Reverence: Vittoria Open Pavé CG
Normally The Keepers reserve our Reverence articles for products we’ve used for years, or with new stuff that has had at least six months of duty. Riding the cobbles of Belgium and Northern France can put most gear (and bodies) through six months of abuse in just a few weeks, so in this case the work these tyres have been put through there and in the months since qualifies them for a deserved earlier dose of Reverence.
Selecting what gear to run for the Cobbled Classics Keepers Tour wasn’t too hard a task; there are some things which just go with cobbles bikes like double wrapped bartape, alloy steerer fork and of course box section rims laced 3 cross. Tubular or clincher was about the only tough decision I had to make. I managed to find a cheap pair of Ambrosio tub rims, but as they were 36 hole it proved impossible to find a cassette hub in time for the tour. How bad could clinchers be? After all, Freddy Guesdon won Roubaix on clinchers in 97, and the Pavé boys would have spare wheels if something went terribly awry. It wasn’t the cobbles that would claim my clinchers, but the ham-fisted rock apes generously referred to by airlines as baggage handlers.
Choosing a tyre to run was probably the easiest task. It had to be Vittoria’s Open Pavé CG‘s, based on what I’d seen gracing Pro’s bikes in just about every edition of the Spring Classics I’d witnessed. The distinctive green herringbone tread stripe is as synonymous with these races as are crazed fans, beer and frites en mayo. Unfortunately the ‘Open Tubular’ doesn’t come in the 28mm width of it’s tubular brethren, but a 24mm version only. That extra mm wasn’t a lot but it was something. The real benefit of the tyres though is the 320TPI casing, yeilding a super smooth ride on any surface. Coupled with Vittoria’s Latex inner tubes, the feel of cushioning under the bike is definitely noticeable. Over all of the 21 secteurs we rode on the way to Roubaix, then another 15 of the worst a few days later, topped with a full complement of Flandrian roads, I only once feared I might hear the dreaded hiss from my tyres. Nailing an edge of a nasty cobble hard enough to feel the rock hitting the rim, the tyre bounced off and the slippery latex tube stayed intact. On return to NZ, I inspected the tyres for damage and was surprised and delighted to find nary a nick or any signs of wear.
I’ve been riding the Pavés ever since the Tour, and don’t want to swap them out at least until the Kiwi winter is over. The ride continues to impress with their sheer suppleness (dare I say souplesse?) over rough surfaces. They aren’t the lightest or fastest rolling, but neither am I. For summer I think I’ll try the lighter Corsa Evo SC‘s, which look just as cool with their tan sidewalls and are another Pro favourite. And if you’re worried about a green stripe clashing with your bike’s paint job, I think there should be a Rule #8 ammendment that the only coloured tyre allowed on any bike, due to it’s unrivalled heritage, is the venerable and now ReVered Open Pavé CG.
Thanks to Graeme at Cycle Sport NZ for his generosity in supplying the tyres and tubes.
[dmalbum path=”/velominati.com/content/Photo Galleries/[email protected]/Open Pav/”/]
Bravo!
And just loving @Brett’s Merckx!
They really do perform perfectly for what they’re intended to do. The ride is noticeably softer than other tires and unless you’re trying to get up a wet Koppenberg, they have tremendous grip.
I must say I loved mine despite the fact they punctured on the first set of pave we hit, with a 3mm slice through the green section – at least it was easy to find the hole! I suspect it might have been a flesh wound from a bullet fired by one of the locals – Since then I have had no issues, and they do seem to run true and fast
Just bought a set of Veloflex Master 22 Clincher for the Transpyrenean thrash – anyone any experience of these? Might be a bit softer, but I think I’ll keep my VOPCGs for the winter, when they should cope with anything thrown at them
I concur with the proposed Rule #8 amendment. When you see a bike mounted with those tires, you know that they’ve been chosen as the right tool for a job, and not for the color.
Nice one, Brett. I’m hoping someone might eventually do some kind of a piece on those Vittoria latex tubes, too. I’ve been using them for the past couple of months and I’d be interested to learn what others think. By the by, my local café will soon have these available for purchase:
I run Vittoria Open Corso tubs and clinchers. I like them.
I run One Corso EVO for the past couple of seasons more than 9,000 miles. my only bitch is they will puncture before all others.
