Black Chili Compound. This compound is a more flexible and compliant butyl compound that is supposed to lower rolling resistance, increase adhesion, and improve the tires lifetime. I assume that the tires I bought this year are superior to the tires I previously owned, from 2006, since they did not have the Black Chili Compound.
These are the first tubulars I have ever ridden on, and I may never use another brand of tire again. When I purchased a Zipp 606 wheelset I also purchased these tires. At first I choked on the price, about $100 a tire, but after riding one set for over two years I am a believer. If you are going to drop a lot of money on a wheelset, there is no point on going cheap on the tires. I rode my first set of Continental Competition tubulars through a combined 33 triathlons and duathlons, plus 14 time trials, for a total of 850+ miles without a flat on either tire. I never road the tires for training rides, only pre-race warm-ups and races. The tires were ridden on the city and country roads of Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Iowa. These tires, and the fantastic Zipp 606 wheelset, have also seen the streets of San Francisco, St. Petersburg, FL, and the county roads around Austin, TX. After all this, and not wanting to push my luck, I removed the tires and put on new ones.
I admit that my opinion is biased, I have never ridden another combination of tubular tires and wheels, but after riding this combination I can’t imagine why I would want to ride on anything else.
These are the first tubulars I have ever ridden on, and I may never use another brand of tire again. When I purchased a Zipp 606 wheelset I also purchased these tires. At first I choked on the price, about $100 a tire, but after riding one set for over two years I am a believer. If you are going to drop a lot of money on a wheelset, there is no point on going cheap on the tires. I rode my first set of Continental Competition tubulars through a combined 33 triathlons and duathlons, plus 14 time trials, for a total of 850+ miles without a flat on either tire. I never road the tires for training rides, only pre-race warm-ups and races. The tires were ridden on the city and country roads of Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Iowa. These tires, and the fantastic Zipp 606 wheelset, have also seen the streets of San Francisco, St. Petersburg, FL, and the county roads around Austin, TX. After all this, and not wanting to push my luck, I removed the tires and put on new ones.
I admit that my opinion is biased, I have never ridden another combination of tubular tires and wheels, but after riding this combination I can’t imagine why I would want to ride on anything else.
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