We have yet to spend a significant amount of time at Pavé discussing equipment. Over the next several weeks though, one of the new projects we'll be unveiling will give everyone reason to get excited about some new (and old) products for the roads we all love to ride.
For now, I thought we would whet your appetites with a series photos courtesy of Jeremy
Dunn and his trip to see the Classics last spring. While I'm sure you've all seen Jeremy's (including his terrific videos), for me the most poignant might have been those photos of the unsung heroes of the Spring Classics: wheels and tires.
Mundane? Maybe to some. But as anyone who's ever ridden the pavé and/or dirt and unpaved roads can attest, wheels and tires might be the most critical choices you can make. Besides, I've always been a sucker for nice set of handbuilt wheels and some fresh rubber.
So which is your favorite? What's your choice when things get rough and dirty?
(You know what we mean...)
Share your thoughts below...
So Jeremy took all those photos? What is the 6th one? From that angle it looks a lot like one of the Michelin Service Course tubs we used at Mercury in 2000. Have one here next to me now. More likely it is the Vittoria shown in the other photos. For sure that Ambrosio rim is the same basic model Geert built up for the Classics program in 2001. Those were all Vittoria. All weathers?
ReplyDeleteWhy did wheels have to get so gay?
I know what you mean about today's wheels.
ReplyDeleteTook off my Fulcrums, stuck on a set of 2005 32H Record with ambrosio excells and Vittoria Paves, and breathed a sigh of relief. Strangely I never see the lads who run Zipps out in the winter on the roads that run through the farms...
Keeping it below 90psi.
Aonymous #1: It's an FMB Paris-Roubaix. We'll be doing a bit of a feature on them soon. It's got a special "puncture resistant" coating on the sidewalls that gives it the green tint.
ReplyDeleteGeert might have had connections with FMB, but I'm pretty sure he got some of our tires from Dugast.
Anonymous #2: thankfully, I too have never seen anyone--especially on a ride with me--running Zipps through farm roads. Must be nice to get them for free...
I've always likes a box section rim laced up three cross with at least thirty two spokes. Double butted maybe, but what the hell. Strong, simple, you can fix it on the road and in the garage. If one spoke breaks - you can still ride it home.
ReplyDeleteThat is where it's at.
been riding Ksyriums for 7 years, nothing else but SSC SL's, SL's, ES's. When I first rode them I was amazed at their stiffness and never had to true them, so stuck with them, rode nothing else. I bought a bike that came with R-SYS, and while the ride was amazingly stiff and smooth along with very light I could not get past all the issues with them (as non aero as you can get, explode, cant fix, durability of spokes etc) SO, I swapped them out for a set of open pros with ultegra hubs. converted again. I can belive how plush these wheels are yet have enough stiffness to cause no brake rub. Heavy in comparison? sure, but man do they feel like buttah.
ReplyDelete