Specialized tire testing II
April 2nd, 2009 by Conrad Stoltz
In search of the holy rubber…
Following up on earlier tire testing in Stellenbosch*, Specialized’s tire whiz guys came up with 5 new prototypes to test. The goal is to make a tire that is very puncture resistant, but still rolls well and doesnt weigh as much as a tractor tire.
*Read earlier blog Tire testing Stellenbosch.
We know we have great tread patterns in the Fast Trak LK and The Captain, its a matter of making a strong, light, flexible casing. With an emphisis on STRONG.
Yesterday we tested rolling resistance of the 5 prototypes and also a few competitors’ tires. First I rode the rollers with a Power Tap and took Wattage outputs at 25km/h and 35km/h. Some tires needed 560 Watts to go 35km/h, and with the cold legs, the unfamiliar rollers, and keeping the speed at exactly 35 at 1500m altitude took some huffing and puffing!
After that I would ride to a gradual dirt climb, which I would ride at a fixed speed (20km/h) and would take the average Wattage required to roll the tire at that speed. Repeat on the road at 22km/h. Ride home, change tires, repeat.
Tire guru Frank Stacey carefully notes the details.
Chris Wyatt teaching me the tricks of installing rim tape the right way. Clean it with brake cleaner and flat screw driver…
Mike Taylor finishing up a quick wheel change before I jump back in the saddle. To push 500 plus Watts with cold legs…
Today we will be testing durabilty and will be riding rocks.
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November 5th, 2009 at 7:47 pm
[...] tire that is truly Caveman proof. Over the past year we have had 2 extensive tire testing camps. (blogs here) We tried numerous prototypes and found a casing that works exceptionally well. It weighs roughly [...]