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Puncture Resistance

jfuentes05's picture
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started by jfuentes05 on February 28, 2007

I am debating between the Continental Sprinter and The Continental Competition, and I am wondering if one is more puncture resistant than the other???? Which would you get? they will only be used for racing, but I really don't want to flat.

mdd's picture
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mdd posted 1 year ago.

I haven't used either tire but assuming both are clinchers, you could get a set of "spin skins" for each. You will pick up a couple of grams in weight using the skins but they are almost bullet proof and I have never had a flat tire while using these things in 2 years.

http://www.spinskins.com/

UFTriGator's picture
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UFTriGator posted 1 year ago.

Yeah, they're both tubulars. I'd never buy anything that Felipe endorses, though, so spin skins are 100% out for me. He's not fast and he'll talk out his ass for any company that'll put his picture online. I doubt he knows whether or not they work since he only finishes about 20% of the races he enters anyway. As far the tires go, I raced some Sprinters last weekend and had some grip issues on hard cornering after they heated up. That shouldn't be an issue during a tri, though....not much hard cornering. I've used both tires before (sprinters in crits and competitions in tris) and haven't flatted yet....knock on wood. Keeping flats in mind, unless you're running Gatorskins or something similar (Armadillos, K-Selects), if you're going to flat, you're going to flat. The tire will make a very minimal difference and there's nothing you can do about it unless they're Kevlar-lined, which suck for racing anyway (no sidewall grip). They're both great tires, but the feel between them is a personal preference thing. I really like the sprinters through the straights, though. Just don't put any anti-flat goop inside and ruin a good set of tubs.

______________________________________________
-Matt
Not fast enough.

jfuentes05's picture
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jfuentes05 posted 1 year ago.

Wow, that was exactly what I needed to hear. Thanks.

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Anton posted 1 year ago.

I've used both extensively...like both but only race in Conti Comps now...they are a bit heavier than the Sprinters,but have better puncture resistance. I've had Punctures with the Sprints and never on a Comp.
Depends on the racing too. If I did alot of sprints or oly's then I'd use the Sprinters...longer stuff..Comps.
Learn to brush off your tire while riding, both front and back and do it after going through glass or small stones. Check your tires often. Look for tread slits or sidewall damage...For REALLY inportant races (IM's, other qualifiers ) go with somewhat new rubber...I do most of my IM's with tires with only a few miles on em...just enough to rough up the rubber.

We often race or are around folks we don't agree with and who may be of questionable character..but a flame job only shows the weaknesses in our character.

"What would life be if we had no courage to attempt anything?" - Vincent Van Gogh
My Blog: http://agingsuperhero.blogspot.com

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UFTriGator posted 1 year ago.

I'd listen to Anton. He's been doing this much longer than I have. Guess I've just been lucky with my Sprinters! Thanks for keeping me in check, Anton....I'll take it easy on Felipe.

______________________________________________
-Matt
Not fast enough.

mdd's picture
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mdd posted 1 year ago.

UFTriGator;63408 wrote:
Yeah, they're both tubulars. I'd never buy anything that Felipe endorses, though, so spin skins are 100% out for me. He's not fast and he'll talk out his ass for any company that'll put his picture online. I doubt he knows whether or not they work since he only finishes about 20% of the races he enters anyway.

Who is Felipe and what does he have to do with Spin Skins? If the tires are tubies (which I now see they are) then the skins are out but just to blast my post because of someone names Felipe I do not understand.

I have used spin skins on clincher training tires for years and they work like magic (zero flats). Now I wouldn't use them on racing tires (because all of my race tires are tubes) but that is another story.

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UFTriGator posted 1 year ago.

There's a big picture of him on your link. I'm not blasting your post, so no worries. I really have no problems with spin skins at all....just Felipe, but there's no need to bother anyone any further by bashing him again, so I'm not going to. If you say the spin skins work great, I'm sure they do, it's just that the guy they sponsor isn't my favorite person in the world.

______________________________________________
-Matt
Not fast enough.

solidad's picture
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solidad posted 1 year ago.

How do you feel about sealants? I have my first aero race wheels with Tubulars and now I'm getting a little paranoid anbout flats? I would really hate to flat in my HIM after all this work?