Mine survived carrying my too fat to climb over the pavé without any complaint or sign of distress. Admittedly it was at a lower speed than some. They’re perfect for the pot holed, farm shit covered roads around my way so they’re going to stay on the bike until they die. The rear punctured on on my rollers though so a new one has replaced it so when I get round to it I’ll open it up and patch it for a spare.
My bike is second from the left, it’s got the older 290tpi tubs with two green stripes either side of a black centre. They can be found on eBay for a bit less than the 320tpi versions.
@Dr C
I’ve put less than 160km on a new set of Veloflex Masters (clinchers) and absolutely love them so far. They feel so smooth and the cornering is fantastic. Noticeably higher quality than Hutchinson Fusion 3, my nicest tire to date. Can’t compare to the Vittorias discussed here, though, nor can I speak to longevity.
i’m runnin open paves right through the summer here in Vancouver. I like them too much
I put the “lower end” Vittoria Rubino Pro Tech on my new wheels. They are 150 TPI and have reinforced sidewalls. My primary concern on the roads I ride is punctures, but even these heavy duty versions are very nice. I think I have been converted from Conti’s and I never thought that would happen.
Open Pave CGs — love em on my Hed C2s with latex tubes — they measure out at 26.5mm! Riding at 80/85 PSI they are like the proverbial ‘buttah’.
My dilemma is choosing between that setup and my Nemesis/Veloflex Roubaix set. I haven’t found that sweet spot yet on pressure for the Roubaixs that gives me the same cush as the Open Paves. The Roubaixs feel s bit firmer with just a touch more harshness through the back wheel. I haven’t done a good job of looking at speeds/etc on my rides so probably need to be more deliberate about that.
Maybe I’ll try a set of the Pave CG tubs as a comparison to the clincher version and my Roubaixs. But for clinchers — I’m firmly in the Open Pave CG camp.
There are times when I think that tubs would be a great idea for me, but I’m just so afraid of flatting 75km from home with no cell reception and no way to fix it. I’d be more in favor of tubless that tubs… But for now, I’m sticking with my clinchers. I’ve got a decent pair of Michelin Krylions at the moment, but will certainly entertain the notion of procuring “better” tyres for my next set.
@itburns
I rode those for one season and actually didn’t like them too well. I found them to be puncture vulnerable and fast wearing. The OPE’s are much better but I’m not sure why unless it has something to do with the TPI. I’m really interested though in picking up some Cross XN Pros for graveling. Those are sweet looking.
I’ve always wanted to try Vittoria Opens but get cheap Veloflex so haven’t yet.
@Dr C
I’ve been using Veloflex corsas for a few years and love then. I found a guy here that does then at E20 a piece so I stock up and toss them when they get cut, the roads here are pretty dirty!! I’d say they’d last as long as any ‘race’ tire in equal conditions.
They come in a 23mm now but I haven’t tried them yet to see the difference.
I also read somewhere, aforum probably, that Veloflex came about when Vittoria shifted production to Thailand, but I have no idea if it is true or not.
As for latex tubes. I tried them, thought I could feel the difference but had bad luck with punctures and at E9 a pop I flagged them. We’re planning to move to the country next year so I try them again if I don’t go all in and build up a set of tubulari.
Great topic. I’ve run Open Paves the last couple winters. Now have 25 mm Corsas on my Nemesis wheelset. Having gone over to tubulars I’m not as keen on going back to clinchers. Looks like I need to troll ebay for a second wheelset to fit with Pave tubulars.
@teleguy57
Surprised your clinchers feel more butter than the tubes. Must be the tires. My clincher wheelset is HED and they don’t run as nice as my Nemesis on comparable tires.
@Xyverz
It’s just not that bad. First line of defense is some sealant which often will get the tubular sealed up, at least enough to get you home. Second is a preglued spare tubular tire under the saddle or in the jersey pocket, Rip off damaged tire, put on the preglued spare, off you go. You won’t want to rail a technical descent on the spare, but it will get you home.
@Marko
Thanks for the warning. So far they have held up well against various forms of road shrapnel but I don’t have many miles on them yet. My understanding was that the higher the TPI, the thinner the threads, and the more prone to puncturing. It’s why I went with the 150 over the 220 or 320, I’ll try the Diamante or OPE next.
