Vredestein Tires

4barrs said:

I have Vredestein Fortezza Road tires on one of my bikes (mounted on Velomax Orion 2 wheels) and I
wear down a tire in about 2000 miles. Is this normal? I keep the pressure at 95-100psi per the bike
builder. The rear tire end up with a 1/4" wide flat spot. Is this a rubber compound issue, a
pressure issue or what? I do not have a lot of experience with higher quality road tires. I have
Armadillos on one bike and Continentals on an other but the Vredesteins seem smoother and certainly
faster than the others. Ken Barr.

$ .02 a mile, I'd take it....

<< I have Vredestein Fortezza Road tires on one of my bikes (mounted on VelomaxOrion 2 wheels) and I
wear down a tire in about 2000 miles. Is this normal? I keep the pressure at 95-100psi per the bike
builder. The rear tire end up with a 1/4" wide flat spot. Is this a rubber compound issue, a
pressure issue or what? I do not have a lot of experience with higher quality road tires. I have
Armadillos on one bike and Continentals on an other but the Vredesteins seem smoother and certainly
faster than the others. Ken Barr.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

flat spot sounds like a possible hop in the wheel? I have had those Fortezzas and they do wear
out quick. Best to ride them until they are completely bare and falling apart. You can get
5,000-plus miles.

Robert

In article IhuKa.82471$%42.42553@fed1read06 said:

I have Vredestein Fortezza Road tires on one of my bikes (mounted on Velomax Orion 2 wheels) and I
wear down a tire in about 2000 miles. Is this normal? I keep the pressure at 95-100psi per the
bike builder. The rear tire end up with a 1/4" wide flat spot. Is this a rubber compound issue, a
pressure issue or what? I do not have a lot of experience with higher quality road tires. I have
Armadillos on one bike and Continentals on an other but the Vredesteins seem smoother and
certainly faster than the others. Ken Barr.

I used to ride Fortezzas and they would definitely flatspot after a while. You can give them a LOT
more pressure if you want, btw.

4barrs said:

I have Vredestein Fortezza Road tires on one of my bikes (mounted on Velomax Orion 2 wheels) and I
wear down a tire in about 2000 miles. Is this normal? I keep the pressure at 95-100psi per the
bike builder. The rear tire end up with a 1/4" wide flat spot. Is this a rubber compound issue, a
pressure issue or what?

I'd think any road tyre with a reasonably thick layer of rubber would develop a flat spot in the
center of the tread, given enough mileage. As I understand it, the casing of the tyre remains round
in cross section, and the center of the tread naturally wears out faster than the shoulders, unless
you only ride in circles.

This was certainly the case with my Ritchey slicks, which developed a wide flat spot like the one
you described after 2000 miles of use in the rear. This year I've used Continental Ultra GatorSkins,
which have also worn out similarly, although more slowly. I believe that the Continentals wear out
slower because of a different (better) rubber compound, but otherwise there seems to be no
difference in how they wear out.

-as

"4barrs" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:IhuKa.82471$%42.42553@fed1read06...

Quoted message said:

I have Vredestein Fortezza Road tires on one of my bikes (mounted on

Velomax

Quoted message said:

Orion 2 wheels) and I wear down a tire in about 2000 miles. Is this

normal?

Quoted message said:

I keep the pressure at 95-100psi per the bike builder. The rear tire end

up

Quoted message said:

with a 1/4" wide flat spot. Is this a rubber compound issue, a pressure issue or what? I do not
have a lot of experience with higher quality road tires. I have Armadillos on one bike and
Continentals on an other but the Vredesteins

seem

Quoted message said:

smoother and certainly faster than the others. Ken Barr.

Vreds do wear faster than some other tires; pretty soft compound, I'd guess. They seem to get tread
cuts more easily than others too, from my experience with them (5 sets), and tend to get a bit lumpy
relative to a Michelin or Continental.

SB

Quoted message said:

flat spot sounds like a possible hop in the wheel? I have had those

Fortezzas

Quoted message said:

and they do wear out quick. Best to ride them until they are completely

bare

Quoted message said:

and falling apart. You can get 5,000-plus miles.

I agree, that's what I do. They last longer than you think.

I have heard recently that Vred's are now made in the far east and that with this move quality has
sufferred. Does anyone have any real life experience with this?

Pat

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

Quoted message said:

I have heard recently that Vred's are now made in the far east and that with this move quality has
sufferred. Does anyone have any real life experience with this?

Pat

Yes.

My recent order of Fortezzas from Excel Sports was just fine. Very much as I remember them from
about 5 years ago, and again from about 3 years ago, when I last ordered them. They were then made
in Holland. Cosmetically they are similar to the 5 year ago tire in that they have tan sidewalls,
not all black. I like this tire.

i've got a pair of all black fortezza comps 700x23, supposedly an exclusive at performance if one is
to believe their catalog/site. marked handmade. i no longer have the box but i think they were
listed as made in europe, not further east. sorry i cannot be more definite.

i have noticed nothing lumpy about them. although the rider himself is a bit questionable. nice
tires over the past 150 miles.. still kind of new though.

eric fresno, ca.

Quoted message said:

From: "Steve Blankenship" <[email hidden]> Newsgroups: rec.bicycles.tech Date:
Sat, 28 Jun 2003 16:33:52 -0400 Subject: Re: Vredestein Tires

Didn't notice any difference in the newer ones from some I had a few years back. The lumpiness was
an issue back then too; even had a pair warrantied once, they were so bad. My LBS said it was not
that uncommon with Vreds and replaced them without any hassle.

"PJ" <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I have heard recently that Vred's are now made in the far east and that with this move quality
has sufferred. Does anyone have any real life experience with this?

Pat

PJ said:

I have heard recently that Vred's are now made in the far east and that with this move quality has
sufferred. Does anyone have any real life experience with this?

Pat

They suck, but I don't know why. I've never had so many cuts and punctures through the tread/casing
as with these. I've had to "nylon boot" them in several places. I'm going back to Avocet or Conti...
or "whatever" if the price is low enough to try them. Avocet and Conti are light and durable.