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UFTriGator posted 1 year ago.

There's a running joke at a lot of cycling shops about the old fat guy on the $8000 Campy Record Litespeed (it's always a Litespeed) on Zipps that fills his tufos with sealant so he won't flat while riding in the C group for his weekend group ride. Flats are just a chance that you take. Just be careful not to ride you bike over glass or the sort, and learn to brush off your wheels while riding. A good trick I learned is to actually use a water bottle to brush off the wheels....you don't need to reach as far.

______________________________________________
-Matt
Not fast enough.

kylie's picture
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kylie posted 1 year ago.

My favorite for brushing off the back tire is to use one of my feet. For front I tend to just use a gloved hand, but it always scares me a bit ;)

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Anton posted 1 year ago.

I have some training wheels with Tufo Jets with sealant...to be honest the tires wear pretty well and haven't seen if the sealant works....or maybe it has! Doing this as an experiment to see if the sealant thing really does work.
Ya ride miles and miles with no problems...and puncture at the race...It's happened to me...it's a roll of the dice like Gator says. Do your best to prevent it...then just shake your head and laugh when it does...because it will.
Which lets me anticipate your next question.
In Sprints, I don't carry a spare. Oly's and above I do....for no other reason than it beats walking back or waiting for the sag wagon.

"What would life be if we had no courage to attempt anything?" - Vincent Van Gogh
My Blog: http://agingsuperhero.blogspot.com

solidad's picture
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solidad posted 1 year ago.

How often do you brush off the tires? Only when you riude through something or from time to time during the race.

BTW -- I am neither fat or old (relatively speaking on the age thing) but I do ride a Litespeed for my road bike --- clinchers though ;)

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glbrum posted 1 year ago.

Funny story about sealant.

I was doing my normal group ride almost 2 years ago now and there was a new guy to the group who was young (probably 19-20 yo; mind you I'm only 21) and he had just gotten into cycling. We were cruising along, I was a bit behind the group and all of a sudden this new guy double flats. Lo - and - behold he's got sealant in those tires. The stuff just starts oozing and oozing, EVERYWHERE! We realize that the tubes are now shot (he was riding clinchers) and that a patch was no good, so we had to scrounge up 2 extra tubes. Oh, and this guy didn't know how to change a tire nor did he bring a spare tube with him. So, the shop owner broke out the sticks and went to work. About 5 minutes later and a little sticky, shop owner was done and we were rolling again. Sealant = lame (and sticky). Oh, the memories.

Now, we didn't bash this guy, make fun of him or anything. Flats happen and that's that, but we never saw him again...

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UFTriGator posted 1 year ago.

solidad;63455 wrote:
How often do you brush off the tires? Only when you riude through something or from time to time during the race.

BTW -- I am neither fat or old (relatively speaking on the age thing) but I do ride a Litespeed for my road bike --- clinchers though ;)

Really only if I ride through something, but mostly I just avoid running through stuff to begin with. Usually running through glass or whatnot is because someone on the front of a group ride didn't point it out (not cool).

The Litespeed road bikes are really awesome....I don't know why the joke goes like that....just does. A friend of mine (only 20 yo) just got a Vortex a couple weeks ago and won a cat3 field sprint the first time he raced it. Those things are indestructible like steel, light like carbon, and flex less than aluminum. BTW -- you ARE kinda old (relatively speaking).

______________________________________________
-Matt
Not fast enough.

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UFTriGator posted 1 year ago.

UFTriGator;63408 wrote:
I raced some Sprinters last weekend and had some grip issues on hard cornering after they heated up.

I need to correct this. I had the tires (Conti Sprinters) re-glued by the guy known around town as the wheel guru of Gainesville and raced them again this weekend at Georgia Southern University. Anywho...I wanted to break the group with a 1/4 mile to go with a double chicane at the bottom of a hill. Normally it's a bad idea to do that on a downhill, but I thought if I could take the turn hard enough, no one would chase. I ended up taking the turn at almost 40mph (praying the whole time that I wouldn't eat it while in my motorcycle knee-slide pose) and broke the peloton. I guess I was the only one crazy enough to try it. These tires are absolutely amazing! Still no flats, too.

______________________________________________
-Matt
Not fast enough.