Stelvio 451 Tires

Our first impressions of the Stelvio 451 tires are very positive.

First of all, we have them inflated to about 110 psi front and rear on a Traveler XL tandem. The ride is a bit harsher than with the Primos at 85 psi, which is to be expected, but cornering seemed to be crisper and more responsive. We were comfortable riding a bit more aggressively into a corner, and would let the bike fly a little faster on the downhills. On the flats, it feels as if we picked up the equivalent of one tooth on the cogs without an increase in effort. We noticed the same results on both rolling hills and longer climbs. A nice roll, and comfortable confidence.
Now for the qualifications. We rode the Stelvios only on the 60+ mile last day (Saturday) of Cycle Oregon, averaging 14.82 mph on a warmish day. Without the Stelvios on Friday, with 86 miles and those long, long wonderful downhills, we averaged between 19.5 and 20 mph and cooked our legs right proper. That pace took a fair amount of gas out of these mid-sixties bodies, and we could feel it rolling out Saturday morning. I think the lighter, narrower and higher-pressure tires Saturday made all but the last couple of miles far more enjoyable. The final few miles into Baker City was over what I think was an originally concrete pavement overpaved with asphalt -- and with deep cracks and ruts at every joint in the underlying concrete. Higher pressure tires give you a much more precise feeling for the road, usually a great advantage but on that flat stretch...?
The tires were easy to mount by hand the first time, and can't talk about removal for repair because we didn't (knock on wood) flat. With 60 miles there was no sign of wear -- we'll pass along wear data in another 940 miles.

Dennis (Stu) and Sue Stuhaug
suestu@foxinternet.net