Tufo Special S33

Price Paid:  $55.00 at ebay

Favorite Ride:
The velodrome

Bike Setup:
Centurion Dave scott ironman, superbe pro and campy mix components with phil wood bottom bracket.
wheels;
rear mavic champion du monde 36h to gipiemme hub
Front dura ace hub to mavic mach 2 cd 2 rim.

Summary:
I usually don't post a review but these tires are great!
I decided to put them on my steel training/commuting bike to see if I liked training on tubulars. I got one free at a swap meet and I bought one new off of ebay and glued them up. I've put about 3,000 miles on the back and about 4,000 on the front. The rear is starting to wear down but seems to have a good amount of life left in it and the front looks pretty good.

The tread is a little flat on the top out of the box but it doesn't seem to affect cornering at all. I've done many many hills in the rain and they hang onto the road well, and when it's dry they really hang on! I even took them in snow once but anything more than 5 mph was scary.

I just had my second flat on them a few days ago, the first was in the rear after about 2,000 miles or so. I was able to ride home since it was only a slow leak, I pulled out the small piece of glass and put a little tufo sealant in and it pumped right up.
The other one was in the front, I noticed it getting soft and found a sharp thorn in the tire. I made it the 25 minutes home with plenty of air to ride on, put a bit of tufo sealant in and it held air just fine.

Strengths:
Super flat resistant, they grip well in corners and last many miles.

Weaknesses:
They are a little expensive but for the amount of miles they last they're owrth it.
They look like they have a flat spot out of the box but it doesn't seem to affect anything.

Similar Products Used:
Vittoria training tubulars, and clinchers.

Price Paid:  $50.00 at Bike tires direct (g

Favorite Ride:
Como Street

Bike Setup:
Felt Fc/Dura Ace/Zipp's or Neuvations.

Summary:
I'm looking for a cheap way to get tuby performance from my clinchers, and God bless Tufo for trying something innoveative. Mounting was a little tough at first, but once you understand the system, it's not so bad. My thumbs did feel like I'd been climbing 11-d's all day the first time...Got them on, went for a ride. The first seven miles may have been the best of my life. A little rough, but rolled like a dream. Then the dreaded flat came! I elected to put my old clincher back on and roll back home. Hole seemed significant, so I rolled home to fix it. The fix: Tufo "glue/goo" worked well, but took a little while. The hole was pretty big, so a fair amount was oozing out. You are supposed to spin the wheel, so it will spray everywhere (including in my coffee). Put a small piece of tape over the hole before putting the glue in. Also, don't forget rim tape if you plan on using a std clincher as your rescue plan. Will review again after I get some more miles on.Will give high rating just for ride quality so far. If it continues to be frustrating to ride, will repost. But again, at least one company is trying innovative strategies to get the performance of a tubular with a clincher rim. Would give a prelim 5 if they hold air for a significant duration.

Strengths:
Awesome rollers. Stable. Handle well. Subjectively, rolls as well as my Vittoria Corsa EX tuby's.

Weaknesses:
A little rough. Takes a little time to get the "system." Probably easy to repair on the street if you have confidence that it'll work. Plan C is still a pain in the arse. Still have to carry a spare tire. Would be nice if you could trash the innards and use a tube for rescue.

Similar Products Used:
Vittoria Corsa EX

Price Paid:  $40.00 at online

Favorite Ride:
443 river to the gap

Bike Setup:
08 quattro assi SSS with 10 sp record. Zero components 024 carbon wheels.

Summary:
After flatting on some higher priced tires I was looking for a rear tire that would last on my crappy roads.
Been riding this tire on the rear wheel for over 2000 mile with no issues. Run at 110psi it has plenty of grip and decent road feel. I do not run any sealant in this tire and it has been bulitproof. I run an s3 on the front and this combo has seen over 2000 miles.

Strengths:
Puncture resistance. Can run at higher psi but I run it at 110. Price

Weaknesses:
Not the best road feel but it is still going after 2000 miles.

Similar Products Used:
Corsa Evo CX, Sprinters, bonti race lite

Price Paid:  $4750.00 at World Class Cycles

Favorite Ride:
GURU Racelite

Bike Setup:
GURU Racelite, Dura-Ace components, HED-3C wheels and/or Renn-575 disk.

Summary:
Excellent tubulars for the money. Bulletproof puncture resistance, and good value. This is the only tire I race on, and I've had over 3000 miles without a flat.

Strengths:
Good price to preformance ratio, can be found on the web for a decent price. I ride these tires around 105psi, and they are able to be inflated to higher than that (max 175psi). These tires have taken some really rough roads in stride, without any problems.

Weaknesses:
Rough ride at higher pressures, but the toughness of the tire is well worth the rougher ride.

Similar Products Used:
N/A

Price Paid:  $0.00

Bike Setup:
2005 Orbea Orca, American Classic Carbon 38mm with Ceramic bearings. Zero Gravity Brakes, FSA crank, Time Carbon RXS pedals, dura ace 9 speed components

Summary:
You will not find a better training tubular on the market. I have put thousands of miles on these tires with no flats or cuts. Amazing tread life, 5000 miles before rear tire even shows wear, amazing. Ride quality might be a bit rougher than some other brands. Can inflate to high psi, I like mine at 160. Excellent price also. So if your looking for a great training tire this is the one fore

Strengths:
Tire wear and tear is at a minimum.

Weaknesses:
Rolling resistance

Similar Products Used:
Vittoria Evo's, Continental Sprinter