I’m beginning to think Continental could shoot somebody on Fifth Avenue and you would still buy their tires.
There's an even chance I'm getting canceled now on social media for my impolitic or, in this case, politic figure of speech, but edgy jokes aside can we agree on the striking brand attachment between Slowtwitchers and Continental? Not just in market share, but in the miraculous durability of the number: Seventy percent. Not sixty-seven. Not seventy-three. Seventy percent of you will race on Continental tires; and in 3 polls over 6 years it’s been exactly that number or percentage points from it.
To be clear, Continental didn’t murder anyone or anything except its competition and it’s always done that according to the rules of fair business play. It continues to make and ship tires that are fast, aero, fairly-priced and widely available. It hits the sweet spot over and over again, especially in triathlon, and the two cases in point are the acceptably flat-resistant Grand Prix 5000 S TR, and the slightly-less hardy but lightning fast Grand Prix 5000 TT. That latter tire was a particular favorite among the pros in Kona in 2022 and will no-doubt again be a popular tire in Nice next week.
Beyond this, it continues to earn this loyalty from Slowtwitchers in the face of some really compelling tire launches in this and recent years. The fastest-rolling tire on the Bicycle Rolling Resistance leaderboard is the Veloflex Record TLR. Second is the Vittoria Corsa Speed. The aforementioned Grand Prix TT TLR sits in 3rd place, and just behind it is the Schwalbe Pro One TT.
If you look at all of these, the Corsa Speed and the TT seems to be pretty much a fair fight, about even in Crr and in puncture resistance. It’s a pick ‘em. A toss-up. (Each have a total puncture score of 33; each is within 1/10 of a watt of the other.) When I go to the single most likely place you’ll buy your tires, biketiresdirect.com, I see that the Conti sells for about $105 and the Vittoria for $95. And yet…
Seventy percent of you will buy Continental tires for racing; and 12 percent Vittoria. Let’s consider what else might be in play.
Were it me, and were I racing in (say) the IRONMAN World Championships in Nice next week, I wouldn’t race either of these tires. I’d race a somewhat more durable version. In Vittoria it would be the newly released Corsa Pro, the tire underneath the victor in this year’s Paris Roubaix and the tire used by most Vittoria riders in that race (notwithstanding the fact that the yet more durable Corsa Pro Control is the supposed Classics race tire). That tire in a 28mm width is a 9.9w tire at 90psi with a total puncture score of 46. The S TR is a 9.1w tire, same pressure and width. But the S TR has a total puncture score of 36 (25mm) and 34 (28mm). In other words, you get a tire that’s barely more puncture resistant than Conti’s TT.
It would then seem to me that Vittoria’s new Corsa Pro should’ve carved out a niche specifically in AG triathlon, where there isn’t a van following you to change out your flatted wheel. Or, consider the Challenge Criterium in 25mm. It’s also a tubeless tire, a handmade 350tpi construction, with a Crr of 9.9w and a total puncture score of 61! It requires latex to seal the sidewalls and it’s a bit of a process to get that done but, like the Vittoria Corsa Pro, it’s a cotton sidewall and you get that ride quality that tells many oldsters (like me) that there’s extra speed in the supple ride whether that drum tester picks it up or not.
That said, Challenge can’t seem to catch a break with you all. I believe that Challenge suffers from have a reputation of hard-to-mount handmades, but I also believe that was back in the days before ETRTO’s tighter guidance on wheel spec. This allowed Challenge (if I can speak for them) to make a tire to precisely fit a conforming wheel, rather than slightly undersize the tire for those wheel makers who slightly undersized their wheels.
To the best of my knowledge, all the tires I’ve written about above from Continential, Schwalbe, Vittoria, Veloflex, and Challenge are hookless bead compatible.
Where you buy your tires? I asked this question of you all in a forum thread. Here’s the less scientific answer (# of votes in parentheses next to each tire seller):
Biketiresdirect.com (11): These folks also own Western Bike Works and Trisports.com. they sell all kinds of stuff but really specialize in tires.
Amazon (10): A number of our readers are reticent to buy tires here for fear of counterfeits.
LBS (6): Bless your hearts, folks. I didn’t know as many folks would still patronize the LBS for tires.
eBay (5): Some shops also sell there using eBay stores.
Merlin Cycles: Another UK site.
Excel Sports (3): Longtime Boutique Front Range bike parts and accessories seller
Bike24.de (3):
Backcountry (3): Which also owns Competitive Cyclist
Slowtwitch Classified Forum (2): It was suggested we identify tire buyers/sellers and place them in a common thread or place.
Chain Reaction Cycles (2): Also includes Wiggle. These and ProBikeKit used to be big exporters to the US, creating huge upheavel. PBK is closing and Chain Wiggle may not be quite the export-to-US force it once was.
Bikecloset (2)
Sigma Sports (1): There is Sigma Sport, the German manufacturing of sports electronics, and there is Sigma Sports, the UK-based bike retailer. This is the latter.
Tree Fort Bikes (2)
BikeInn (1)
Jenson USA (1)
From the tire brands themselves (1)
