Veloflex tubulars have always been a staple of the lightest, most purposeful climbing bikes. Now, though, you can get them in clincher format and they are tubeless-ready. The 350 threads per inch casing is extraordinarily supple, and these are also perhaps some of the best-looking tyres out there (if aesthetics are important for you), but with low weight and supple cotton comes a corresponding drop in durability. Don't be daft, don't slap these on for the winter. How to choose the best road bike tyres What type of bike tyres are best for the road?

I'm a huge fan of the Corsa Gs. (Both the earlier G+ and the G2.0.) Used one tubular Rubino 2.0 but flatted it very early on. (Seems I angered the tire god.) The Vittoria Rubino Pro G2 TLR consists of 3 different compounds. The use of multiple compounds creates an ideal balance between rolling resistance, grip and durability. The carcass of the Rubino Pro G2 TLR road bike tyre is made of 150 TPI nylon, which makes the carcass slightly stiffer, yet extra durable. The Rubino Pro Graphene 2.0 TLR tyre will give you, therefore, many miles of cycling fun. With its relatively low and narrower inflated profile compared to some winter training tyres, the Zaffiro Pro has a shallow rounded profile and excellent sidewall support.Designed for intensive training, it is equally suitable for racing events. The Rubino Pro has long been a favorite for both training and racing, and with the addition of Graphene technology compounds, is more versatile than ever! Of course, you don’t want that low price to equate to any fragility that could leave you changing a tube by the side of the road. It’s definitely not the fastest-accelerating tyre, which shouldn’t be a surprise given its positioning (and pricing), but it doesn’t feel overly sluggish either. During the test period, at identical pressures, the Bontrager are more obviously compliant and anecdotally, rolling resistance is also slightly lower than the Vittoria. Otherwise, there’s little separating them in the handling stakes-wet, or dry. Puncture Force Blunt Needle: The Blunt needle has a flat tip and won't split the casing wires. To puncture the tire, the blunt needle has to cut the casing wires.

Now, however, the pros are primarily using clinchers setup tubeless, where a big glug of latex sealant replaces the inner tube and aims to self-seal any small holes in the tyre that would otherwise flat a tub or an inner tube.The 700 x 28c Rubino Pros I tested measured up slightly narrow on my alloy RD30 rims (which have an internal rim width of 19 mm), at 27mm rather than 28mm wide inflated to 40psi. Tested in a 700x30 size, the tyre is also available in 25, 28 and 32mm widths (all 700C), all with the same tread design and casing, with a folding bead and for use with tubes, rather than tubeless or tubular. For several years now, Vittoria has been using the magical material, graphene, in the production of its tyres. In 2019 Vittoria introduced the second generation compounds: Graphene 2.0. For these compounds Vittoria uses 'functionalised graphene', whereby the amount of graphene in a compound varies between 1 and 10 percent so that the compound can be adapted to the circumstances. In this way, Vittoria is able to bring the tyre's performance to a higher level in terms of speed, wet grip, durability and puncture protection. The Vittorias gripped reassuringly well on slippery lanes and up sharp gradients, inflated to within the recommended range at 72psi. Whether you go tubeless or not is a key decision, but the majority of the best road bike tyres nowadays are tubeless compatible so you have the option to change your mind down the line.

So we've already made the big step in improvements of Graphene 2.0 over 1.0, but 3.0 and then 4.0 is somewhere down the road, although that also goes along with the development of graphene itself in the industry," said Anton. In short, the Rubino Pro G2 TLR is the perfect tubeless tyre for all conditions and in all seasons, even winter. It is also suitable as a training tyre, and comes at a very friendly price. High TPI is most of the time seen as a plus point but in reality, it isn't essential. Use it to inform your buying decision but it isn't critical in a tyre. Should I go tubeless on my road bike? Vittoria's Graphene 1.0 was pure graphene: so-called 'pristine graphene', with very small impurities – very pure carbon," he continued. "Graphene 2.0 is the next development of graphene. It's functionalised: we add chemical groups to the carbon material, which allows us to have a better combination between rubber compounds and the graphene – so better dispersion in the rubber, and a better kind of chemical reaction between the rubber and the graphene, which bonds even stronger than Graphene 1.0. Graphene 2.0 Compound: Vittoria’s unique Graphene compound is superior in rolling performance, grip, traction and longevity. This compound provides the performance benefits required for competitive, consistent racing output. The Original Graphene Compound raised the bar for performance evenly through all disciplines, whereas Graphene 2.0 pinpoints the performance requirements from each cycling discipline and enhances them for speed, grip, durability and puncture resistance.The Rubino Pro from Vittoria builds on the standard Rubino platform, utilizing the same exclusive 3C Graphene compound structure, long service life, puncture protection, and sharp handling traits, but substitutes a folding bead material for reduced weight. The very long history of the successful Rubino road bike tyre by Vittoria is characterised by consequent further development and facelifts – and with the Rubino Pro G2.0, the popular all-round folding tyre from Italy now goes into the next generation. If you don’t mind setting up tubeless tyres, opting for the tubeless-ready Rubino Pro TLR might be a smart choice. It’s possible the puncture mentioned above could have been averted by using tubeless sealant.

On the flip side, they are heavier and less aerodynamic. It's not a cheap experiment but if you're curious then it's worth trying a larger size. Not long ago we all used 19mm tyres pumped up to 15,000psi, and now you see pros using tyres as wide as 32mm in races, so 28mm tyres likely won't slow you down a great deal if that's your main concern. What tyres to Tour de France riders use? As with tubeless vs tubes there is also a heated debate about which tyres are faster. If you value comfort then go wider, and likewise cornering grip too; bigger tyres naturally have a larger footprint, but can also be run at lower pressures which further improves things in this regard. The Zaffiro has seen a slight change for 2021, with a different tread pattern to the previous version we tested. There are now just a few central grooves around the radius, and some slight shoulder texture, the tyre taking some design cues from both the Rubino and Corsa tyres within the Vittoria range. Vittoria includes a table recommending the ideal internal rim width for each tyre size, which states that 25 to 28c tyres should be used on a rim with a 19mm internal width.This is the fifth-generation Zaffiro Pro, so Vittoria has had plenty of time to refine its recipe over the years. The Vittoria Rubino Pro G2 is the all-rounder in the Rubino series, suitable for all conditions. The Rubino series features the Graphene 2.0 compounds, the new generation with which Vittoria adapt the rubber compounds optimally to the circumstances. For example, the Vittoria Rubino Pro G2 has a very flexible compound on the sidewalls for best grip in wet conditions. If you want to maintain a decent tempo, the Zaffiro Pro is up to the task. Naturally, doing so will require more effort than a lighter, faster road bike tyre, but that’s a trade-off I’m happy to accept in return for much-increased reliability. The Graphene 2.0 compound on the Rubino Pro is arguably its headline feature. Graphene has been used in Vittoria’s tyres for a few years, with the aim of increasing durability and strength.