Clemént tyres is an old cycling brand with a rich history in the sport. Originally French, the company was founded by Gustave Adolphe Clément-Bayard in 1878 to manufacture bicycles and began making tyres 10 years later in 1888.
Following World War One, the company moved to Italy and most people (if they do recall Clemént tyres) will like think of them as Italian. Clemént tyres were the premiere race tyre for decades and it’s thought that more Tours de France and one day “Classics” have been won on Clemént tyres than any other brand.
The Pirelli Group bought Clemént in the 1980s, moved manufacturing to Thailand and ran the company until 1995 when Pirelli lost interest in bicycle tyres and licensed the brand to a competitor. Once this license lapsed, Donnelly Sports negotiated a way to bring the brand back to market.
Clemént Strada LGG tyres on Campagnolo Neutron Ultra wheels – very classic
With the new Clemént tyres the core focus has been cyclocross or off-road tyres and at present there is only one road tyre – the Strada LGG Road, which I have been sent to test.
The Strada LGG is available in two different thread counts, 120tpi dual compound which I have to review in 25mm width and there is also a cheaper single compound version with 60tpi. The Strada LGG is available in 23, 25 and 28mm versions and also a 25mm tubular.
On the 120tpi dual compound version I have, there is also a slight textured tread for good grip in wet and dry conditions and a Kevlar bead to bead puncture belt.
- Clemént Strada LGG tyres fitted to my Stoemper Taylor for LBL training
The LGG name is taken from the airport code for Liege in Belgium as it’s the home to the fantastic Liège-Bastogne-Liège (LBL) spring classic. As I’m planning to take my Stoemper to ride at LBL at the end of April – these seemed like the perfect tyre to use for this adventure.
With that in mind I’ve fitted them to my bike in anticipation of both training and riding LBL with them.
First impressions are very positive, they feel like a high quality winter race tyre and remind me quite a lot of the Vittoria Open Pave as they’re a similar weight and feel and that is a very good thing as I rate the Pave’s very highly indeed. The retro style graphics of the Clemént Strada LGG looks fantastic on my bike and matches it perfectly.
Clemént Strada LGG tyres tread pattern
These were not tyres, I’d heard of before to be honest with you. The distributors 2Pure were effusive about how good they are and the few people I’ve found who have tried them have been very positive.
Retail pricing for the folding tyres is £27.99 for the 60tpi version and £32.99 for the 120tpi version that I am trying out. The tubulars are £89.99.
Clemént Strada LGG tyres – rear 3/4 view
I’ll report back on how I’ve got on with them after LBL. In the meantime, you can find more information on the tyres here: http://clementcycling.com/strada-lgg-road or http://www.2pure.co.uk/
Thanks for reading
