As much as I like the ride quality of the Vittoria EVO CG tires, they wear too quickly for training. I'm 190lbs and the Open Pave CG Clincher works perfectly for me. They are very puncture resistant, nice file tread and the ride quality is fantastic for a Pave tire. Perfect for the slightly damp conditions of San Francisco.
I ride a variety of country roads and this tire gives me cornering confidence on less than smooth roads and the supple casing rolls over freshly chip-sealed roads very smoothly. I bought the 25mm size and it measures 24.5 on my old 19mm Mavic Reflex SUP rims. Although not as supple as the Open Corsa Evo's the added durability/longevity is worth the trade-off for a everyday ride and they run as true as the Evo's. I have only ridden them for a few hundred miles, but they show no sign of tread wear or cuts and have had no flats. Hopefully they will wear well going forward, if so, they will replace The Michelin Pro Endurance (replacing the out of production Krylions I swore by), on my other bike that faces the road hazards of riding on the streets of Tucson. The Michelins have held up fine, but not nearly the ride quality of the Vittoria. I'm guessing the Pave will be a great compromise of durability and ride quality. Highly recommended at this point.
I originally purchased the Pave tires for use in late fall, winter, early spring because they are good in bad road conditions. I have continued using them into the summer. They are very durable and withstand the worst road conditions, hence the name Pave. I don't mean to jinx myself but I have been through 2 sets of these tires without a flat, and ridden them for thousands of miles. True, they are not the lightest tires but I am not racing on them. I find that the 25cm tires (they moved from a 24 to a 25) provide a softer ride.
performance touring on racing bike on asphalt and strade bianche.
I ordered these to use once winter was over and the worst of the debris is off the roads. I use and love conti 4 seasons during the early spring and late fall After about 400 miles I would characterize these tires as slightly more supple & comfy than conti 4000's. On rides longer than 50 miles I feel less beat up by road shock.
I haven't flatted on rough roads, as yet, and can detect no signs of wear or damage to the casings - in spite of the odd patches of chunky gravel. Compared to the conti 4000 25mm, I would give the durability edge to conti over the long haul last year I got 2K out of the back and 3.6K from the front. The vitoria's are more comfortable and of course have sick green sidewalls.
First off ... these tires are a NIGHTMARE to mount the first time. It took me 90 minutes to mount 2 tires, and I had to use 3 different tire levers to eventually get it done. Then I pinched the tube, and blew it off the rim. After you finally get them mounted, and get miles in on them, they are easy to unmountmount. The first time mounting these were the worst tires I've ever had to mount in my life.
Second - handling characteristics. These are a 320 tpi casing. They're extremely supple, they handle well, and with the nubbly traction surface, they stick to the road like velcro. Extremely confidence inspiring.
Third - don't take them off road. I've been running Continental GP 4000s and Gatorskins for well over 10,000 miles. I've only ever gotten one flat (I ridecommute all winter long). The flat was the GP4000 during the winter. It was suggested to me the Open Pave CG III was a good gravel road tire. I got a flat from ordinary gravel within 20 miles. Thankfully, unseating and reseating this tire in the field was nowhere near as nightmarish as I was afraid it would be, after the bead stretched and seated.
Fourth - because these tires stick like velcro to the road ... they ride like they're velcro stuck to the road. The rolling resistance on these tires is extremely high, and I felt like I was constantly pushing them to go forward, they just don't glide or roll without putting effort in to them.
I think they might be an exceptional commuting tire during the dry season, and for non-competitive road riding conditions. They were so slow feeling, I wouldn't race them, and I question their durability when it comes to flat protection.
