# Tire Review- Pasela TG 32s



## buck-50 (Sep 20, 2005)

I finally wore through the Rolly-Poly 28's on my Riv. Romulus. Having read the VBQ article about tires and rolling resistance, I thought I'd give the paselas a try. I went with the 32's because with fenders, that's really the biggest tire I can fit on my bike- as it is, the 32's require me to let the air out to get them through the brakes. Hopefully, that won't be too much of a pain for maintenance.

I took them out for a nice little 30 mile spin on saturday. 

WOW.

no, seriously, WOW.

My Romulus went from being an adequately (if somewhat dissapointingly) comfortable bike to being smooth as silk- before, the road buzz and shock from hitting expansion cracks made the Rom uncomfortable after about 20 miles- it was a very fatiguing ride. 

With the paselas- Road buzz? Gone. The handling tightened up as well- less darty, more stable. Taking my hands off the bars wasn't taking my life in my hands. Cornering? Like it's on rails, and the bigger tires seem to shrug off mid-corner cracks and holes a lot better- it never felt like I was going to loose traction. The new tires really transformed the way the Romulus feels- honestly, with the Rolly-Polys, my Klein was smoother and more comfortable, even with it's narrow 23s and it's low-spoke wheels. Next time, when I see Jan Heine making suggestions, I'll listen more closely.

All in all, the paselas are riding great. When it stops raining (hopefully tomorrow) I'll ride them to work with my panniers loaded and see how they feel with an extra 10-15 pounds on the bike.


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## bigrider (Jun 27, 2002)

Did you ride with different air pressure?


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## undies (Oct 13, 2005)

Those are exactly the tires that I am running right now. I have ~1400 miles on the pair and they have plenty of tread life remaining. They seem to ride just fine although this is my first road bike in ~20 years so I can't really compare them to anything else. Yesterday morning I was replacing a tube (stem blew  ) and found a hole all the way the front tire. I put some paper inside so that I could complete my planned ride, but it'll need to be replaced. 

A couple of months ago Nashbar was blowing out Pasella TGs for $10 each. I am kicking myself for not stocking up at the time.


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## buck-50 (Sep 20, 2005)

Nope- same pressure- inflated to 95psi...

In the Tire size/rolling resistance article in VBQ, Heine had mentioned that the rolly-polys were harsh riding- after switching them out, I'd have to say he was dead on. I'd imagine that the effects on my handling have something to do with the increased pneumatic trail that you get with a significantly larger tire.


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## tarwheel2 (Jul 7, 2005)

Do you think the comfort difference between the Panaracer TGs and the Rolly-Polys was primarily due to the tire size or the brand? (Actually, Rolly-Polys are made by Panaracer.) I've been trying to decide between Rolly-Polys and Panaracer TG 28s for my next tires. The TGs are less expensive and weigh about the same with Kevlar beads. Also, are they both about the same width in size 28?

I am currently using Michelin 23s on my commuter bike, but they actually measure 25 mm wide. I've got Michelin 25s on another bike, and those tires measure 27 mm across. I can't go much wider than 27 or wouldn't be able to fit the tires between my brake calipers.


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## buck-50 (Sep 20, 2005)

tarwheel2 said:


> Do you think the comfort difference between the Panaracer TGs and the Rolly-Polys was primarily due to the tire size or the brand? (Actually, Rolly-Polys are made by Panaracer.) I've been trying to decide between Rolly-Polys and Panaracer TG 28s for my next tires. The TGs are less expensive and weigh about the same with Kevlar beads. Also, are they both about the same width in size 28?


I couldn't say whether it was the model of tire (Rolly vs. Pasela) or the size (28 vs. 32) but I can say this with certainty- 2 pasela tg tires cost less than one Rolly-poly, and were available at my local bike shop. 

I'd say try the tg-28s- they're cheaper, so you're out less if you hate them.


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## MDGColorado (Nov 9, 2004)

I just put Pasela TG 28's on my bike and they measure 25.5 mm wide on Mavic MA2 rims, so they should properly be called 25's. They do ride nicely but I'm still wanting a 28. I did some Web searches on the issue of marked vs. actual size for this tire, and it seems that Panaracer no longer overrates the width of their tires (at least the 28's) but still has plenty of old (mislabeled) stock. There's no way to know what you're going to get.


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## bigrider (Jun 27, 2002)

I had some paselas and they give you long mileage. At present I am running Panaracer Urban Maxs 32mm. They have been holding up real nice and ride great. I would try 32 Paselas given the chance.


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## tarwheel2 (Jul 7, 2005)

So what is the actual measurement (width) of the Pasela 32s? I'm wondering if their sizes refer to their height rather than width. That is what I have found with my Michelin tires.


