So far, so good. For the price you get a tire that is durable enough to train on but also ready to race. These tires have a flatter center section so they don't give you as much of the initial wow factor but at the same time don't loose it like other tires do. I've only got about 500 miles on them but I've ridden some pretty bad sholders with plenty of debris and they're doing great. Anyway, glad I chose these. Nice to know that there are alternatives to the more mainstream and more expensive otions. Give these a chance and I think you'll be happysurprised.
I've had a few sets of these tires. The latest set has about 500 miles on them, no flats as yet. The only problem I had was how they came from the factory. Both tires, on the sidewalls, had these little nipples about 3 apart all the way around the tire. They stuck out about a 14-12 an inch. I'm no speed demon but I'm sure created drag. I finally got fed up and took a pair of finger nail clippers and cut them off
I've used Vredestein Tri Comps (23 mm) on my Lemond Arrivee for several years and they are a great tire-fast and fairly durable with minimal flatting. So I bought a pair of the Grand Fondo's (25 mm)about a year and a half ago for commuting on my cross bike (20 miles each way) and they have been just what I needed. Durable (no flats despite all of the daily potholes, glass, and a mile long section on a packed, not paved, trail), and faster than the Michelon Krylions that I had on the bike before that. A perfect tire for someone with a long commute where both durability and speed is important.
Last month I took a week long, 550-mile commercial bike tour using my Trek Domane 5 series. I had a pair of 25 mm Conti GP4000's on there that were wearing down. I decided that the Grand Fondos might be perfect for the tour due to their durability and speed. The Grand Fondo's seemed just as fast as the Tri Comps, and in fact my average speed was virtually the same as with the GP4000's. The ride on the Grand Fondo's was cushier than the TriComps, but that could also be because the Domane gives a more forgiving ride than the Lemond. While I thought I was going to keep the Grand Fondos on the Domane only for the tour, they're still on there, and I really don't have any motivation to take them off.
When they are on sale, unless you are looking for a tire for racing (in which case you might want a more specifically manufactured race tire), I would not hesitate to buy these tires.
I'm no professional racer, and at present don't train as frequently as I'd like (fyi always check the bike scene well before you move!), but I've raced, I've commuted, and I still do ride. All of that's irrelevant really except for the fact that over the last 12 years or so of road riding, I've used a few other well-known tires - racing and training - and while many are quite good, nothing beats the durability of Vredestein - racing and training tires - and the dependability of them. These tires grip, they roll smooth, they age well (usage and hanging), they are reliably built, meaning no flaws, no millimeter off so you have to pull out the shop tire tool. Vredesteins rock and they are dependable, all. Durability cannot be beat.
These tires are NICE there is nothing I can say I do not like about them. Over the years i have been through many different brands of tires over the years and A smooth ride with low rolling resistance seems to make a nice tire. Puncture resistance is also a plus.
I put these on a fixed gear yesterday and immediately took them out for a spin. About halfway through my ride, I ran through a large area of glass that I was unable to avoid and not only did these not puncture, absolutely none of the glass shards embedded in the tread. In addition, I saw a bit of rain during my ride and these handled very well and cornered very well, too. Furthermore, both of my 25's were under claimed weight at 229 and 228, respectively. Admittedly, this is a very early review but just one ride was enough for me to be incredibly impressed and to consider these a top five all-around tire.
I've been using Vredestein tires for a number of years. These tri-comp Gran Fondos are my go to tire selection that I use on a number of road bikes. They provide an excellent combination of both durability and are reasonably lightweight. The tri-comp construction has a high degree of puncture resistance so you can keep rolling rather than spending time out there fixing flats.
I've been running these for almost a couple of years now and only had one real puncture due to some serious shattered glass strewn about the road, nothing I could avoid with any tire really. I always pump them up to minimum which gives a comfortable feel, I'm not racing or shredding the corners but I'm confident in them.
These are my go to tire for everyday riding and training. A little bit of a harsh ride because of the thread count and high pressure but they dont feel sluggish and roll forever.
