A recent BQ claimed to show that TPI doesn't necessarily correlate with suppleness; apparently there are other factors that make Compass tires supple with relatively low TPI counts.
In my experience, one element that correlates (I don't say "causes") suppleness is light weight: when a tire casing is light and thin, the tires seem to roll better. On the other hand, tires with thick, heavy sidewalls in particular, and -- less so, but still so -- thick treads, as with puncture belts, have felt relatively sluggish. I say "relatively" because some of Schwalbe's belted tires -- the Big Apple and the Kojak -- in fact roll pretty well despite their reinforced tread. OTOH, I used to ride 559 X 32 Paselas, non-Tourguard, which weighed 240 grams consistently on a mail scale, and these rode pretty well, as well as, say, the Kojaks. I remember once adding Mr Tuffy's to my Paselas, riding 30 miles rt to work and back, and immediately removing them -- so noticeable did they add drag to the tire. (Note that these Paselas, no longer available apparently, had suppleness and low price on their side; against them was fragility and great sensitivity to pressure. The best tires I've used to date, and my current defaults, are the Compass 559 X 32 (actual 28-29) Elk Pass -- 175 grams each! -- and the 622 X 50 Schwalbe Furious Fred -- 360 honest mail scale grams each! Both these tires, the FFs run tubeless for added effect, are very noticeably easier to pedal in a given gear in given conditions at given cadences; I find myself riding, on pavement, in road gears on the FFs, instead of gearing down as with the (again, relatively nice) Big Apples. As for fragility: well, yes, every benefit comes with a defect; I'd not ride either tire in sharp gravel. But for smooth or light gravel and firm dirt, even the Elk Pass does fine; and with Orange Seal in the tubes (EPs) or, sans tubes, in the tire carcase (FFs) I blithely ride amongst the goatheads with near impunity. Really, after the frame (fit, feel), the quality of the tire makes the bike; and really, for me, the EP and the FF have literally transformed respectively my paved road and dirt road riding (again, modern sealants let me use them with impunity). Lastly: It has been some years since I used Jack Brown Greens, which, IIRC, were as far as ride quality goes, on the level of non-tourguard Paselas. The EPs and the FFs are much better. On Tue, Mar 22, 2016 at 4:27 PM, ian m <[email protected]> wrote: > Hopefully not beating a dying horse here, but I am confused by how this > topic is often discussed. With how BQ and Compass/Grand Bois talk about > their tires it seems as though it's a binary opposition, right? Supple > tires vs. non-supple tires, new tire technology vs. old tires, their tires > vs. the rest. But what is even being discussed when we talk about > suppleness? Am I confused in thinking that there has long been differing > levels of casing quality with TPI being a good indicator of suppleness (and > why doesn't Compass advertise the TPI on their tires)? > > It seems to me that it's more of a continuum of supple, from maybe the > steel belted kevlar enforced urban assault Schwalbe to the hand sewn from > the finest silk undies race only FMBs. In that continuum you have your > clincher and your tubular, your wire bead and folding bead, your 120TPI and > your puncture-proof belt. But where in the continuum are they? > > I'm not interested in performance and am a proud unracer. My only Riv bike > is a Clem and I love it. But I know and appreciate quality bicycle > components and, as they say, am too poor to buy cheap things. While the > rising interest in wide tires in the performance bicycling world will mean > more options for us balloon bikers, that also means more companies making > all sorts of unverifiable claims about their tires. I remember when I > switched from Schwalbe Delta Cruisers to Clement 120TPI USH tires on a > previous touring bike. I was not let down. But would I notice the same > change if I went from the light Jack Browns on my SS to Compass tires? I > would like to upgrade from the bottom of the line wire bead Schwalbe's > currently on my Clem (mostly because they have a wobble in the bead) to a > lighter "all road" 650b. How does one compare the supple-itude? > > - Perpetually Confused by Marketing > > > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "RBW Owners Bunch" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to [email protected]. > To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. > Visit this group at https://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch. > For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. > -- Resumes, LinkedIn profiles, bios, and letters that get interviews. By-the-hour resume and LinkedIn coaching. Other professional writing services. http://www.resumespecialties.com/ www.linkedin.com/in/patrickmooreresumespec/ Patrick Moore Alburquerque, Nouvelle Mexique, Vereinigte Staaten ************************************************************************** ************** *The point which is the pivot of the norm is the motionless center of a circumference on the contours of which all conditions, distinctions, and individualities revolve. *Chuang Tzu *Stat crux dum volvitur orbis.* *(The cross stands motionless while the world revolves.) *Carthusian motto *It is *we *who change; *He* remains the same.* Eckhart *Kinei hos eromenon.* (*It moves [all things] as the beloved.) *Aristotle -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. 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