Was thinking about installing some 700c x 25 mm Schwalbe One clincher tires on my Metaphysic, since I've been pleased with the performance of the Schwalbe Ones on my Ice VTX+ trike. Then, I read a tire test report that showed cheaper 700c x 25, 320 TPI Vittoria Open Corsa CX-III tires, paired with latex tubes, slightly out perform Schwalbe One clinchers. It was reported the Vittoria tires provide near tubless tire performance. So, I ordered a set of Vittoria tires and latex tubes. Replaced the Meta's Specialized 127 TPI, 700c x 25 tires and butyl tubes with the Vittoria tires and tubes last night, and did a 40-mile ride in Plano this morning with the tires inflated to 115 psi (Had been inflating the Specialized tires to 95 psi). The Meta is probably the roughest riding bike I own, due to its stiffness and short wheelbase. It definitely rode smoother with the Vittoria tire/latex tube combination. Was there an improvement in speed, since the Vittoria tire/tube combination has lower rolling resistance than the Specialized tire/tube combination? Not sure. There are two long downhills on the ride route where I just coast. Today on a N. Plano Rd. downhill, the bike coasted 1.9 mph faster than on a previous ride (31.5 vs. 29.6 mph). On a Los Rios Blvd. downhill the bike coasted 6 mph faster than on the previous ride (32.7 vs. 26.4 mph). The uncertainty is due to the fact that there was a tailwind on today's ride, and there might not have been one on the previous ride.
The rest of my day, yesterday, was ruined when after weighing the tire/tube combinations, I found out the Vittoria set (2 tires and tubes) weighed 3 oz. more than the Specialized set. Arggg! I swear I could feel that extra 3 oz. on every hill I climbed, today.
Vittoria Open Corsa CX-III Tires and Vittoria Latex Inner Tubes