20 inch rolling resistance test

So like the greater pressure you have for the tire, the less rolling resistance you have...hmmm
maybe forget the tire and use a stainless steel tube around the rim and you should go like a rocket.
I just went from a 65
psi semi-slick Kenda to a 90 psi Avocet Cross and there was quite a noticeable improvement. Met a
chap last nite on a Mtb who thought I was nuts for using Slick tires. I pointed out that since I
do not ride on gravel, over logs, jump curbs or grind my wheels through rocks...why the hell would
I or anyone need 2.225 Knobbies for city riding. He tried my bent and was in love with the slicks.
Am converting them one by one. "Mikael Seierup" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

ice.hpv.co.ukframeset.htmlOpen ↗

Dunno if this is new but they made some tests.

M.

It is interesting, but unfortunately they chose to test the "fat" Primo Comet (20 x 1.75"😉 rather
than the regular size (20 x 1 3/8"😉.

Greenspeed's testing showed the primacy of the Stelvios as well, but also showed that the normal
Primo was faster than the Comp Pool. Sorry, but I've misplaced the URL.

Cork

Mikael Seierup said:

ice.hpv.co.ukframeset.htmlOpen ↗

Dunno if this is new but they made some tests.

M.

Yesterday I rode a Giro with KWESTS and then Primo Comet/Racer Combo. The Primo's were faster,
accelerated better and even at 110 psi were less harsh than the Kwests. On a 20/20 I imagine I'd
feel the same. I think the Comets are a good fast tire for good roads. I would prefer a sturdier
CompPool or Quest for more crappy road conditions. For 20"... speed... the Stevelo is the winner in
my experience.

--
Jude....///Bacchetta AERO St. Michaels and Tilghman Island.. Maryland Wheel Doctor Cycle and Sports,
Inc 1-800-586-6645 "Kelly & Cork Van Den Handel" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

It is interesting, but unfortunately they chose to test the "fat" Primo Comet (20 x 1.75"😉 rather
than the regular size (20 x 1 3/8"😉.

Greenspeed's testing showed the primacy of the Stelvios as well, but also showed that the normal
Primo was faster than the Comp Pool. Sorry, but

I've

Quoted message said:

misplaced the URL.

Cork

Mikael Seierup said:

ice.hpv.co.ukframeset.htmlOpen ↗

Dunno if this is new but they made some tests.

M.

Quoted message said:

I think the Comets are a good fast tire for good roads. I would

prefer a sturdier CompPool or Quest for more crappy road conditions.

Jude,

Do you think the Comp Pools are more "bulletproof" than the Primo Kevlars?

Thanks -- DP

Dennis, Good question. I have sold some of the K Comets but never used them. I'm still a fan of the
Comp Pool as a good durable tire. I ran them on my Rocket for a year and never had a flat, but then
again I have not seen a flat on my 23mm tires in a year either? When I was a youngin' 1962/65 I rode
a 3 speed with. standard 26 X 1 3/8 tires. During the summer I often would ride from the Whitestone
Bridge to Long Island City, took the subway to Manhattan to have lunch with my Dad. Left the bike at
my Aunts in LIC. Don't remember any flats. Guess I'm lucky, not flat prone or something. I had a 75
paper route (World Telegram and Sun) can only remember calling home one time cause of a flat. So I'm
not the best person to ask.
--
Jude....///Bacchetta AERO St. Michaels and Tilghman Island.. Maryland Wheel Doctor Cycle and Sports,
Inc 1-800-586-6645 "Dennis Pedrick" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I think the Comets are a good fast tire for good roads. I would

prefer a sturdier CompPool or Quest for more crappy road conditions.

Jude,

Do you think the Comp Pools are more "bulletproof" than the Primo Kevlars?

Thanks -- DP

The ICE folks report interesting findings. The specific results are most likely not specifically
applicable to most recumbents as the test vehicle is a 100 kilo 4 wheeled thingamabob. General
findings are generally accepted in the wide bicycling community. Maybe the best part is that Cook'n
Bacon (the authors) use reproducible test methodology, not often the case when testing tires.

There is not much question that tires roll faster when inflated more ... until that magic point when
they go BLAM!!! And then they roll very slow indeed. Note the BLAM point is more easily reached in
the summer when hot asphalt excites the molecules, so beware of inflating those Comets or Comp Pools
to 120 psi.

Jude and others are right - real world experience and preferences trump test lab data every time. It
is my (limited) experience that front and rear tires need to be considered together in terms of
profile, cornering and other ride characteristics. Maybe there is something to be said for using the
same model front and rear, or maybe for aftermarket afficionados, mixing and matching is more fun.
I've stumbled onto a Comp Pool front and an S Lick rear combo that is comfy, seems quick and I
mostly like the way the bike handles. But the S lick would never be my tire of choice for an inner
city commute - that would be a 1.5 Avocet Cross K.

As always - horses for courses. Who said that?

Jon Shinefeld Philadelphia, PA VRex and Stumpy "Mikael Seierup" <[email hidden]> wrote in
message "]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

ice.hpv.co.ukframeset.htmlOpen ↗

Dunno if this is new but they made some tests.

M.

