on 2/8/05 9:25 AM, John Thompson at JohnThompson@new.rr.com wrote:
> Todd Kuzma wrote:
>
>> Seriously, putting goop on the sidewalls may temporarily keep the tires
>> from exploding, but they are no longer the same tires. They will not
>> ride the same, nor will they look the same. Time for new tires.
>
> If they were generic tires, I'd probably just replace them as you
> suggest. But not these; they're keepers. Besides, where can you get new
> Campionato del Mondo Setas these days without spending and arm and a leg
> and a first born child?
But they will now ride like generic tires or worse. I'm not sure where you can find new CdM Setas, but what you have will no longer look or ride like a new CdM. These tires may *represent* the best of the classic tires, but they no long *are* the best of the classic tires because of the sidewall damage.
If you are going to show the bike, goop on the sidewalls ain't gonna look pretty. If you are going to ride the bike, the cheapest of modern sew-ups will likely ride better. So, what's the point of keeping an old crusty tire?
These tires might be "keepers," but it's probably best to keep them on a nail in the garage as a reminder of the good old days.
This reminds me of a friend who is a Corvette mechanic and restorer. I might have mentioned him here before. He is very meticulous in his work and would fit right in with the KoF gang in the bicycle world. He constantly has customers who don't want to repair certain things on their vintage Corvettes because they are "original." He always points out that the cars didn't "originally" come with rust or worn-out components. What's the point of driving junk?
Todd Kuzma
Heron Bicycles
Tullio's Big Dog Cyclery
LaSalle, IL 815-223-1776
http://www.heronbicycles.com
http://www.tullios.com