I've tried a lot of different tires on my Platy for my 95% asphalt commute. I have Velocity Dyad wheels, which are lighter/narrower than the cliffhangers. I mostly stick to 42-45mm tubed tires (various schwalbe, sawtooth, RE knobbies, RE slicks, etc). I'm currently running 45mm Schwalbe Energizer plus at 70(!) psi, which are stout and not particularly plush. The frame really sucks up much of the chatter when the roads are bumpy (or on sidewalks). I can still hop curbs just fine with this setup, and I've seen generally quicker times on my rides. I personally find 45mm to be the sweet spot, but your results may vary. Taking weight out of your build (handlebars, racks, saddle, etc) is also a better way to gain speed, of course. Off topic for this thread, I guess. I'm mostly a commuter, so my priorities are different.
Tom Reston, VA On Friday, January 9, 2026 at 1:12:19 AM UTC-5 Hoch in UT wrote: > I would highly recommend getting a second wheelset. It makes it so much > easier to swap, which keeps me from being lazy in swapping the set up, and > the difference in performance, especially at the century distance, is very > noticeable. > > The set up I'd recommend is Velocity Quill and Pirelli P Zero in 35 or 40. > They are my favorite road tires. They're fast and you can set them up > tubeless very easy (especially on Quills). I've not tried Barlow Pass, but > I've had Bon Jon's and they've also worked well. But I did get less flats > on the Pirelli's and they rode about the same (meaning, they both rode > really really well). > > Last thing: I'm assuming you've ridden longer distances on an upright > bike. For me, my sit bones take too much of a beating. I need to be > leaning slightly forward, so if I were doing this on my Appaloosa, I'd swap > handlebars so I'm not so upright. > > On Thursday, January 8, 2026 at 4:20:53 PM UTC-7 [email protected] wrote: > >> TL;DR: Looking to make my Rivendell Platypus faster and more efficient >> for long century rides on rough chip seal without losing comfort. >> Considering narrower/faster tires (38–40mm) and possibly a lighter >> wheelset. Curious what’s worked for others. >> >> >> Spring rides are coming up, and I’m thinking about taking my Rivendell >> Platypus out for a few local century charity rides this year. >> >> >> In past years, I’ve done these rides on my faster steel road bikes with >> ~28mm tires, but several of the routes have long stretches of chattery chip >> seal, potholes, and general road roughness. Comfort can become a limiter >> later in the ride. I’d like to try the Platypus instead—ideally still >> riding in sandals on flat pedals—but with a setup that’s a bit quicker and >> more efficient over distance. >> >> >> Right now the bike is very much in winter/comfort mode: >> >> **Rear*: René Herse Antelope Hill 29 × 2.2 (700 × 55) >> >> **Front*: IRC Marbella 29 × 2.25 >> >> **Wheels*: Velocity Cliffhangers (30mm) with a Peter White Cycles dynamo >> hub up front and a Rivendell Silver hub in the rear. >> >> It’s extremely comfortable and stable, but once I hit a certain pace, it >> feels like I’m pushing against a speed ceiling—especially on longer climbs. >> >> >> I’ve been considering swapping to something narrower and faster, like: >> >> **René Herse Barlow Pass (38mm)* >> >> *or *Pirelli P Zero Race ~40mm* >> >> I’m also curious what something in the *32–35mm range* would feel like >> on a Platypus—whether it would still play nicely with the geometry while >> offering a meaningful bump in speed and climbing efficiency. >> >> I’ve also briefly thought about a lighter wheelset, but I haven’t gone >> very far down that path yet. I’ve even wondered about putting together a >> second, more performance-oriented wheelset—something like a carbon >> deep-section setup—and what that would look and feel like on a Platypus. >> >> >> Has anyone here experimented with setting up a Platypus (or similar Riv >> geometry) with lighter, faster road-oriented tires or wheels? I’m not >> chasing aero road-bike speed, but I am hoping to improve cruising speed and >> climbing comfort over long endurance rides while still keeping the Platypus >> character intact. >> >> >> Would love to hear what’s worked (or hasn’t) for others. >> > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/35a9f738-899f-4a9e-a442-92e271f050b6n%40googlegroups.com.
