Submitted by
Longdaddy
a Road Racer
from Ft. Benning, GA
Date Reviewed: January 4, 2004
Strengths: Tough, no non-sense, different, rides ok, good price (the guys at Glory are good people), hold air well. the red color is not that bad, and it does darken with time.
Weaknesses: at 130 psi you really feel the road bumps, even on my steel frame. But so is the case w/any tire pumped that high. Jury still out on the sealent.
Bottom Line:
I train on these daily on my Mavic
Cosmos wheels. I have been using these since early spring. Agree that they are tough to mount at first, and it took a little longer the first time getting the hang of getting the "bead" on the rim correctly. Like tubulars, these tires do stretch a little, making re-mounting easier. So, mount x-tras in a cool, dry place. Pumped to 130psi, these tires do ride harsher than most training tires. The high thread count gives these tires their indestructable reputation. (thread count- just like good quality bed sheets- the higher, the better). I also purchased the valve core extenders, which are very high quality. Keep these in mind for any tires /tubes to be used on high profile aero rims. the plastic wrench is handy, but a pair of pliers and a user who pays attention will also work. I have not yet had a flat on them (probably just jinxed today's ride...) but I do carry the tufo sealent in my bag. Interesting review prior to this on getting slimed, but a rider warned of this back in a year 2000 review. For rider piece of mind, kick it old school and carry a spare tire. Also, these tires hold their air very well. As we learned early on to pump our tires up before every ride, know that if you forgot your floor pump or are in a hurry, my tires kept 125-130 psi for 3 days.
Strengths: easy to put on the rim, easy to take off, no tire irons needed, they ride great
Weaknesses: Tufo's glue does not always work even with 1-2mm size holes. You are SOL if you cannot repair it with the glue.
Bottom Line:
I would like to give you a little customer review of the Tufo S22's (tubeless clinchers) my
friend and I purchased a few months ago.
I like the idea of the tubeless clinchers: easy to put on the rim, easy
to
take off, they ride great EXCEPT in my
friends case when he got a flat. A little piece of glass pierced through
the
tire forming a small hole less than or equal to 2mm.
Ok not a problem I said we will get the Tufo sealant and it should take
care
of it: pour it in, pump the tire up, and done.....
Well not quite. The sealant came out of the hole spraying and taking out
a
good part of the kitchen.
Ok no problem we will let the sealant dry over night then we will pump
the
tire up and then we will surely be done....
The next day we pump the tire to the recommended pressure. Alright it
seems
to hold now... Not!
Five minutes later the dry sealant pops off and we get slimed..
We go to plan B: We will use "green slime" sealant. A little bit thicker
and
also used to patch car and ATV tires it must work.
We put the sealant in and let it dry over night. We pump the tire and
everything is cool.
Sure the tire is not balanced because the green slime is a little
heavier
but gosh be darned it we sealed that
Lets go for a ride.
One mile into the ride my friend is cranking he is hammering down the
road
and feeling good but then all hell breaks loose.
He gets slimed like a scene out of "Ghostbusters". Green slime all over
the
frame and legs.
He was able to get he slime off the frame before it dried but ever try
to
get dried up green slime off your hairy legs? Ever see grown men cry?
So I do know for a fact that as of today I have ridden 3200 miles on
these
tufos S22 without a single flat. I think it's an excellent
concept. I discovered them on Ebay...BUT it seems to me that once you
get a
flat with these tires you are hosed..
This particular feature negates a lot of the practical features of these
tires. Now my friend likes the Michelin Pro's again.. Likes the
idea of carrying patches, tire irons, and pumps....
Weaknesses: ride quality is a little harsh. too skinny. need to offer in a 25c since they are intended for training. also, RED sidewalls are odd looking. but, after a winter's worth of riding they turn black anyway.
Bottom Line:
this is a tough-a$$ training tubular. ride quality ain't all that great, but you can put some serious, worry-free miles on these tires. i ride them pretty hard (glass, gravel roads, etc.) and they've never flatted where others have. They are also lighter than a lot of tires out there.
I have used a bunch of different tubies and these are definitely the most supple, truest, and roundest training tubular around. I have the ones with the red sidewalls which look a little weird, but I guess I didn't buy 'em for their looks. I'm glad I've tried these and I would whole heartedly recommend them to anyone looking for a good value in a training tubie...
Favorite Ride: Thurday night Tortilla Factory ride
Purchased At: LBS I used to work a
Similar Products Used: different Contis, Hutchinsons and Vittorias
Bike Setup: Independent Fabrication Crown Jewel with Campagnolo Record, Chris King headset, Flite TT saddle (awe
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
D Alex
a Recreational Rider
from upstate NY
Date Reviewed: July 9, 2001
Strengths: Well molded, no runout, light weight, wears well
Weaknesses: can't be opened for repair, tight fit (which is good, actually), tread a bit hard.
Bottom Line:
Great tyre for the price. Nothing in this price range even comes close! Better than Sprinters, MUCH better than Giros, at the same price! Nearly 1 month on $h!tty country roads, and shows little wear (my Sprinters wore much faster). No lumpy ride, good at high speed. Has a removable valve core. Nashbar sells these as their store brand, but not the TUFO sealant (buy that from world class cycles). Whatever you do, DON'T use SLIME! Haven't flatted yet, but will let you all know if the sealant works. Otherwise, this could be an expensive throwaway.
