The fastest tubular tyre known to man*

 

When you’ve done all you possibly can training-wise and you’re rolling up to the start of the most important time trial of your life, why throw away time to the competition by using tubular tyres that aren’t as fast as those being used by the fastest guys? 

 

Or … when it’s absolutely ‘shit or bust’ and you want to give yourself the very best chance of achieving a personal best time you’re going to be using the fastest possible tubular tyres … erm … aren’t you?

 

Back in the day, the likes of Engers, Adkins and Griffiths used the lightest track tyres available.  Clement Seta No 3s, Seta Extra No 1s, Pneus Dourdoigne Grand Prix de Nations were classic examples of the time triallist’s favourite tubular. Engers even went as light as Clement ‘white strips’ …. incredibly light tubulars even by today’s standards.

 

All these were super-light silk track tyres with very little rolling resistance. The walls were not protected by any latex covering so using them in the wet was a definite ‘no – no’. They were however, without doubt, the very fastest tubs you could get.  Having said that, it was still possible to to ‘risk’ then in 12 hour events … the view being, if they were 1 mph faster than the next best thing, then they’d be worth 12 miles if you could get round without puncturing. Let’s face it, even if you HAD punctured, it wouldn’t take the time it takes to ride 12 miles to change the tub! 

 

At the other end of the scale, when every second counts (in a 10 for example) they had to be worth 15 seconds or so … surely? 

 

You really had to have ridden them to appreciate just how fast they were.

 

Clement and Dourdoigne sadly fell by the wayside and tubular manufacturers tended to lose the plot as far as top quality super-fast silk tubs were concerned. Wolber Record Pistas, Soyos, Pirelli Cronomans, Vittoria Cronometros all filled the gap for a while although none were ever quite as fast as the silk ‘supremos’. 

 

The ‘cost-an-arm-and-a-leg Continental Olympic B came on to the scene and proved to be popular by the likes of Boardman while the majority of time triallists leant towards the Vittoria Crono or  more recently the Pista Evo … anything else and you’d be throwing away time.

 

Planet X would never commit to anything lighter or faster than the latex covered FMB Record Strada silk - a light tub with very little rolling resistance but not as light or as fast as the ‘real’ top men would go for!

 

Take a look at Hutch’s choice of tubs (when it’s dry … for Nationals .. when it REALLY matters).  Same goes for Botteril’s. If they aren’t on either FMB Pista silks or Dugast Pista silks I’ll eat my hat … maybe.

 

Hutch has said … "It (his Shiv) has got Dugast tubs on - front 20mm, rear 22mm. The rear wheel [HED Stinger disc] has a wider rim so you have to run a 22 and that tub comes up closer to a 23. The narrower one works well on the front, the way the brakes line up with fork. I have to pay for them - Dugast make tubs for a hell of a lot of pros and if they started giving them away to people like me they would be giving away an awful amount of tubs".

 

These would be ideal for your pb '10' on the V718.  If you're using anything else, the chances are you'd have gone faster on these. 

 

If you've shelled out top-dollar for power-meters, coaches and all the carbon aero gizmos you've got to (at least) give some of these a try. Anything else and there's time to be saved. You CAN buy speed!

 

No 1s and 3s were somewhat 'risky' (according to a few) but I never had much problem and I'm pretty sure if Nipper Longlegs Longland had been using Setas (silks) he'd have won more National Champioships than he did ... and I wouldn't have won as many as I ultimately ended up with.

 

Technolgy has improved over the years and silk tubs aren't as flimsy now as they used to be back in the day simply due to the superior 'treads' and base tapes used in the hand made manufacturing process.  If you've never ridden a silk tub, you don't know what you're missing. The walls are so supple they 'roll' better than any cotton will ever do. Mark my words ... it's like coming down from altitude.

 

Don't leave home (for the V718, A25/11, E2 etc) without yours.

 

 

For 'man' read 'Ian'   ;-)

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