Review: Rene Herse Stampede Pass Tires

 I was going to execute the 2024 Bike Tour using the Vittoria Corsa NEXT 34mm tires. But after just 2000 miles on the front I noticed that the rubber was already getting thin, which didn't bode well for a tour where I'd be carrying luggage. I'd had enough Continental GP5000 sidewall failures that I didn't want to use it if I could help it.

I'd bought through second hand sources a number of Rene Herse Stampede Pass tires. All of their tires are the same except that they choose to use names instead of numbers to designate tire width. The extralight editions run about $100/tire and are too rich for my blood but when you buy them second hand you can usually get a substantial discount. In my case that's 50% off which makes the tires palatable.

My previous experience with Panaracer tires were iffy. The Fairweather by Traveler tires (also 700x32) didn't last 1000 miles on the tandem (unloaded). But we mounted the tires and took them up Bohlman Road and they didn't come back with appreciable wear, so I thought they would survive the tour. I gave Arturo the Vittoria Corsa NEXT 34mm to carry as a spare just in case, figuring that if we got 500 miles out of the tire the Vittoria would survive long enough to finish.

I was a little disappointed when after 4 days of touring in the alps the tread pattern was gone. In retrospect I shouldn't have been surprised. The tread pattern was always a thin layer and there just for marketing purposes (there are claims about interlocking with the road, but when it wears out after 4 days you might as well start the tire off slick).

What did impress Arturo about these tires was that my tandem stopped faster than his single on all the descents! Basically, tires a big part of the braking system --- the brake pads don't really stop you. It's the traction of the tire on the road that does, and despite our heavier load these tires stopped. By the time we finished the tour the tires were clearly worn (they wouldn't have survived another 3 weeks of touring), but they held up and didn't flat.

Would I pay full price ($96) for these tires? Probably not. At that price I'll put up with the Vittoria or the GP5000. But if money is no object and you're riding these (or maybe you're not on a tandem so the tires will last forever), then I can recommend these tires. They have good traction, last long enough, and despite their reputation don't seem to flat more often than other similar tires.