I purchased 2 of the Continental Giro Tubular Tires as spares for the RAIN Ride Across Indiana but fortunately I did not need them. I eventually used the Continental Giro to replace the rear tire on my bike and after only 330 miles and several flats from cuts and small punctures the tire developed a small pin hole which I could not seal with Tufo sealant and large bulge in the center of the tread.
I hoped that I just had bad luck and replaced it with the second Giro tire I had. The tire mounted fine with no issues and everything seemed fine for the first 150 miles with no cuts or problems. Then while going down a long decent the rear tire blew out. When I came to a stop I checked the tire and noticed a single cut down to the fabric which I assumed was the reason for the flat. I used the Tufo sealant (which is a life saver) and noticed that there was sealant coming from a small pin hole which was in the center of a large bulge (just like the last failed tire) I managed to get it to seal and made it 1.5 miles down the road before it completely let loose.
Moral of the story I will never buy these tires again as I got less than a combined 500 miles out of 2 tires. FYI, I and a 177 lb rider and run then at 120 psi. Also I have not had a single flat on my front Hutchinson tire after more than 1500 miles.
I've been riding nothing but tubulars for about 40 years, and I was impressed with the value this tire offers. I'm not saying it performs like a handmade top of the line lightweight, but it's hard to beat for the price. The overall quality of the fabrication is quite impressive. None of the minor imperfections and anomalies you usually see in a [$] tire. They go on straight and easy, they ride smooth and wear well. What more could one ask at this price level? If you are looking for a nice training tire, this is it.
I have only put about 100 miles on this tire so far so I can not comment on longevity or the overall durability. The tire mounted well after pre-stretching and has not had any bumps or abnormalities in the ride quality.
The reason I am undecided is I got a large 2mm wide puncture after about 60 miles. I am not sure what I hit but was able to repair it with Tufo Sealant and keep riding. I am not sure if I hit something really sharp or if these tires are just susceptible to puncture. Only time will tell.
I use this tubie as my back up during triathlon races. Just flatted with my expensive tubular this weekend and 8 minutes later had this baby on and was rolling. Got the job done and you can't beat the price.
I've been riding tubulars for more than 40 years. Most inexpensive tubulars are junk but the Continental Giro is a very good tire. It will never replace a the good old silks of the past but it is a fine training tire that gives that great feel of a tubular at a reasonable cost.
I ride about 500 miles per month. The first one, on the rear, performed well until I hit a patch of broken glass. I punctured in two places to be expected. The issue came when I tried to repair it. The tire casing is so air tight that the air traveled more than one foot down the tire before escaping. Naturally it pointed me to the wrong place along the tire to repair. So be careful of that if you are going to repair it the old fashion way rather than using Caffelatex like I'm now doing. The second one has about 500 miles on it with no problems.
As a former Cat II racer who is just getting back into cycling after 15 years of sitting on the couch, I was looking to replace the dry rotted Vittoria Corsa CX tires on my racing bike. Not wanting to spend the money on the new CXs, I decided to try the Conti Giros. After 400 miles, the tires are holding up nicely. They corner well, show good traction in wet condition and seem to hold air pressure. While I am not sure that I would race on them, for training and fast rec rides, they are a fabulous value. Time will tell if thay rate 5 stars.
