Cycling UK Forum

Just replaced my fourth Vittoria Randonneur Pro tyre (this a rear) on my most ridden trad touring old farty type Longstaff bike.

Over the years of running these tyres i've not had any punctures (other than leaky Schwalbe inner tune valves) nor loss of grip or confidence in them.

Not added up the specific combined mileages, but it's in the region of at least 25,000 punctureless miles+

I have them on three bikes

This is today's rear mounted only.

2426 miles old = 0.007pence per mile £18 each from Wiggle last time)

Without checking and relying on unreliable memory, the previous VRPro lasted a tad over 3000 miles - but I may have switched front to rear during its lifetime?

Edited to add run at 50PSI on the rear

Happy

click on image for larger version

you've gone and said it now......

cheers

I've not been quite so lucky, though they are a decent tyre if you can get them at the right price. I haven't found them very long lasting and I'm not sure how many miles it's OK to do when the red starts showing, I've found marathon Supremes last me longer even though they feel thinner. I also swap tyres front/rear (New one on front, front transferred to rear) so it's hard to be precise about wear.

PH wrote:I've not been quite so lucky, though they are a decent tyre if you can get them at the right price. I haven't found them very long lasting and I'm not sure how many miles it's OK to do when the red starts showing, I've found marathon Supremes last me longer even though they feel thinner. I also swap tyres front/rear (New one on front, front transferred to rear) so it's hard to be precise about wear.

As both tyres central section of tread measures around 5+mm(measured with a digital micrometer),it seems to indicate the Supreme has a harder wearing compound.

reohn2 wrote:As both tyres central section of tread measures around 5+mm(measured with a digital micrometer),it seems to indicate the Supreme has a harder wearing compound.

Only if you also knew the thickness of what is under the tread, the red showing through on the above photo is I think thicker than the equivalent on the Marathons.

PH wrote:I've not been quite so lucky, though they are a decent tyre if you can get them at the right price. I haven't found them very long lasting and I'm not sure how many miles it's OK to do when the red starts showing, I've found marathon Supremes last me longer even though they feel thinner. I also swap tyres front/rear (New one on front, front transferred to rear) so it's hard to be precise about wear.

Do you know what the 32mm Supremes actually measure width wise on a 17mm internal rim?

The Longstaff has a narrow fork crown and the VitRandPro2 622/32 measure 27.78mm and can be removed without deflating - I doubt a real 32mm tyre would pass through the V brake pads when wide open because the fork blades are too close together!

MInd you, I still have 4 more VitRandPro2 622 x 32 in stock

PH wrote:. I also swap tyres front/rear (New one on front, front transferred to rear)

Educate me please. Is this because you consider that the new tyre will give more grip and this is most relevant on the front?

Must admit I tend to do the reverse, maybe in my ignorance. Newer tyre on back, as slightly more faff if a puncture. Old more worn even seriously on its last legs tyre in the front.

I wear my tyres to the limit. On runaround bike I just change when serious sidewall issues or when I start to get lots of punctures.

I usually do like Sweep does, I don't mind running half worn tyres on the front. Lots of folk do things different to that; there are plusses and minuses both ways (*), but overall it is a 'to-mate-o vs to-mah-to' thing.

(*) there are enough new, defective tyres out there that I don't like having one that might be no good on the front.

cheers

PH wrote:

reohn2 wrote:As both tyres central section of tread measures around 5+mm(measured with a digital micrometer),it seems to indicate the Supreme has a harder wearing compound.

Only if you also knew the thickness of what is under the tread, the red showing through on the above photo is I think thicker than the equivalent on the Marathons.

I was meaning the overall tread and carcass thickness of both tyres,I haven't yet worn out either tyre,so I'm unaware how long each lasts.

Sweep wrote:

PH wrote:. I also swap tyres front/rear (New one on front, front transferred to rear)

Educate me please. Is this because you consider that the new tyre will give more grip and this is most relevant on the front?

Must admit I tend to do the reverse, maybe in my ignorance. Newer tyre on back, as slightly more faff if a puncture. Old more worn even seriously on its last legs tyre in the front.

I wear my tyres to the limit. On runaround bike I just change when serious sidewall issues or when I start to get lots of punctures.

My take on it is that I want the best rubber on the front,as a rear wheel slide or puncture is much more controllable than a front.
Front tyres tend to last and last,usually suffering only small cuts and few punctures with little actual tread wear.When the rear wears out I move the front to the rear to wear it down to the limit.
That seems logical to my mind.
I've had faulty tyres in the past(almost all Schwalbe,though their better quality ones less so)but none catastrophically and usually within the first 200 miles of fitting.
The most consistent for run true without manipulation on fitting,least problems in service either by developing faults such as sidewall failure,carcass cracking or punctures,etc,have been Panaracer RibMo,Vittoria Voyager Hypers*,Vittoria Randoneur either standard or Pro,Conti Gatorskins and Schwalbe Big Apples though not a lot of mileage on the BA's.

*others who live in flint parts of the country have complained of Hypers being puncture prone but IME where I live in a gritstone area of the country,I find them a fine tyre.

I don’t think 2426 miles is that good for a touring tyre. My Gatorskins last longer than that with a thinner tread. I also ride VRPro’s on the tourer but don’t ride it that much these days now that I’ve retired. It used to get used on the commute and the occasional tour. I run mine at higher PSI though, more like 70-75.

TrevA wrote:I don’t think 2426 miles is that good for a touring tyre. My Gatorskins last longer than that with a thinner tread. I also ride VRPro’s on the tourer but don’t ride it that much these days now that I’ve retired. It used to get used on the commute and the occasional tour. I run mine at higher PSI though, more like 70-75.

It's good value for money at Planet X prices

TrevA wrote:I don’t think 2426 miles is that good for a touring tyre. My Gatorskins last longer than that with a thinner tread. I also ride VRPro’s on the tourer but don’t ride it that much these days now that I’ve retired. It used to get used on the commute and the occasional tour. I run mine at higher PSI though, more like 70-75.

As mentioned up post 2426 punctureless, zero grip problems, supple comfortable ride cost ¾ of a penny per happy mile (tyres were £18 from Wiggle)

My teeth would fall out at 70-75 PSI, even with springy 531 fork blades and a 1" steerer

Mind you my Nelson Longflap, copious toolkit and 6 pack of Stella probably weigh more than I do

PH wrote:[…] and I'm not sure how many miles it's OK to do when the red starts showing.

None if you’re concerned with grip. The tread compound has significant hysteresis to generate wet grip, whereas the layer underneath is typically designed to have as low hysteresis as possible (like a bouncy ball) to reduce rolling resistance. Consequently, using that layer as an improvised tread will produce miserable traction on a wet surface – not ideal in an emergency stop.

Deliquium’s tyre still has marginally more black tread in contact with the road than red compound, but I wouldn’t ride another mile on it.

my tyres don't wear like that. to me that looks like a newish tyre with an extremely worn centre. the shoulders hardly seem touched. mine wear down all over.

do you ever corner?