Choosing the right tubular tyre for your big race can be a tough decision. Go for something too light and fast and you risk having to fix a puncture on race day. But opt for a tyre that’s puncture-proof and the chances are it’ll be heavy and give you high rolling resistance.
The new Podium TT from Continental falls in the category of light and fast. Our “roll-down test” certainly demonstrated its speed credentials and the new 22mm width is not only light at 205g but also gives a better fit to bulged carbon wheel-rims (like new Zipp Firecrest carbon rims).
During a race they made every road feel silky-smooth right up until the moment it started raining. At which point the front wheel slipped on a bend and half an hour later punctured on a small piece of glass. Race-day worries are appeased to some degree by 0.7mm of tyre depth and a Vectran Breaker strip, but we’d still prefer to keep them for short races on sunny days given our test experience.
This article was originally published in Triathlon Plus magazine.