Vredestein Fortezza Tricomp

Paul D said:

tyres, not tubs - are they any good?

Need some new tyres for my good bike and was going to get either
conti's or michelin pro race 2's, but ribble have a special on these
vredestein's so i'd save about £20 on a pair of 700x23's.

I've not actually used either of those two tyres but I've seen them and
read lots of specs and reviews, which don't tempt me from my
favourites........

Vittoria Open Corsa CX 23's are more supple with more threads per inch for
lower rolling resistance, have more reliable sidewalls, and are slightly
wider for more comfort and ease of fitting. I used to get a lot of cuts
with them but I'm having much better fortune with my latest pair -- maybe
because I'm using lower pressure now (?), maybe because the new EVO
version is more cut/puncture resistant (?).

Ribble Cycles treated me like [censored] when they made mistakes with my last
order. It's worth paying extra for the better customer service of Parker
International, IMO, and worth paying a premium price for top quality tyres
since they make more difference than any other component.

~PB

I said:

Paul D said:

tyres, not tubs - are they any good?

Need some new tyres for my good bike and was going to get either
conti's or michelin pro race 2's, but ribble have a special on these
vredestein's so i'd save about £20 on a pair of 700x23's.

I've not actually used either of those two tyres but I've seen them
and read lots of specs and reviews, which don't tempt me from my
favourites........

By "two tyres" I mean Tricomp and Pro Race 2. I'm particularly
unimpressed by reviews/reports on Tricomps (compared to Open Corsa). The
thicker layer of rubber will make the tread last longer but they score
worse in rolling resistance tests, and I've read numerous complaints over
the years about the sidewalls shreading.

~PB

"Pete Biggs" <p@honeydewbiggs{remove_melon}.tc> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Ribble Cycles treated me like [censored] when they made mistakes with my last
order. It's worth paying extra for the better customer service of Parker
International, IMO, and worth paying a premium price for top quality tyres
since they make more difference than any other component.

~PB

Everybody whose bought a few things from internet bike shops has one which
has dicked them about, and there isn't necessarily a pattern. I've never had
any problems with ribble, or wiggle or parkers. I attempted to buy a pump
from Xpedia and they took twice the cost of the pump and never sent it to
me, but me creditcard people are on the case with that one. Luck of the draw
I guess.

Thanks for the info on the tyres

Paul D said:

Everybody whose bought a few things from internet bike shops has one
which has dicked them about, and there isn't necessarily a pattern.
I've never had any problems with ribble, or wiggle or parkers. I
attempted to buy a pump from Xpedia and they took twice the cost of
the pump and never sent it to me, but me creditcard people are on the
case with that one. Luck of the draw I guess.

There is a pattern: Ribble tend to be less keen and able to put problems
right than other companies, and the hassle and time involved is worse.
I'm just one of many dissatisfied customers -- search Google Groups. It's
interesting how their competitors do not get anything like the same number
and degree of complaints.

Ribble dicked me about several times and I was [censored] for giving them
another chance. (It's those low prices that does it). I've had things go
wrong with plenty of other cycling suppliers but never the same sort of
hassle in getting the problems sorted out. That makes Ribble very
different, in my view. The last experience was bad enough to definitely
put me off for life, and I can't help but spread the word. Sorry if it's
boring/irritating.

~PB