Purely anecdotal evidence follows:

When I got my Haluzak Hybrid Race (451 front wheel) it had an IRC RoadliteEX front tire. When it
developed a sidewall bulge, I replaced it with the same tire (3000 miles). A recent encounter with a
curb caused the tread to become separated from the casing and required a replacement. When my LBS
couldn't get a IRC RoadLite replacement, I had them get me a Schwalbe Stelvio. I rode about 2-300
miles on a Primo Comet in the meantime.

I'm hoping the Stelvio is more p*nct*r* resistant since it's Kevlar belted, but frankly the IRC
didn't have a big problem in this area.

On my twice a week 22-mile each way commute, my average speed is ~2 MPH faster with the Stelvio than
with the Comet, and just about the same as the IRC was. My "riding time" is typically about an hour
and 15 to 17 minutes. On the Comet it was an hour and 20 to 22 minutes.

Based on this experience, I'd say that the IRC RoadLite and the Schwalbe Stelvio are about
equivalent in rolling resistance, and I'm hoping the Schwalbe gives better tire life and p*nct*r*
resistance.

As usual YMMV

<Chas> Haluzak Hybrid Race -- the inline wheelchair

Jude,

You might remember my analysis last fall of the Lafford and Sims data. In it, we found that Comp
Pools, Primo Comet Kevlars, and Schwalbe Stelvios had significantly lower rolling resistance than
the other 406 tires tested. (BTW, Lafford's new test data of the "yet to be re-stocked" AirFree Open
Road tires would put them in this class as well)

Here's the issue...We've got fairly large cracks in the roads around here. Going wider gives me less
problems with the cracks, but that doesn't negate the "junk on the road" issue. I'm therefore torn
between the 47-406 Comp Pools, and the slightly narrower (15%), but Kevlar 40-406 Comets. To add to
the confusion, the new AirFree tires would be puncture-proof, and have a faster rebound (i.e.,
should be a little faster uphill), but they are even narrower at 37-406.

I'm currently running Vittoria Ariel's (50-406) with thornproof tires (real thin tires), which has
been great on the cracks, but really seems to slow me down (primarily because of the heavy tubes).

Hence my original question. If the Comp Pools are as "puncture-proof" as the Kevlar Comets, you go
with the Comp Pools (gives you an inflated, wider tire). If they're not (never having owned them, I
don't know), I'm confused. Wider tire, but potentially more flats...Maybe its a toss-up....

Thanks for letting me conceptualize...DP

Dennis,

Yup, However, if you look at an inflated Comp Pool you will see that the design brings the tire
to a point and the thickest part of the tire is at the point...thus a fat tire with a smaller
contact patch. At an average price of $20 bucks each they are worth a try. I like them in most
applications. Always keeping them inflated to100 psi is important. I keep my rental bikes tires
rated at 65 psi at 65 psi and have had one flat so far this year. Five all of last year. Just
regular tires with regular tubes. I see my competitions renters pushing bikes with flats often.
I think he puts air in the tires once a season.
--
Jude....///Bacchetta AERO St. Michaels and Tilghman Island.. Maryland Wheel Doctor Cycle and Sports,
Inc 1-800-586-6645 "Dennis Pedrick" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Jude,

You might remember my analysis last fall of the Lafford and Sims data. In it, we found that Comp
Pools, Primo Comet Kevlars, and Schwalbe Stelvios had significantly lower rolling resistance than
the other 406 tires tested. (BTW, Lafford's new test data of the "yet to be re-stocked" AirFree
Open Road tires would put them in this class as well)

Here's the issue...We've got fairly large cracks in the roads around here. Going wider gives me
less problems with the cracks, but that doesn't negate the "junk on the road" issue. I'm therefore
torn between the 47-406 Comp Pools, and the slightly narrower (15%), but Kevlar 40-406 Comets. To
add to the confusion, the new AirFree tires would be puncture-proof, and have a faster rebound
(i.e., should be a little faster uphill), but they are even narrower at 37-406.

I'm currently running Vittoria Ariel's (50-406) with thornproof tires (real thin tires), which has
been great on the cracks, but really seems to slow me down (primarily because of the heavy tubes).

Hence my original question. If the Comp Pools are as "puncture-proof" as the Kevlar Comets, you go
with the Comp Pools (gives you an inflated, wider tire). If they're not (never having owned them,
I don't know), I'm confused. Wider tire, but potentially more flats...Maybe its a toss-up....

Thanks for letting me conceptualize...DP

Quoted message said:

As always - horses for courses. Who said that?

I've used that phrase many a times in this NG;-)

Edward Wong Orlando, FL

I've put on over 11000 miles on the Wishbone ucing Comp Pools and have had 2 flats. One somebody
lost a walkman and it was smashed. I missed all the plastic but hit the 90 deg 1/8" plug at about 24
mph. The worst part was the wire whipped up hit the chain and tangled aroung the idler pulley. The
second I hit the remains of a road flare the type that use a nailto anchor it. There had been a
serious accident there eary that morning and there were several places. because of traffic I
couldn't quite get around all of them. I think either would have punctured a kevlar belt tire. Joe
Wishbone #56 Elmira NY

[email hidden] (Dennis Pedrick) wrote in message
news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I think the Comets are a good fast tire for good roads. I would

prefer a sturdier CompPool or Quest for more crappy road conditions.

Jude,

Do you think the Comp Pools are more "bulletproof" than the Primo Kevlars?

Thanks -- DP