Tubular (Sew-up) Race Tires

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Recent Reviews

New 2024 model has removable valve cores for those of us with deep dish tubulars. First off, lower your expectations: these are training sew ups with butyl tubes. Out of the package they're lumpier than your grandmas favorite mash potato's. But, stretch them properly at high pressure for a couple days & they mount up 'relatively' straight. More than adequate for training tubs at this good price.
One star off since the valve stem area doesn't sit flush & it's bumpy even after rolling them on a broom handle.
Pro Tip: these are cotton sidewalls, buy liquid latex ($10) & brush it on after gluing. This will help seal the super wide basetape & sidewalls'perfect for waterproofing these training tubulars!

I have been riding these tires for several years mostly on Chicago streets.
they give a smooth lively feel and tolerate the city's bumps well. They are easy to work with, given a tubular classification. Out of eight purchases one was defective (the seam leaked) which bike direct replaced promptly. They tend to give me a season or two and wear down which leads to punctures. However their low price (slowly increasing) is the incentive.

What is the Giro? It's an old-fashioned affordable, 2-ply "Cotton" tubular. It's great for the money. Very well made and good quality. If this is the most you can spend, and must ride tubulars, they're a great tire; just keep your eyes peeled for anything that could cause you a puncture - and roll your tires every time you go through any suspect foreign objects on the road. Strive to ride clean asphalt, keep a sharp lookout, and with a little luck you could wear these tires out.

These tires are good quality, for what they are, which is a 2-ply tire casing with no flat protection.
They are easily punctured. And, since they're not much cheaper than the Conti Sprinter tubular, which is 3-ply construction with flat protection, the Sprinter is a much better value with much less chance of flatting. That's what I'll be buying. The extra money is worth it. A flat Giro is $47 out the window.
I bought two Giros previously and they were great, 'till the rear was punctured by a tiny, soft, dry thorn, on an exceptionally clean bikes-only "Rails to Trails" roadway that I've never flatted on after 8 years of riding it. I'll be riding new Sprinters and will use my remaining Giro as a spare, though I've previously ridden the old Sprinters into the ground - wore 'em out! Never a flat on a Sprinter, so I may be carrying that Giro as a spare for a long time without needing it.