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## tarwheel2 (Jul 7, 2005)

Speaking of Paselas, the latest Nashbar catalogue says they have Panaracer TGs w/ Kevlar bead on sale for $20 in various sizes. However, when I went to the Nashbar web site, I couldn't find them listed anywhere. Might be worth a call to Nashbar.

FWIW, I called Nashbar, and they don't have any Paselas in stock. Not sure why they put them in the catalogue then.


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## snapdragen (Jan 28, 2004)

If you stock up on these tires - how long can you hold on to them before using them? Does the rubber degrade over time? I've got a pair of Paselas in my bike box that I bought a couple years ago.


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## tarwheel2 (Jul 7, 2005)

Tires will last a long time. Just try to store them away from extreme heat (such as in an attic). I've got tires that I kept for several years before using. However, in one case, I had a crash apparently caused by some old Michelin Open Pros that had developed a glaze on the tread after hanging in my garage a long time. My bike slid out on a corner -- with no gravel, sand or oil on the road surface -- and the only cause I could determine was the tires. They had developed a shiny glaze on the tread after hanging so long in my garage, and apparently I didn't ride them long enough to wear it off before I crashed.


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## brianmcg (Oct 12, 2002)

I put 700x35 Paselas on my LHT and I couldn't believe how much I liked them. When I first looked at them they looked huge and I figured they would be slow. 

But like you said, buck-50, they really improve the ride and make it much smoother. I run mine at about 75psi and I don't see how I could have ever standed running 700x23 tires at 120psi on my race bikes.


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## undies (Oct 13, 2005)

tarwheel2 said:


> So what is the actual measurement (width) of the Pasela 32s?


I just measured mine and the width is about 31mm, or maybe 30.5mm. I tend to run about 85-95psi in my 700x32s.


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## Spinfinity (Feb 3, 2004)

*I commute on Paselas*

I find them the most versatile tire I've ever used. The 28's are way smaller than the 32's and light enough that I may start using those on brevets, if I ever get back to riding brevets. They feel light and supple for their size, whichever size you choose, last a really long time, don't flatten easily, feel fine going up and down curbs, and the sidewalls don't get cut easily or often. 

I think Doug Sloan made the recommendation that got me to buy my first pair of them and I've never been sorry I took the advice.


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## Mapei (Feb 3, 2004)

I had both Pasella 28's and 32's on my Rambouillet. Yes, the 32's rode more softly but not enough to compensate for the increased weight. If the 32's had truly turned my Rambouillet into a Cadillac, it would have been another matter. But I still felt enough road buzz and I still got jarred enough by bumps to make it a thoroughly Meh experience. Before long I went back to the 28's...a very good tire, BTW.


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## undies (Oct 13, 2005)

Spinfinity said:


> the sidewalls don't get cut


My front recently got cut all the way through. The cut is more on the side of the tread than the sidewall. The tires are strong but not impervious.


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## tarwheel2 (Jul 7, 2005)

Thanks for all the info, guys. We ought to start a sticky thread on the actual measurements of tires. It really irks me that sizes are so inconsistent among various brands, but I don't know why I should expect anything different for bicycle products. Inconsistency in sizing seems to run amok in the bicycle industry. It seems like it would be to manufacturers' advantage to actually size parts, frames, clothing, etc., the same way, but I guess that would make too much sense.

By the way, does anybody know the actual width of Vredestein Fortezza tires in size 700 x 25?


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## snapdragen (Jan 28, 2004)

tarwheel2 said:


> Inconsistency in sizing seems to run amok in the bicycle industry.


OT//Try shopping for women's clothing.....


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## tarwheel2 (Jul 7, 2005)

*!!!*



snapdragen said:


> OT//Try shopping for women's clothing.....


Sounds like fun!


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## undies (Oct 13, 2005)

snapdragen said:


> OT//Try shopping for women's clothing.....


I sooo want to post a pic of Scotty here. Y'all are lucky this ain't the lounje.


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## MB1 (Jan 27, 2004)

*I married and do it all the time.*



snapdragen said:


> OT//Try shopping for women's clothing.....


But they don't like to let me use the dressing rooms.


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## Spinfinity (Feb 3, 2004)

*point well taken*



undies said:


> My front recently got cut all the way through. The cut is more on the side of the tread than the sidewall. The tires are strong but not impervious.


I'll edit my post since I don't want anybody to think the tire is indestructible. The sidewalls may do as well as they do on the 32's because they are pretty high up and out of harm's way.


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## buck-50 (Sep 20, 2005)

Updated review- rode to work and back today- panniers on the bike and 10-15 pounds of crap in the panniers. Once again, the Paselas felt great. Coming home in the rain, they were stable and gripped the road well. 

Oh, and I measured them- they're measuring an honest 32mm (maybe a little more).


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