@itburns
Hate to pile it on, but my race bike came w/ rubino pros which in dry were great. first wet race dropped me like a bad habit on a turn not doing anything all that crazy. Some quick internet research turned up my experience wasn’t an isolated one, whether or not was rider error. good luck! It was back to contis for me…(clinchers anyhow)
@gaswepass
Let’s see how deep we can make this thread!
My bike also came with low-end Vittoria tires.They were fine, but after ~6 months they were looking pretty worn and were starting to get nicked up.
I’ve been using Conti GP4000 since then, which have been great. But I’d be open to trying a high-end set of Vittoria’s next time I need new tires as well.
Big fan of the GP4000S I have. I’m thinking of going to latex tubes. I hear good things about em.
@Steampunk
I didn’t ride the vittorias, but the sheer volume of tires on the road and the near-complete lack of punctures was impressive. William even cracked a rim on a cobble, but the tire never went flat (there was a mix of tubular and open pavés in the mix.)
I did ride the Paris-Roubaix and absolutely loved them to pieces – zero issues and they are still going strong.
@RedRanger
I’m a huge GP4000S rider; every one of the six road bikes in the stable are running that tire. I have to say, though, that I am so impressed that I’m likely going to switch to the open Pave for the rain bike when winter rolls back around. Impressive, impressive, impressive.
@bretto
I agree colored tires are questionable, but I’d hate to make a Rule Violator out of perhaps the best-looking rider/bike ever: the 1998 Pantani.
I’ve been lamenting the all-black tire lately, and admire Rabobank for sticking to all-tan sidewalls. It’s a classy look. Perhaps like the tubbie/clincher discussion, it is the mark of the true Velominatus to ride tan sidewalls.
I’ve run Vittoria diamanté pros since my VMHs Cervelo came with them as OMES. I do like their durability and ride. A little speedy, but ebay has been turning them up for about $80 pair delivered.
@James
I’ve been running Masters (and before that Paves) for years – Wellington roads are harsh (lots of coarse chip seal) and the Veloflex tyres have held up very well over time. I love the ride feel of them too. So much so that I just ordered a new pair after putting a mean cut in my rear one after hitting a stone on Monday.
Our family’s been riding cheap Bontragers for training and Michelins on the Racing/Sunday’s Best wheelset for ages now, but change is a-coming. In front of my bed is my #1, with the bright-blue Michelin Race3 on the front. It’s the last of it’s kind – next to the bike hang two dismounted Michelin Lithion2 who carried my mother through 4, yes 4, Ironman competitions and thousands of training miles.
The replacment? Schwalbe’s Ultremo ZX are gracing four of our wheelsets now. Myself, however, will get a Veloflex Open Record, but Vittoria’s Open Corsa SC also sounds tempting.
@tessar
Loved the swalbe ultremos as well – great, light tire. Super fast. Looked great with the printing on the tire. They were not quite as Rule #9 complaint as I’d have liked; going through a hairpin during an unexpected rainshower had me sliding sideways which was a bit unnerving. Back to the GP4000S for me after those wore out.
@Oli
Good to know about the durability of Veloflex.
@Frank
I have to admit, part of the reason I chose the Veloflex was that you can get them in tan – I love how they look on my bike as much as I love how they feel!
@napolinige
I also have read that Veloflex formed when Vittoria left Italy in search of cheaper labor outside the EU. I don’t know how the Veloflex factory compares with Vittoria, but something about that story makes me feel good supporting Veloflex when I buy their tyres.
@Oli
Look, they just turned up!
@Oli
Love the box they come in, too!
@Oli
Mmm – double espresso
i rode The original Pave CG’s (tubs) in the 80’s & 90’s and loved them. great for big miles and crappy Texas roads. They revamped them & turned them green, which was originally a big turn off, but their undeniable ability to keep inflated is the reason I keep coming back. I have now come around to green stripe- a nice contrast to the black & gold of my Merckx. I really like the Vredesteins and Schwalbes for their durability but when it comes to style and plain ol’ bike sex appeal, you have to consider some CG Paves.
Still love my Vittorias, but think the green stripe should be saved for Northern European battlefields
@James
Regarding my choice of Veloflex, just to show how pathetic I am, I first made a list of all the tan walled tyres I could buy, then looked at which ones were least likely to throw me off on the corners of the mighty Pyrenean descents, then plumped for the Veloflex because they were actually made in Italy! (not sure I believe the hand built claim mind you)
@Oli
What made you chose them?
