Used Conti GP 4000s for years, have used Vittoria Corsa for the past two seasons, both are great, the Vittoria are better.

Wow. Skip to 55 minutes if you want some "switching to disks from cantis" schadenfreude. Makes my minor hassles building the Ibis seem much more pedestrian.

https://thegravellot.libsyn.com/242-adam-myerson

I've had the same pair of 28 conti gatorskins for roughly 11 months now. If that's not an advertisement for conti 28s, I don't know what is.



Also, I should probably get some new tires.

I would not say the same about the GP4000 tires I tried this year. These tires suffered numerous punctures as new so I went back to trustworthy Michelins. 

eloy said:

Used Conti GP 4000s for years, have used Vittoria Corsa for the past two seasons, both are great, the Vittoria are better.

of course, ran into Dotan this morning riding the rain in Prospect Park, flatted my front Corsa. Haha

Any recco's for carbon brake pads equal to SwissStop Black Prince? I seem to be going through a set in 4-5 months! (JP already said no, so this question is mostly to show my annoyance at this new crabon tax).

@JohnMalcolmson have you tried riding slower?

cpulvidente said:

@RobertMullen
 You can fit 28s on the Allez, I may pick up a pair of 28 for myself then. How do they hold up in the winter?

I can't imagine riding race tires around here in the winter.  I know some folks on this list who think it's fine, but I think it's a bad idea.   I'd go with something that has a more rubber on the tread and more flat protection in the casing and or the belt under the tread.

But I'm someone who spends lots of time riding outside.  Getting a flat in sub-freezing weather is no fun.

I used to be a Specialized Armadillo rider, but the ride quality is pretty poor.  The Conti' Gatorskin to me is almost enough and the Gatorshell is in line with the Armadillo, but perhaps a bit better riding.  Last winter I was pretty satisfied with the Conti' GP 4-Season and am considering doing it again.  

For those who want to go cheaper,  The Vittoria Rubino or Zaffiro are decent.    

Even with the heavier-casing tires, I've flatted on industrial staples; there's lots of sharp stuff you don't want going through your tire, and more of it is out in the winter.  

Summer, otoh, is another story.  I put on a used pair of Conti' GP 4000s II's in mid-April.  I got one flat until last week, when I got two on one tire in one ride, but the casing was pretty much gone, so I retired it.  

I used to ride Gatorskins year round, and keep them on through Battenkill. Don't think I ever flatted one.

Race tires, otoh... oy vey!

I did manage to flat a 32c Gatorskin tire that I put on my old wheels to ride my cross bike around the park. This is probably a personal problem though... 

Schwalbe Durano DD. They are very durable and I found them better than gatorskins in 2 respects:
1. They ride a fair bit nicer. gatorskins to me always felt like solid rubber.
2. They are FAR easier to mount. I have broken fingernails and tire levers mounting gatorskins.

2. They are FAR easier to mount. I have broken fingernails and tire levers mounting gatorskins.

I find this a problem with all Contis. They are tight!

jim_nelson said:

2. They are FAR easier to mount. I have broken fingernails and tire levers mounting gatorskins.

I find this a problem with all Contis. They are tight!

Allegedly, they reduced the diameter of the beads in response to rims going wide, carbon, and tubeless.  As was pointed out elsewhere, Continental is probably the biggest company in the bike business, by virtue of their non-bike tires, and, as such, see themselves as a big target for liability lawsuits.  

Fascinating

https://youtu.be/JCNSZFb38fQ

not the best produced "dream build" video, but MVDH's Canadian Champion bicycle is just, well, a dream
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I-NDQEmcefM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5bidSBPrrNo

Just saw an article in Cycling weekly about winter bikes. That seems unnecessary though I think (but this is my first winter in a harsh weather since I’m from sunny Mexico).

Any tips/gear for going into the winter still somewhat cycling out of a turbo trainer (which I think is almost a form of torture)?

Keeping the extremities warm and dry is key. Merino wool is your friend. Heated water/tea in your bottle is nice, and booshy. 

DiegoSanchez said:

Just saw an article in Cycling weekly about winter bikes. That seems unnecessary though I think (but this is my first winter in a harsh weather since I’m from sunny Mexico).

Any tips/gear for going into the winter still somewhat cycling out of a turbo trainer (which I think is almost a form of torture)?

Page 12

http://www.kissenacycling.com/team-library/How-to-race-your-bike-v10.pdf

@Jules

Just re-read it.  Still good advice.

@DiegoSanchez Winter bikes are a BIG thing in the UK. It doesn't get anywhere near as cold as here in NY, but we get a lot of rain. So winter bikes that have full fenders front and rear are a must. And I mean must .. most clubs will not allow you to join their winter club run unless you have full fenders on your bike. To me this is entirely proper since one must be considerate of team mates. There is also a psychological element to winter bikes. Training for months on a heavy bike, with heavy tires means that when you jump on the race bike - you feel as though you are flying along.

Regardless of bike however there are things that you should do after every ride, but that are CRUCIAL to do when training in the winter: immediately after the ride  wipe down (or fully clean) the bike. Oil and lube all the necessary parts. Inspect tires. Proactively change tires, tubes, chains, cables, brake pads, if they show wear. If you don't do this you run the risk of an issue on the next ride. It is never fun to have to fix something that breaks mid-ride, but it is totally miserable having to do this when it is cold and wet.

Bruce van-Schalkwyk said:

And never, ever feel guilty about turning around 3 minutes into your ride.  If it's that cold, you shouldn't have gone out in the first place, and yes, your bed will still be warm and waiting for you.  Kudos for trying.

So much This. Trust your gut before you're tired/cold/lying on the pavement.

Hi all, quick question has anyone flew with United or delta on international flights with their bikes? Not familiar with how US airlines deal with bikes so not sure if I should take the cheaper flight from United or stick with KLM or something... thanks 

I have never used a US airline for international travel expressly because they charge outrageous fees for bicycles. HOWEVER ... Delta very recently announced that it was scrapping their fees for bicycles. So with Delta you can now take your bike free of charge - providing it conforms to their guidelines (size and weight) for normal checked baggage.

Flown extensively with bikes to/fro the UK. Virgin Atlantic will fly your bike for free, it counts as a single item of hold luggage. Same deal on Air France and Delta - makes me wonder if VA/Delta/Air France/Air NZ etc are starting to align their travel policies...

Thanks. Yeah, most European airlines fly bike for free. Just saw that united charge you 200 one way... ridiculous...That certainly cancel out the price difference in the ticket... 

@ThomasChen With you United you also run the risk that they beat you to a pulp and drag you off the plane.

Anybody know what bearings the Giant TCR advanced uses

Sorry Bottom Bracket bearings

hollowtech II with 24mm axle and bearings @Mark Taylor