Vittoria Pave EVO CG

Price Paid:  $40.00 at ebay

Favorite Ride:
Mt. Evans

Bike Setup:
Scott Pro, Ultegra 10, Fizik, FSA

Summary:
I ride the clincher version in the Rockies. I like the comfort and feel of the tire. I find it to be very good on high speed descents on bumpy roads. It is probably not the best racing tire, but I find it to be a great long distance, recreational tire. I have only flated once in 1200 miles.

Strengths:
Great durability. Comfortable road feel. Excellent on mountain descents.

Weaknesses:
High cost and a slight weight penalty. I don't race, so weight is not an issue for me.

Similar Products Used:
Tufo, Conti Grand Prix, Forte Pro.

Price Paid:  $50.00 at ProBikeKit.com

Favorite Ride:
Huntedon Co., NJ

Bike Setup:
1999 Litespeed Classic, Look LDS fork, Cinelli bar & stem, Turbomatic saddle, Dura Ace 9 sp group, hand-built tubulars

Summary:
This tire offers a fatter cross-section than the popular Vittoria CX and all it's iterations. This comes with a weight penalty of 40g additional per tire, despite Vittoira's claimed weights. I like the idea of a fatter tubular, so I bought several of these from ProBikeKit.com when they had them on blowout for $50 each. ExcelSports sells these for $90 each. That's a ridiculous amount of money to spend on a bicycle tire. Although this tire is designed for bad roads, I did not find it to be any more puncture resistant than any other tubular tire that I have tried. The tire feels sluggish, and the green sidewalls are not my cup of tea. The Veloflex Roubaix is a much livelier-riding tubular in the 700x24c size if you are willing to pony up the cash.

Strengths:
Fatter width for more shock-absorbtion

Weaknesses:
Heavy for a racing tubular, sluggish performance. Ugly green sidewalls. Expensive.

Similar Products Used:
Vittoria CX, CG, Extreme, Continental Sprinter, Comp 240, Veloflex Criterium, Carbon, Roubaix, Clement Paris-Roubaix, Barum, and other tubulars