If you want to cut some weight off your bike, the cheapest way to achieve so is, probably, by changing tires.
You know what, we can drop the word “probably”. It’s the cheapest, by far.
You might think all tires, as long as they are of the same size, weigh more or less the same, but that’s not the case. Here are a few examples that I’ve personally used in the past year, not just reading reviews and watching YouTube videos online, because I’m not a keyboard warrior (shut up I said I’m not).
1 Specialized Turbo Cotton
This is Specialized Turbo Cotton in size 26 mm; here is a review.
It’s supposed to be fast and comfortable, at a decent weight of 240 grams (official number) of size 700 x 26mm.
At a retail price of $80, it’s on the expensive end: not to complain, but you definitely can buy some cheap tires from decent brands for cars at this price point.
It’s light and thin. I’ve put about 8000 km on it, and I’ve had about 3-4 punctures, perhaps once every 3 months, which is borderline fine for me.
My only complaint is it’s too narrow. Mine is 26 mm, but there is indeed a 28 mm choice. Now we know that wider is actually faster, 26 mm is definitely too narrow; narrower than what the Tour de France riders use (which is 28-30 mm).
If you don’t the fact that wider is faster, I’ll write another blog on this later.
2 Vittoria Corsa N.Ext Tube-Type
This is Vittoria Corsa N.Ext Tube-Type.
Retail €59.95, not cheap; but I found I didn’t have to pay full retail price at some online stores, so, in fact, it can be (significantly) cheaper than Specialized Turbo Cotton.
Vittoria Corsa has multiple models: there is Corsa, Corsa PRO, Corsa PRO Control, Corsa N.Ext(which this is); and there is tube-type (clincher only), tubeless ready, and tubular. Confusing, right? I know. It’s so confusing that Vittoria itself realized this and wrote a blog on this.
TL;DR: you want the Corsa N.Ext, not the PRO.
Slightly longer: PRO is the more expensive 320 TPI cotton casing ultimate performance one, and N.Ext is the cheaper 120 TPI nylon casing more everyday durable but still performant one.
To explain the TL;DR part: for me (and maybe for you as well, who is an average everyday rider, not a racer competing in grand tours), the best is Corsa N.Ext tube-type, because:
- It’s light. 30 mm is lighter than Specialized Turbo Cotton 26 mm.
- N.Ext means nylon casing, which is more durable in everyday use, and it’s lighter than cotton casing as well and still performant enough.
- N.Ext is cheaper than PRO models (and cheaper than Specialized Turbo Cotton in the real world).
- It goes to 34 mm (Corsa PRO tubeless ready only 32 mm maximum).
- Tubeless can be more troublesome.
- Tube-type can be lighter, even including inner tubes (official spec: 30 mm Corsa N.Ext tube-type 220 g, Corsa N.ext tubeless ready 310 g; because extra material is needed to make a tubeless tire).
I know there are arguments about the last two points, but the first three points alone are more than enough to make N.Ext tube-type a no-brainer.
3 S-Works Mondo 2Bliss Ready T2/T5
This is the Specialized S-Works Mondo 2Bliss Ready T2/T5.
Retail $80, same as Turbo Cotton, but I got them at 50% off, making it a good bang for the buck.
The official weight for 32 mm is 330 grams, but in fact, it’s around 35x grams (or maybe it’s just that I’m unlucky). It’s supposed to be a “winter” tire or “all-season” tire, which means it’s much more puncture-resistant.
Given this weight, though, I wouldn’t want to put it on my lightweight bike, but for a commuter bike, it makes huge sense: you can use it in all seasons without having to change in winter; 32 mm width means more comfort; the extra thickness means less puncture and less hassle.
Which is why I’m putting it on my gravel bike now, because I don’t really ride on gravel, and I can use my gravel bike with flat pedals for commuting.
Although truth be told, I do not commute, either.
4 Specialized Pathfinder Pro 2Bliss Ready
This is Specialized Pathfinder Pro 2Bliss Ready which comes with almost all gravel bikes from Specialized.
Retail $55, not expensive.
The one above is 38 mm (official spec 480 grams) but there is a 48 mm option at a cost of an extra 100 grams (official spec 575 grams).
It can be very good for gravel riding: the center of the tire is smooth, which means it’s fast-rolling when you are on your way to some gravel track; it’s got a lot of small-sized “teeth” on the side of the tire, meaning actual grip on gravel.
Again, since I do not ride gravel, this is an overkill. The weight penalty is too big for me to put it on my everyday bike and still call myself sensible.
5 My Story
In my case, I first changed from Specialized Turbo Cotton to S-Works Mondo 2Bliss Ready T2/T5.
As you can see, even as a weight weenie such as myself, you probably wouldn’t simply go for the narrowest or lightest. I went for wider/heavier to be more comfortable and faster.
Later, it came to me that since the winter is gone, I can go lighter again.
But I didn’t simply go back to my original Turbo Cotton. Instead, I did some research and found a better option: Vittoria Corsa N.Ext Tube-Type. Even ligher than before, wider (more comfort), Nylon casing (better puncture protection).
So, with some decent investigation, all three things can be achieved at the same time: lighter, not losing too much comfort, and not costing a fortune.
It’s a heck of a rollercoaster ride in terms of weight: adding 240 grams of weight for the sake of comfort, then cutting more (260 grams) without losing much comfort.
6 Summary: Golden Rules for Making the Right Choice
No matter how many tires you try, at the end of the day, there is no one single option that is the best. If there was, nobody would buy other tires, at all.
It’s all about finding the right balance, the balance in weight, rolling resistance, comfort, puncture protection, price, and maybe more.
After 4 different sets of tires in about 1.5 years, I’ve summarized some golden rules that may help you as well:
- Clincher + nylon casing over tubeless-ready + cotton casing (both price- and weight-wise).
- Wider is faster and more comfortable. Yes, you can go for 20 mm which can be significantly lighter, but that’s not comfortable and it’s slower.
- At least 28 mm in width. Tour de France riders use 28 mm, remember that.
- Change back to normal tires when winter is gone, or simply do not use winter tires if you live in a mild climate.
Q.E.D.