My one skinny-tire bike (an early 80s pink Univega) has 700x25 Conti Gatorskins (which I doubt would fare well in Heine's tests), and it is plenty faster than my other bikes with fatter tires. It is also lighter than my other bikes, partly because it has skinny tires. It turns out that, in many ways, my fatter-tire bikes are more enjoyable to ride (and get more miles as a result), but they are definitely not faster, except maybe on gravel. If I want to go fast on pavement, I'd choose the lightest tires I could find, which happen to be skinny.
The intriguing thing about the Roadeo is that it will take the 35s, and it also has provisions for fenders, neither of which applies to my Univega (25 mm is about max, and no fender eyelets/clearance). And it's lighter than my Univega, which, btw, has dt shifters because they're lighter than bar-ends... http://www.flickr.com/photos/twowheelflight/3700511792/ On Aug 29, 10:26 am, JoelMatthews <[email protected]> wrote: > > Club riders will generally be using 700 x 23. Frequently smaller. > > At 120 PSI. It's just a fact of life in racing clubs. This is > > target market that does not think like people who use 35 mm tires, > > tweed bags and high bars. If you don't know anything about club > > racing, you won't be able to look at this frame through the right lens. > > Topic drift, but isn't it possible this is a case where the club is > simply accepting conventional wisdom that skinny high pressure are by > default faster? Common assumption to be sure, but no longer > universal. Jan Heine and other bicycle thinkers have argued that in > real road conditions, wider tires with high quality low resistance > rubber are faster than skinny tires. > > I mention the Schwalbe Kojak above - decidedly not a tweed bag > (something I have never owned, btw) or high bar type of tire, in spite > of its wider dimensions. > > You are correct I do not know anything about club racing (don't care > to, either). However, it seems rational to assume being fast is part > of the equation. Motorcycles race faster on wide slicks. So do many > types of race cars. There are those who suggest bicycles are not so > different. Maybe they are wrong. Seems to me the Roadeo affords an > opportunity to challenge convention. > > As you say, doubtful many will try. More the pity, IMO. > > On Aug 29, 9:54 am, Tim McNamara <[email protected]> wrote: > > > On Aug 29, 2009, at 6:06 AM, JoelMatthews wrote: > > > > Admittedly, I know very little about club racing dynamics, but I > > > expect the majority of people who buy the Roadeo will never use tires > > > wider than a 28. At least not when they are with the guys and gals at > > > the club. Brifters or no, the bike as used - the tires part anyway - > > > will wind up having more in the Bob Jackson-ish and old Raleigh > > > Competition than the design intended. > > > Club riders will generally be using 700 x 23. Frequently smaller. > > At 120 PSI. It's just a fact of life in racing clubs. This is > > target market that does not think like people who use 35 mm tires, > > tweed bags and high bars. If you don't know anything about club > > racing, you won't be able to look at this frame through the right lens. > > > And, BTW, it will be considered a heavyweight in the club market at > > 19.99 lbs. My friend Doug stopped by the racing LBS yesterday as > > they were putting a new Scott CF bike out on the floor for sale. 15 > > lbs, out of the box with no modifications. My friend Steve rides a > > prototype Hed CF bike, 60 cm and under 16 lbs. I am an oddball in > > that crowd, riding a 19.75 lb Ritchey (the lightest road bike I have > > ever owned). > > > Club racers are a different kettle of fish than the usual Riv rider. > > Grant knows this market fairly well and this bike is clearly aimed > > specifically at them. --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
