Vittoria Randonneur

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Eric Norris

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Jan 7, 2010, 12:34:49 PM1/7/10
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Has anybody used these tires? How do they compare to Paselas?
— Eric Norris
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Jon Grant

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Jan 7, 2010, 12:52:42 PM1/7/10
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Eric Norris asked re: Vittoria Randonneur:


Has anybody used these tires? How do they compare to Paselas?

-------

I bought some slightly used several years ago to replace Paselas. I never thought I could tell the difference between two tires until I did that, but I found the VRs sluggish feeling. Don’t know whether or not it affected my actual commute time, but I hated the way they felt — like riding on hot, uncured asphalt — dead feeling. I sold them to someone else and returned happily to Paselas.

Jon “One data point” Grant

scott

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Jan 7, 2010, 3:52:05 PM1/7/10
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Hey Eric,
I had a set of these tires for commuting and a long tour and was
super happy with them. NO flats and they lasted quite a long time--I
think they are still on a friend's bike now. They are heavier than
Paselas, but whatever. I stopped using Paselas entirely after two
sidewall failures in a week, one on tour no less. They do run small.
The 37mm measured out to 32ish I think. I have a pair for summer road
rides that are 28's and they measure to 25ish I think. Too skinny for
me. In fact, if you want them let me know! I guess I didn't notice
what Jon experienced with the sluggishness, more than likely because I
am sluggish myself. Oh, I can't wait until the snow melts and I can
ride smooooth tires again!
Scott

On Jan 7, 11:34 am, Eric Norris <campyonly...@me.com> wrote:
> Has anybody used these tires? How do they compare to Paselas?
>

> -- Eric Norriswww.campyonly.comwww.wheelsnorth.com

beth h

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Jan 7, 2010, 5:14:44 PM1/7/10
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An astonishingly bomb-proof tire with an equally astonishingly
mediocre ride quality.
I think this tire is closer to the Schwalbe Marathon in intended
performance than to the Pasela -- and between Vittoria and Schwalbe
the Marathon is still the better tire.
Beth

Steve Palincsar

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Jan 7, 2010, 5:19:38 PM1/7/10
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On Thu, 2010-01-07 at 14:14 -0800, beth h wrote:
> An astonishingly bomb-proof tire with an equally astonishingly
> mediocre ride quality.

Those two things do tend to go together. How does it compare with the
Specialized Armadillo (my all time worst ever ride quality tire)?

cyclotourist

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Jan 7, 2010, 5:34:51 PM1/7/10
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--

Please do not ever mention that tire in polite company.

--
Cheers,
David
Redlands, CA

"Bicycling is a big part of the future. It has to be. There is something wrong with a society that drives a car to workout in a gym."  ~Bill Nye, scientist guy

Steve Palincsar

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Jan 7, 2010, 6:48:46 PM1/7/10
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On Thu, 2010-01-07 at 14:34 -0800, cyclotourist wrote:
> On Thu, Jan 7, 2010 at 2:19 PM, Steve Palincsar <pali...@his.com>
> wrote:
> On Thu, 2010-01-07 at 14:14 -0800, beth h wrote:
> > An astonishingly bomb-proof tire with an equally
> astonishingly
> > mediocre ride quality.
>
>
> Those two things do tend to go together. How does it compare
> with the
> Specialized Armadillo (my all time worst ever ride quality
> tire)?
>
> --
>
> Please do not ever mention that tire in polite company.

You would be very surprised to see how many high end (and I'm talking 8
grand and up) road bikes I see with those Armadillo 700x23s. I find it
entirely incomprehensible.

cyclotourist

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Jan 7, 2010, 6:57:44 PM1/7/10
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--

Not surprised, amazed.  Do they come stock like that or to owners put them on after purchasing them?  I can't imagine a mnfg. allowing their bike to leave the factory with those mounted.

stevep33

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Jan 7, 2010, 7:15:56 PM1/7/10
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I had a set of 700x32 Vittoria Randonneurs and liked them quite a
bit. Sturdy dependable tires. Definitely not as pillowy as a set of
Paselas, but they were still nice fast rolling tires. Mounting
Vittoria Randonneurs also requires a bit of effort the first few
times. 32's were actually about 28mm on my rims.

Steve Palincsar

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Jan 7, 2010, 7:17:32 PM1/7/10
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On Thu, 2010-01-07 at 15:57 -0800, cyclotourist wrote:

> Not surprised, amazed. Do they come stock like that or to owners put
> them on after purchasing them? I can't imagine a mnfg. allowing their
> bike to leave the factory with those mounted.

I'm talking about custom Sevens and Serottas here; they're usually built
up at the shop -- and as far as I can tell, the Armadillos are the ONLY
700x23 tires my LBS sells.

I can't imagine spending that much money in the hope of getting a bike
that rides great, and putting such awful riding tires on it.

beth h

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Jan 7, 2010, 7:20:41 PM1/7/10
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Actually, I had a marginally BETTER ride on the Armadillo than on the
Randonneur. Go figure.
Beth

Steve Palincsar

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Jan 7, 2010, 7:26:32 PM1/7/10
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On Thu, 2010-01-07 at 16:20 -0800, beth h wrote:
> Actually, I had a marginally BETTER ride on the Armadillo than on the
> Randonneur. Go figure.

