Re: [CR]tire questions keep me up at night

(Example: History:Norris Lockley)

From: <OROBOYZ@aol.com>
Date: Sun, 30 Mar 2003 20:25:40 EST
Subject: Re: [CR]tire questions keep me up at night
To: Boy651@aol.com, classicrendezvous@bikelist.org


In a message dated 3/30/2003 7:06:38 PM Eastern Standard Time, Boy651@aol.com writes:

<< Why are tubular tires more prone to punctures? Do they have to be? Are there tubulars which are less prone to punctures? >>

Let me take a stab at this... Sewups/tubulars do not necessarily puncture more easily.. A chunk of glass or a nail or piece of wire that pierces the tire surface, that tread, has no idea how the rest of the tire carcass attaches itself to the rim... An equally thick tread will resist puncture as readily in either type of tire.. Conversely, a thin tread will get skewered/gouged/stuck/cut as fast as a wink of your eye, be it sewup or wired on. Of course, most tubular tires are racing or high performance inclined, so they usually (but not necessarily) are lighter and have thinner treads. Maybe it was a year or more ago, most of the major companies ( Continental Supersonic 155 gms, Michelin Pro Light 170 gms, Vittoria Ultra Speed 155 gms) came out with super dooper light and thin treaded model wired ons.. This tires have proven in use to be as delicate and puncture prone as any sewup. Yes, I am sure some riders have lucked out, but I can tell you as a Pro bike shop merchant that the gripes about flats are dramatic with this babies.

My contention is that people who have flats will probably have them no matter what style tire they use... And if you rarely have a flat (i.e., you have that subconscious 8th sense of not riding through stuff in the road) you will love sewups...

<< Also, what's the effect of the same tire on different width rims? Say you have a 700 x20 tire, it can go on a narrow rim or a wider rim. What's the effect on the road? >>

That is kinda logical.. A small section tire on a wider rim flattens out and will have harder ride and allow the rim easy damage. You actually can mount a fay tire on a narrower rim and have a nice bulby effect.. Not optimum but not so bad.. Remember (off topic) Bontrager recutting and reducing the size of MA-2s to use on MTBs in the early days? Narrow rim , big fat tire....

Dale Brown
Greensboro, North Carolina