Recommendations from trusted associates followed by experimentation and assessment. I am slow as buggery up hills, but not too bad going back down them and am reasonably adept technically, so I know what I like in a tyre.
Also, let’s be honest, most importantly the tan wall look does suit my aesthetic…
They are handmade, by the way. The tyres are spun up on the old Clement (I believe?) looms, and the treads are rolled on by hand. There is a video on the net somewhere, but damned if I can find it in the 90 second time-window I give to such searches…
@Oliwe share the same uphill/ downhill dynamic clearly – I’ll tell you in ten days whether they corner well or not!(If not, you won’t hear from me I guess!)
@frank
I’m at the other end of the Rule #9 bell-curve, which means different assessments of a tyre’s worth: Last time I changed a tyre, I had to change the tube as well since the desert heat simply melted the two into what could only be described as a Homebrew Tubulincher. In the 20-30 days of rain we can, I run a heavy training wheelset with Conti UltraSport.
@Oli
Would those be a pair of Masters? These look very, very tempting.
Am I to understand that like the best cigars the best tyres are hand rolled?
Are thighs involved?
@Dr C
They corner superbly.
@tessar
They are indeed Masters, but they’re not the widest tyres on the market if you’re after big bags.
@the Engine
There could be if you ask nicely…
Have never tried the Paves but a couple of months back decided to try something different and bought a set of Open Corsa Evo CX’s, what an absolute bloody disaster. Three punctures in the first three rides! After ten rides i found the inner tubes extruding from the side walls on both front and back and ended up binning them. They were skittish in the corners, often power sliding or skipping in a hairpin turn on the descent. And the worst bit is that the bastard things cost me 150 USD. Maybe the Pave’s would have been better suited to the rough surface and potholes of the Malaysian roads, but this has put me off Vittorias for a long while.
On GP4000S’ now and much happier. I’m not a stellar descender at the best of times and so really do not need the sphincter tightening fear of whether the rubbery bits are going to stick to the asphalt on every bend.
Hmm, everyone has different experiences and feelings on tyres, but here goes…
I have ridden many kms on Vittoria Evo Corsa CX clinchers on OP rims, Record hubs x32. The ride and feel are excellent. I often find myself looking at my rear wheel because the ride is so nice I fear I’ve flatted. And, I haven’t even put latex tubes in there yet! (need to get on that). The wear and puncture resistance are not the best, but certainly very good. Definitely acceptable for the ride quality.
Dr. C/others – Also have a lot of kms on the Veloflex Master/Record tyres (they switched the naming at some point but they’re the same). Had them on both the above wheelset and on my Tommasini wheels, which are Record hubs, Campa rims. Very nice ride as well. I think the Vittorias are a bit smoother, but not by much. I love the look of the Veloflex with the tan walls on a classic steel bike. Very cool.
With all of that said, when I run out of my clincher stock and find a sensei, I would like to give tubulars a shot. And, a little birdie told me one Mr. Gianni is giving road tubeless a try…hmm do I see an article in the works…
I have been running Vittoria Corsa CX 320tpi in both 23mm and 25mm depending on the bike and wheelset with a lot of success. I have found the Vittoria’s to be durable, fast rolling, and comfortable. That said, the tubulars are VERY sensitive to tire pressure variances, particularly as it impacts wear. On my carbon wheelset with 25mms I typically run around 125/130psi (front & rear respectively) in dry conditions and maybe 8-10psi lower in the rain. At those pressures I have been getting about 2,000 kms out of a rear tire and roughly double that on the front. Pretty impressive. In the last 5,000k I have ridden I have experienced two punctures- one was cured by a Vittoria Pit Stop and the other had me calling the VMH for a lift home. The first set of these tires I glued on were 23mm and I ran pressures in the 115-125 range in dry conditions and dropped the rear to 115 in the wet- they wore noticeably more quickly. When I bumped the pressures up to 130-140psi on the 23s they last a really long time. Really like the 25s because you can run lower pressures getting a really sweet ride, without increasing rolling resistance (it’s all in the size and shape of the contact patch).
On my box section clincher wheels I run the Open Corsa CX 320tpi in 25mm- i love this combination- smooth, fast, and durable. I am on my third set of these tires in 2 years and have never had a flat… knock on wood.
