A racing tubular should be fast; seriously low rolling resistance. It should also be light, and have some puncture protection, while staying supple under hard cornering and on less than perfect pavement. Ideally this tubular should be designed for speed, and mate up perfectly with your aero rim profile. Grip is crucial for cornering, and accelerating out of those corners. Meet the Tangente SLSpeed Tubular from Zipp. This could very well be your new racing tire. You know, if you like to go fast.

When Zipp set out to redesign the Tangente line, there was never any doubt that the new racing tubular version needed to exceed the first generation. By working to develop a new rubber compound and employing data from Firecrest rim research, the engineers optimized the width and profile of the new SLSpeed, and also designed an aero tread pattern for the surface. These details matter when tenths of seconds count. The decreased rolling resistance of the new rubber compound saves you valuable watts. A word of caution. This tire was optimized for dry road conditions. If you get caught in the rain, the best grip is generally at about 5psi less than you standard inflation. Don’t worry, the tire will still roll fast and hold corners. Rough road surfaces call for closer to a 10psi reduction. Here is Zipp’s recommended pressure chart by rider weight, front/rear tires, and conditions: