Tufo experiences?

Dave--no hype--TUFO tires are AWESOME!!! I personally switched over 6 months ago from a Michelin tube/tire combo. TUFO tires are priceless when you flat. I was able to fix my tire in 3 minutes flat. [no pun intended 😉 ] I say go for it. I think you'll be pleased with the minimal rolling resistance due to the high pressure you can achieve for each tire. It also appears that they handle much better when riding on really bad roads. Like your riding on a newly paved road even though you're not. I give them a 9 out of 10 for performance. A 10 out of 10 for looks [Tufo's come in awesome color combos] What do you have you have to lose. If you don't like them, go back to the ole' tire/tube combo. 🙂

mcgroup53 said:

Like so many others, I gave up tubulars years ago for the convenience of clinchers. Now I keep hearing how great the Tufo clincher tubular is - great cornering, less rolling resistance, better road feel, no pinch flats, etc.

I've seen comments here both ways, so I'm really wondering if the tire is worth the hype? What are your experiences?

Dave McCarty 😎

mcgroup53 said:

I've seen comments here both ways, so I'm really wondering if the tire is worth the hype? What are your experiences?

Dave McCarty 😎

Dave, i have mixed feelings re tufos.. granted i bought the low end cs22 since it was an experiment at the time. i love the confidence of not worrying about flatting. but i really couldn't warm up to the feel of them. compared to my specialized turbo cippolini's they felt like rocks. they were slow to spin up, and being a 21c tire felt a bit jittery on descents. and they hummed like truck tires due to the tread pattern. i switched back to the cipp's after about 500 miles and its like being in love all over again. but now i fret about flats again and carry one of the tufos in my seat pak as a spare. i want to like them more than i do, and i'd like to try a better model, but ye god's they cost more tham my car tires! you likely will t be satisfied with the choices in elite or special catagories, and like was mentioned before- they do come in fun flavors.

It is true that Tufo's tires are, in general, fairly flat resistant and long-wearing. However, regarding the "tubular clincher": they are a royal pain in the a$$ to install. The tire is basically a tubular with 2 narrow beads of rubber on the SIDE of the tire, creating a groove. This is where the clincher rim lip is supposed to fit in. Good luck getting it in, it takes quite a bit of patience and time. Even after I had them installed, I was always worried about changing a tire in the event of a flat. I'm sure it would not be a fun experience.
As far as these tires having low rolling resistance: I find that hard to believe. Tufo tires tend to be stiff, not flexible enough to roll over road deformities smoothly. And as for the previous posting about putting higher air pressure in these tires to get lower rolling resistance: that is quite the opposite of what physics and test data say. Go to analyticcycling.com for a test of rolling resistance, comparing tubies to clinchers, by Jobst. In order to get the lowest rolling resistance possible for a particular tire, the air pressure needs to match the rider's weight and road surface characteristics. Higher pressures do not always equal lower rolling resistance, this is a myth that has been blown apart. If you want low rolling resistance, get a tire with a high thread count and inflate to the PROPER pressure.

Call me silly but I don't understand the idea of the tubular clincher at the prices they're selling for. I have a set of Campy Nuetrons that I tried them on and the feel wasn't much different then tube & tire. I tried the Special C S33's because I use them in a tubular on my Campy Hyperons. The thing that gets me is that changing a tubular vs. a tubular clincher time wise is only a matter of ten minutes or less in favor of the tubular clincher (I'll take the tubulars anytime). I will say one thing about the Special C S33's and the tubular Special S33's, VERY DURABLE TIRES! But they have a dead feeling to them and don't roll as fast as other tires like Vit's or Conti's. BUT THE PRICES ARE SO CHEAP FOR THE TUFO'S I CAN LIVE WITH THE DEAD FEEL. Cool colors too! 😎

I'm a total convert. True they are difficult to mount at first but with each mounting you get better. As a larger rider I like the high pressure too. I have only used the C elite and the Giro Twix. Had good results with both but prefer the Giro Twix. It's a 21mm as opposed to 23mm on the C elite but it works for me. They are not cheap but I think if you are interested give them a try. World Class Cycles treats me pretty well and the shipping is fast.

mcgroup53 said:

Like so many others, I gave up tubulars years ago for the convenience of clinchers. Now I keep hearing how great the Tufo clincher tubular is - great cornering, less rolling resistance, better road feel, no pinch flats, etc.