I was originally going to say, "How do you get colder than zero degrees
Kelvin?" and then I realized, bad as it is, the Armadillo is still a
pneumatic tire made of rubber.

It could be worse: it could be a solid. It could be made of wood with a
shrunk-on steel band for "tread". There are lots of things worse than
an Armadillo.

I'm really surprised to learn Vittoria makes one, though.

cyclotourist

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Jan 7, 2010, 7:36:14 PM1/7/10
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--

 
Wow.

Doug Van Cleve

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Jan 7, 2010, 8:21:51 PM1/7/10
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No offense guys, but you clearly ride on pretty decent roads.  Where I ride, even an armadillo is no guarantee that you won't get at least 1 flat per week, assuming 3-4 days of riding.  I have a 28mm (true width) Armadillo on the back on my nice fixie (don't like unbolting the wheel along the road if I can avoid it) and I run it at about 90PSI.  I weigh 200+ and frankly I don't notice anything horrible going on back there.

I think a lot of newbies are deathly afraid of getting a flat and go for ultra stout over light and more likely to flat...

Doug

Bill M.

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Jan 7, 2010, 8:41:21 PM1/7/10
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Vittoria's sizing is a little misleading. The 37-622 size is also
labeled 700 x 35c, and that's closer to the actual width. I have the
700 x 35c/37-622 mm Randonneur Pro's on my Miyata 1000. They measure
34 mm wide on narrow Velocity Aerohead rims. and would probably make a
true 35 on a wider rim. The 37 may refer to the height.

There are a lot of different versions in the Randonneur series.
Vittoria claims 640 gm for the 35 mm Randonneur and the Randonneur
Cross, 450 gm for the Rando Cross Pro, and 430 gm for the Rando Pro.
There's also a new Randonneur Hyper at 390 gm, and more heavy duty
versions ranging from 700 to over 800 gm. You have to know which
version you're getting, and which the commenters' experiences are
based on!

As for my Rando Pro's, I like them. I think they roll as well as the
32 mm Paselas I have on my Riv Road, but they flat less easily and
have reflective sidewalls. I would not be surprised if the heavier
versions did not roll or ride as well as the Pro's and I think that
has added to the mixed reviews of these tires. When I wear out the
Paselas, I might look for a pair of 32 mm Hypers as a replacement
(28's would be a better fit, if they made them). I suspect they'll
give the Marathon Supremes a run for their money. I had 50 mm
Supremes on my Riv M/E when I sold it, and thought they were OK but
not amazing tires.

The fixie crowd has apparently latched onto the non-Pro Randos as
tires that will withstand lots of skid stops. Probably not a priority
for Riv list readers!

Bill


On Jan 7, 9:34 am, Eric Norris <campyonly...@me.com> wrote:

> Has anybody used these tires? How do they compare to Paselas?
>

> -- Eric Norriswww.campyonly.comwww.wheelsnorth.com

EricP

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Jan 7, 2010, 8:48:14 PM1/7/10
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Have a co-worker that uses Armadillo on his 3k or so Specialized
Roubaix. He's not the best at fixing flats and would rather have a
tough tire than a smoother ride.

Had a set of Randonneur tires. They were good for holding up my
nearly 300 pounds. Didn't notice the ride quality at the time. They
are not nearly the worst tires I've used. That goes to either the WTB
Slickasaurus or Bontrager Select K. Both were flat prone when I had
them and just ugly feeling. Luckily they do work as trainer tires.

The Schwalbe Marathon on my Brompton are no great joy. However, dread
fixing a flat on that bike. So they stay on. (Hey, that's it can
blame my slow riding in August at the SoCal Riv Ride on those tires.)

Eric Platt
St. Paul, MN

On Jan 7, 7:21�pm, Doug Van Cleve <dvancl...@gmail.com> wrote:
> No offense guys, but you clearly ride on pretty decent roads. �Where I ride,
> even an armadillo is no guarantee that you won't get at least 1 flat per
> week, assuming 3-4 days of riding. �I have a 28mm (true width) Armadillo on
> the back on my nice fixie (don't like unbolting the wheel along the road if
> I can avoid it) and I run it at about 90PSI. �I weigh 200+ and frankly I
> don't notice anything horrible going on back there.
>
> I think a lot of newbies are deathly afraid of getting a flat and go for
> ultra stout over light and more likely to flat...
>
> Doug
>
>
>

> On Thu, Jan 7, 2010 at 4:57 PM, cyclotourist <cyclotour...@gmail.com> wrote:


>
> > On Thu, Jan 7, 2010 at 3:48 PM, Steve Palincsar <palin...@his.com> wrote:
>
> >> On Thu, 2010-01-07 at 14:34 -0800, cyclotourist wrote:

> >> > On Thu, Jan 7, 2010 at 2:19 PM, Steve Palincsar <palin...@his.com>


> >> > wrote:
> >> > � � � � On Thu, 2010-01-07 at 14:14 -0800, beth h wrote:
> >> > � � � � > An astonishingly bomb-proof tire with an equally
> >> > � � � � astonishingly
> >> > � � � � > mediocre ride quality.
>
> >> > � � � � Those two things do tend to go together. �How does it compare
> >> > � � � � with the
> >> > � � � � Specialized Armadillo (my all time worst ever ride quality
> >> > � � � � tire)?
>
> >> > � � � � --
>
> >> > Please do not ever mention that tire in polite company.
>
> >> You would be very surprised to see how many high end (and I'm talking 8
> >> grand and up) road bikes I see with those Armadillo 700x23s. �I find it
> >> entirely incomprehensible.
>
> >> --
>
> > Not surprised, amazed. �Do they come stock like that or to owners put them
> > on after purchasing them? �I can't imagine a mnfg. allowing their bike to
> > leave the factory with those mounted.
>
> > --
> > Cheers,
> > David
> > Redlands, CA
>
> > "Bicycling is a big part of the future. It has to be. There is something
> > wrong with a society that drives a car to workout in a gym." �~Bill Nye,

> > scientist guy- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

cyclotourist

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Jan 7, 2010, 9:18:50 PM1/7/10
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I have officially just gone through a 100 pack of Rema patches in three years. 

I'd rather do that than ride on  Armadillos :-)


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Orc

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Jan 7, 2010, 8:56:40 PM1/7/10
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On Jan 7, 9:34 am, Eric Norris <campyonly...@me.com> wrote:
> Has anybody used these tires? How do they compare to Paselas?

I've used (and still use) the bog-standard Randonneur. They're
the
most bombproof tires I've used in the last 20 years, at the cost of
being really heavy and really wanting to go square after about
1000 miles.

Aside from the squaring off, they feel about the same as a regular
Pasela (but I've only ridden on Paselas for about 500 miles, so I
don't know if they'll wear nearly as well.)


-david parsons

Frederick, Steve

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Jan 8, 2010, 8:27:11 AM1/8/10
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There was a thread on the iBob list not long ago and one person voiced a strong preference for a particular model of the Randonneur--they do come in many versions. Worth checking the archives perhaps--it wasn't very long ago.

Steve "wishing for a Pugsley after the 7" snow storm last night" Frederick, East Lansing, MI

PATRICK MOORE

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Jan 8, 2010, 9:46:45 AM1/8/10
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Amen, though my last box of Remas has lasted longer than I had anticipated thanks several years of good luck or because Turbos are less prone to flats than Paselas. And one flat a week? Not a bad rate by my standards; I've dealt with one flat a day. One gets used to it.
Patrick Moore
Albuquerque, NM
For professional resumes, contact
Patrick Moore, ACRW at resumesp...@gmail.com
(505) 227-0523



cyclotourist

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Jan 8, 2010, 12:17:26 PM1/8/10
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Rick Risemberg.  They were on sale @ Nashbar and he said they were great.  Forget the model he recommended though.


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Beth

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Jan 8, 2010, 2:15:08 PM1/8/10
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Greetings from a lurker,

I'm reading all of these reports multiple flats with some amusement/
astonishment/surprise. [Obligatory Riv content: I wait until March for
my Betty :)]
My current roadbike/daily commuter has Specialized All Condition 700 x
28s on them. I survive four sets of Amtrak tracks and 2 sets of light
rail tracks, glass and potholes each day by 1) utilizing the services
of a set of Mr. Tuffys 2) not inflating them so far that they are
easily popped. I havent had a flat since August. As always, YMMV!

Back to lurker mode and patiently awaiting my Betty,

-Beth L. (all the cool cylce chicks are named Beth ;)

On Jan 8, 9:17 am, cyclotourist <cyclotour...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Rick Risemberg.  They were on sale @ Nashbar and he said they were great.
> Forget the model he recommended though.
>
> On Fri, Jan 8, 2010 at 5:27 AM, Frederick, Steve

> <frede...@mail.lib.msu.edu>wrote:

> > rbw-owners-bun...@googlegroups.com<rbw-owners-bunch%2Bunsu...@googlegroups.com>

Angus

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Jan 8, 2010, 9:54:13 PM1/8/10
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"I havent had a flat since August."

Now that Beth has doomed herself to a double flat on her next ride....

(Just kidding Beth) :-)

> > > rbw-owners-bun...@googlegroups.com<rbw-owners-bunch%2Bunsubscrib­e...@googlegroups.com>


> > > .
> > > For more options, visit this group at
> > >http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch?hl=en.
>
> > --
> > Cheers,
> > David
> > Redlands, CA
>
> > "Bicycling is a big part of the future. It has to be. There is something
> > wrong with a society that drives a car to workout in a gym."  ~Bill Nye,

awilliams53

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Jan 9, 2010, 10:31:39 AM1/9/10
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Schwalbe Marathons for about 1,500 miles = No flats.

Does that mean I'm doomed as well?

Andy

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