V20 rim and tire options?

[DuncanWatson]

I like to do unsupported rando style rides. I borrow various 200km permanent routes from various groups, modify them a bit to my liking and have some fun. This means I ask a bit more from my bikes than just going fast. I need tires that handle wet and twisty downhills and then a bit of gravel and dirt on an out of the way connector. I need flat resistance since I ride unsupported and may be very far from home. I also end up commuting to work on every bike I own.

What this means is that the two things I always change on a bike are the rims and tires. This is the first bike where I might source wheelsets from craigslist but my habit is still to custom order. So my question is what size rims and tires are my upper limits with race fenders on a Vendetta V20? I managed to confuse myself earlier.

I would love 28mm tires but can live with 25mm tires.

 

[Abbott Smith]

Good questions. What kinds of fenders have people had success with on the V20? Duncan and I both live in the Seattle area. Fenders are rather useful here.

 

[ratz]

Ducan,

Similar Requirements. I stalk my wheels in the winter on Ebay. Can't remember the last time I paid store prices, probably the pre-ebay days.

Out of curiosity I went tubeless last year and while it was a learning curve I have not looked back, but there was a WHID moment when mounting the first tire. So far the only flats we've had are the two inch gash type. I wasn't paying attention and hit a angular 4 inch rock on the road that I had no business hitting; and Mrs Ratz found a 7 inch construction spike on like mile 50 of her bike journey.... No other typical flats. Down inside the actual Silvio and Vendetta frames I have emergency tubes stashed just in case. So far the only time I access them is to make sure they are in ok condition.

We went with Bontrager Aura 5 TLR. The reason: Aluminum base wheel that can take the mileage and pounding of a normal wheel. 24/18 spoke so a tweener there. Aluminun braking track for rim brakes. Carbon Fairing to give a 50mm areo tire. Enough aero to pay off on long rides, but short enough to ride in any wind below 25 mph. Wheels take a tube without any reconfiguration so if you get a puncture that won't seal you install the tube and continue on. Middle to high-middle grade hubs.

These wheels' are common as they ship on a lot of Trek Tri bikes and get sold on ebay as take-offs with 0-50 miles on them.

We run 25mm. I could squeeze 28mm on but I haven't felt the need; we have a lot of gravel connectors. These work fine if it's small gravel; the 1 inch construction gravel I won't go near. Tried it twice; and the 2nd time ended badly for my hip and my ego.

When have 3 bikes running the TLR family; two on Aura, one on Race -Xlite; and a couple of other wheelsets for swapping. Air retention when they are setup correctly is amazing. My wheel with the disc cover has been sitting on the bench for 3 months and hasn't lost any air pressure; although that's a new tire that hasn't see the road yet.

Abbott, not put them on the vendetta; but in Fall (our wet season) I ran "Crude - Racers" on a Silvo with 25mm tires. If I hit mud I'd get 10-20 second of noise while the debris flushed out of the fenders; then silent and smooth; kept the bike really clean even compared to the summer "dry" season.

 

[lola77]

I'm also interested in this. I'm considering ordering a Vendetta frameset and using 584/650b rims with discs in order to fit fenders and hopefully tires wider than 30mm. Does someone know the inner width of the fork and rear stays at the top where the tire passes through on the V20?

 

[DuncanWatson]

So funny. I read your post ratz and go search. Remember that the vendetta is actually my first bike with 700c wheels (my cyclecross bike was 650c). I find results immediately and of course they are actually applicable. I don't have to search for the right vendor with the right product that I might be able to hack into usability for a 406, 451 or 559 wheel.

This is the kind of convenience I was looking for when switching to the Vendetta. I can handle 25mm tires and use crud racers or sks race blades. Very cool.

 

[ratz]

I don't have to search for the right vendor with the right product

Until you start looking for a good tool bag

 

[DuncanWatson]

Truth, but I know Pat Franz personally and can call Terracycle. It helps that Robert and Terracycle are both in Portland.

 

[Lief]

Bob, this isn't a good tool bag?
http://cruzbike.com/norback-frame-pack

Or the little ToPeak ones that fit nicely in the rear triangle on the Vendetta 2.0

 

[DuncanWatson]

Tell me more about the little ToPeak ones, Lief.

 

[ratz]

Lief,

For my tastes (because of our jet stream winds); I like that on my Quest but not the Silvio and Vendetta.

I like this one better for in the triangle:

http://t-cycle.com/fastback-hydrati...ks-c-6_36/fastback-flash-frame-pack-p-83.html

I specifically mount my brake up top so that I can put that bad in the triangle.

Again tainted by the 40-80 mile rides in 20-25mph head winds. Which I get far to often out here; and with the goal to be adding 200mile rides this summer it's definitely a balancing act. Cargo versus drag

 

[JOSEPHWEISSERT]

I need flat resistance since I ride unsupported and may be very far from home. I also end up commuting to work on every bike I own... I would love 28mm tires but can live with 25mm tires.

I use 28 mm Continental Gatorskins with a thicker tube (made for 28 mm tires) on a standard 700c wheel. The tires actually measure 26.5 mm wide. I experience no rolling or sloppiness and run them at 100 or 110 PSI - they feel fine even though they are on the high side of recommended widths for a wheel that normally takes 23 mm tires. They are very tough tires. I bought them because they are very highly recommended.