Interested to hear Gianni’s thoughts on Road Tubeless… Also, anyone running any Stan’s-like products in their tubulars?
@gaswepass
Hopefully the Rubino Pro Tech versions I have will live up to their foul weather design. I knew I should never have strayed from Conti’s.
@itburns
I’ve had great luck with my Gatorskins. The Krylions I have now seem to be working well though. I’ll definitely look into the Open Pave CG3s in a 25 for my next set though…
lots of opinions here, great thoughts though!
I have always wanted to try the Vittoria Open Pave’, since the early 90’s when that standard was set, but I have yet to don a set because I just stumble into good deals with many others.
I have had experience with the lower end Vittoria tubulars and clinchers and must say, i would hope the Open’s are better and trust they are per their reputations
My favorite is the Vredestein Fortezza tricomp, its a bombprooof tyre, i have it crap, glass, holes, hard pave’ ozark style/shit-n-seal and it never has had any problems and i have had multiple sets. They roll out well and if aged a year hanging up, i guarantee they will run as long as any other quality tyre out there.
I have run the GP4000s also, and have had a great experience with them too, perhaps more supple than the Vredesteins, they are a great all arounder
Just stumbled onto some Schwalbes, and will see how they do
Also, I have had some great Ritchey tyres, running some clincher 700×32 cx tyres on my gravel road grinder, and not one flat yet and they roll out really better the rougher the pave’
Currently also, I have mounted a Challenge Criteriums, and they have served me well, but not like my conti sprinters, they are the bomb! for tubulars.
so many opinions, so little time to ride them all
@Anjin-san
Out of curiosity what do you weigh? I run my Corsa 25 tubulars more like 100-110, which is a really nice ride and soaks up the stretches of crap road we have around here. But I have been thinking about putting a bit more air in them lately.
@Steampunk
Sussing it out still; I’ve definitely had more flats since using Latex (though many from using the too-lightweight ones by Michelin) and am trying to work out how sturdy/reliable they are as compared to butyl.
Had a full-on blow-out yesterday, but it could have been user-error. I had just put on a brand-new GP4000S but used the old tube which had gone in probably in October. Its possible the tube wasn’t seated properly or that it was weakened from use, but either way, this reminded my why we typically ride bicycles with tires on the wheels, and preferably with air in the tier as well.
@itburns
Good luck with ’em. Like I said, rider error always a possibility. Rules #64 and #81 might apply here, so gonna let it go.
From someone much more experienced than I, the road tubeless deemed great for training, too heavy for racing (normal road racing, not going to hazard a guess over more unusual race circumstances involving gravel/cobbles/etc) once properly built up.
I have done tubeless for cross, and have had the misfortune of sidewall slicing a couple times. changed from clement pdx to michelin “mud 2” I think, and much happier (which is different from a lot of other peoples experince I unnerstand). I break a lot of things I’m not supposed to… Put latex tubes in some of the cross tires, lose air pretty quickly (as in next day or 2 will need a fair amount of inflation compared to normal tube or tubeless.
@Oli
Good, because I’m looking for a fast, but not too fragile, racing tyre for my deep-section clinchers. With an eye on an ENVE Smart or Zipp Firecrest in the far future (and a minimum amount of comfort in the present), I’d rather have a 22/23mm than the 20mm that the Records come in. Also, that is one gorgeous tyre.
@Anjin-san
I don’t run tubulars and don’t think I will – for racing purposes, a latex-tubed clincher is it’s equal in rolling resistance and grip, and for training, I might as well use the two tubeless-ready wheelsets I own if I’m feeling adventurous.
However, I run sealant in all my tubes that have a removable core (and with some effort, injected some into those of my racing wheelset) with great satisfaction. That is to say, I’ve flatted 4-5 times on the tubes that didn’t have sealant in them, but never flatted once in two years on the sealant-filled tubes, despite some nasty bits sticking in the tyre. Neither has my mom, who took the same tyres (Michelin Lithion2) and tubes (Vredesteins) through four consecutive Ironman finishes and all the training mileage that comes with it.
@frank
Ouch, Frank! That’s a blowout like I’ve never seen before. I hope you weren’t descending at the time. =)
BTW, is it possible you can set up the comment editor to give us the option of WYSIWYG and normal editing? I miss being able to tweak my posts manually…