Tufo Thundero and Speedero Tire Info

Aftering seeing little info about these tires, I wanted to put some data out there so others who might be considering these could see what they look like.  I bought a set of the Thundero 44 mm and the Speedero 40 mm both from bikeinn.com.  Delivery from the Netherlands to the US was 17 days.  

THUNDERO 44

The claimed weight for the Thundero 44 is 450g.  Both of my tires weighed 485g so off by 7%.  I'm not complaining about the weight as there is typically some 5-10% margin during manufacture.  The sidewalls have 210 tpi and under the tread is 375 tpi. 



The Thunderos were mounted on a set of Spinergy GXX wheels that have Stans tape and an inner rim width of 24mm.  The tire went on the rim without the use of tools, but the thumbs got a workout.  I used an air shot container and easily seated the beads of the tires without sealant.  I then used a floor pump and increased the pressure to 40 psi.  I let them sit overnight without sealant and they lost 3psi so they are nicely sealed from the factory.  I removed the valve core and then added 3 ounces of Stans fluid and added air.  Did the Stans shake method and mounted them to the trusty Warbird.  After sitting for about 2 days at 40 psi, the tires measure 46mm from edges of tread.  When riding, I ride 36 psi in the rear tire and 34 in the front.  This data is from the Silca tire pressure calculator.  





The center of the Thundero has these tightly spaced knobs for speed and more spread out knobs for traction when cornering.  They are indeed fast on the road and smooth gravel and nice and grippy on chunky gravel.  


SPEEDERO 40

The claimed weight for the Speedero 40 is 430g.  One of my tires was 429g and the other 430g, right on the numbers.  Like the Thunderos, the sidewalls have 210 tpi and under the tread is 375 tpi.   The interior construction is also the same.  



The Speederos were mounted on a set of Bontrager Aeolus Pro 3V wheels with an inner rim width of 25mm.  These wheels have the Bontrager tubeless insert strip.  The Speedero took a bit more work to get on this rim.  I blame it on the tubeless rim strip as it is much thicker than Stans tape.  I had to use my Kool Stop bead jack to get both of the tires on.  Again, I used an air shot container and easily seated the beads of the tires without sealant.  These held air overnight, just as the Thunderos did.  I then added Stans sealant and mounted them to the same trusty Warbird.  These tires measured 42mm after a sitting for a couple of days at 40 psi.  When riding the Speedero, I ride 38 psi in the rear tire and 37 in the front. This data is from the Silca tire pressure calculator.  






As you can see, it has large center knobs and directional tread. These tires are supple and fast.  They fly on smooth gravel and pavement, but do "wander" a bit in real loose, chunky gravel.  It's not enough to make me worry, just makes me ride with more caution.   

Summary

Both of these tires are great to ride.  They are supple and are fast on pavement and smooth gravel.  If the gravel is smooth and/or has lots of pavement connecting sections, I plan to use the Speederos.  The Thuderos are equally fast on pavement and smooth gravel, but where they shine is when it gets chunky or washboardy.  If my ride is on roads like that, the Thundero 44s in combination with the Spinergy PBO spokes really dampen the vibrations.  

I'm no racer, just a mid 50s clydesdale guy that likes to ride gravel.  Your mileage and thoughts may vary, but I don't see how you can go wrong with either of these tires.   They are very well made and ride great.  When these wear out, I plan to replace them with the same tires.