I have an ambition to do Paris-Brest-Paris(PBP) 1200km randonee again. I've qualified now (done the 200/300/400/600km events)
The bike I'm using is a Specialized Roubaix
For my qualifiers which were all in the UK I used 25mm tyres. I get on fine with 25mm tyres, run them at about 6.5 - 7 bar not too bad comfort wise and the bike will take Crud Roadrace mudguards, essential in UK conditions.
For the last PBP I used a Titanium bike. Without discussing in detail all the plusses and minuses of a custom Ti bike vs a Specialized Roubaix, there does seem to be one small advantage that the old Ti bike had over the Roubaix.
This is the transmission of high frequency noise from the road through the bars. Bigger lumps in the road, the Roubaix is excellent with. It will float across cobbles at high speed. i guess that is what it was designed for. But the "background noise" as the bike goes over moderately poor road surfaces does make it's way to my hands, backside and feet. More so than on the old Ti bike. Ti as a material seems to be just right for catching this buzz and making it go away.
To help with this problem I have recently removed the mudguards from the bike and fitted Schwalbe Ultremo ZX in 28mm. I figure that larger tyres will cushion out this noise fairly well. I've only ridden a few miles so far but this does seem to be the case. Hurrah.
However, I'm not sure if I am imagining it or not but I think that the handling of the bike isn't quite what it was. Will the greater height of the tyres alter the steering a significant amount? Certainly the way the tyres meet the road is different. If I hit small holes or lumps when steering around a corner it is slightly better. But the bike seems a bit more twitchy under normal circumstances.
Am I feeling an effect that isn't really there, or is there some physical justification for a degradation in steering?
The bike I'm using is a Specialized Roubaix
For my qualifiers which were all in the UK I used 25mm tyres. I get on fine with 25mm tyres, run them at about 6.5 - 7 bar not too bad comfort wise and the bike will take Crud Roadrace mudguards, essential in UK conditions.
For the last PBP I used a Titanium bike. Without discussing in detail all the plusses and minuses of a custom Ti bike vs a Specialized Roubaix, there does seem to be one small advantage that the old Ti bike had over the Roubaix.
This is the transmission of high frequency noise from the road through the bars. Bigger lumps in the road, the Roubaix is excellent with. It will float across cobbles at high speed. i guess that is what it was designed for. But the "background noise" as the bike goes over moderately poor road surfaces does make it's way to my hands, backside and feet. More so than on the old Ti bike. Ti as a material seems to be just right for catching this buzz and making it go away.
To help with this problem I have recently removed the mudguards from the bike and fitted Schwalbe Ultremo ZX in 28mm. I figure that larger tyres will cushion out this noise fairly well. I've only ridden a few miles so far but this does seem to be the case. Hurrah.
However, I'm not sure if I am imagining it or not but I think that the handling of the bike isn't quite what it was. Will the greater height of the tyres alter the steering a significant amount? Certainly the way the tyres meet the road is different. If I hit small holes or lumps when steering around a corner it is slightly better. But the bike seems a bit more twitchy under normal circumstances.
Am I feeling an effect that isn't really there, or is there some physical justification for a degradation in steering?
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