I purchased these to be my backup racing and everyday training wheels. My racing wheels are narrow tubular rims which don't allow for a quick change should I have a blowout either training or racing. Having a set of quality clinchers gives me a back up and, in the event they experience a flat, the possibility for changing the tube/tire quickly. These are a nice set of true, smooth rolling wheels of high quality that should last a long time.
I've been riding the 35mm AS TR for the last two years, with approximately 10,000 miles on two pairs, 90% on road and 10% on gravel. Not one flat that I had to repair. These tires are fast, comfortable, grippy, and durable. The tradeoffs for those qualities are some weight (mostly due to the 35mm size) and cost, neither of which is significant in relation to the benefits. I used to think that flatting once a month was part of the experience of riding a bike, or I could stretch that two months if I rode tires that felt like bricks (28mm Conti 4-Season or Schwalbe Marathon). Riding these tubeless tires is the most significant improvement in cycling equipment I've experienced in the last three decades. I'll go back to downtube friction shifters before I give up these tires. I used some other fast gravel/all-road tires before these, and while they were ok (Schalbe G-one variations and others) they were not as fast and wore out faster. I will switch to some knobbier and fatter tires if I'm going to be mostly off-road, but otherwise this is peak cycling tire for my needs.
A good fast training and (B/C) racing tire. Rolling resistance and grip feels comparable to GP 5000's, (running 28mm with TPU tubes at around 4.5 bar). I ride 8-10k a year and they are decent on imperfect midwest roads (urban to rural). Puncture resistance is decent with glass, but less so with wire and metal objects. They come with wear indicators, so easy to determine when a replacement is due. Very easy to mount and dismount on carbon, hooked rims.
If Beyonc' were a bicycle, she'd wear the SRAM Red D1 12-Speed Chain to the Grammys.
This thing is gold-plated bike jewelry, and it lets everyone knows you're not here to casually pedal to brunch ' you're here to win, or at least look like you do. The moment I installed it, I swear my bike gained at least 10 watts of smugness. Birds flew alongside me. Strangers nodded in approval. A barista gave me a free espresso. Coincidence? I think not.
The shifting? Smoother than a jazz saxophone on satin sheets. You could sneeze and accidentally shift three gears ' perfectly. No clunks, no hesitation, just buttery transitions like your derailleur suddenly got a master's degree in finesse.
Durability? Let's just say it laughs in the face of dirt. I rode through mud, sand, and what might've been a cursed swamp. It came out cleaner than my conscience after blaming my slow pace on a 'headwind' (there wasn't one).
Downsides? Sure. It's not cheap, ' but then again, neither is style, performance, or an ego boost that makes you feel like the Tour de France just started at your driveway.
Final Verdict:
5/5 stars.
Gold, fast, reliable, and slightly bougie.
Just don't let it catch you wearing socks with sandals.