I've seen comments here both ways, so I'm really wondering if the tire is worth the hype? What are your experiences?

Dave McCarty 😎

Installing the tubular clinchers only takes a couple of minutes at the most. The secret is to inflate the tire with 2 pumps of your floor pump. This exposes the groove. Work the tire onto your rim and inflate to desired pressure. The tire pressure is what actually seals the groove around the rim. It's not much more than that. It literally took me 3 minutes per wheel to install the new tire. It was that easy. 😉

For flats--no tire change is needed. If the puncture was caused by glass or a thorn [99% of the punctures occur this way] all you need is to carry a tube of sealant. Use the valve tool to remove the Presta Valve, squirt half of the sealant into the valve [for the small sealant tube]. Reinsert and secure the Presta Valve, spin the wheel with your hand to activate the sealant, fill with air, and you're off. No tire change neccessary. And your hands are still the same color when you started this simple procedure. 🙂 This is the coolest part about these tires is the convenience and durability.

BikingBrian said:

It is true that Tufo's tires are, in general, fairly flat resistant and long-wearing. However, regarding the "tubular clincher": they are a royal pain in the a$$ to install. The tire is basically a tubular with 2 narrow beads of rubber on the SIDE of the tire, creating a groove. This is where the clincher rim lip is supposed to fit in. Good luck getting it in, it takes quite a bit of patience and time. Even after I had them installed, I was always worried about changing a tire in the event of a flat. I'm sure it would not be a fun experience.
As far as these tires having low rolling resistance: I find that hard to believe. Tufo tires tend to be stiff, not flexible enough to roll over road deformities smoothly. And as for the previous posting about putting higher air pressure in these tires to get lower rolling resistance: that is quite the opposite of what physics and test data say. Go to analyticcycling.com for a test of rolling resistance, comparing tubies to clinchers, by Jobst. In order to get the lowest rolling resistance possible for a particular tire, the air pressure needs to match the rider's weight and road surface characteristics. Higher pressures do not always equal lower rolling resistance, this is a myth that has been blown apart. If you want low rolling resistance, get a tire with a high thread count and inflate to the PROPER pressure.

Vector7 said:

Installing the tubular clinchers only takes a couple of minutes at the most. The secret is to inflate the tire with 2 pumps of your floor pump. This exposes the groove. Work the tire onto your rim and inflate to desired pressure. The tire pressure is what actually seals the groove around the rim. It's not much more than that. It literally took me 3 minutes per wheel to install the new tire. It was that easy. 😉

For flats--no tire change is needed. If the puncture was caused by glass or a thorn [99% of the punctures occur this way] all you need is to carry a tube of sealant. Use the valve tool to remove the Presta Valve, squirt half of the sealant into the valve [for the small sealant tube]. Reinsert and secure the Presta Valve, spin the wheel with your hand to activate the sealant, fill with air, and you're off. No tire change neccessary. And your hands are still the same color when you started this simple procedure. 🙂 This is the coolest part about these tires is the convenience and durability.

I use them on my spare rimes. No problems intalling them. Pump them up before installation and let them stretch a little bit - just like with a tubular. They are pretty durable, but again, these on on my spare tires. They are not quite as supple feeling as say Conti Grand Prix 3000s, but I ride them with confidence. My primary wheels are in fact TUBULAR wheels - Rolf Vector Pro with Tufo tubulars. These tires are exceptional, particularly as compaired to Conti Sprinters. My smoother, rounder, truer, faster. I also prefer the Tufo glue tape over regular glue.

I've used Tufo Elite clinchers for a year and a half. I weigh 250, i air them at 200 psi, they roll awesome they wear good and sometimes they seal when they puncture. I have no road sound issue's and they are faster than Michilin pro races. I had to replace one due to a meeting with some glass Hole was to big to seal, but was able to ride it home on the flat without damage to wheel. Wife has them on her bike with no problems. Remember when you have a puncture on a normal setup, you batch your tube , But what about the damage to the tire casing. I've always felt the bump, bump, bump, that is caused by the damage to the tire itself. I'll keep riding them and you should too!!! John

They are a great technological innovation yes

I would compare them to Veloflex tyres - they are great too!

Cheers