I think Ted Earnst's got it right. TIRE wiping or gloving, as Ted called it, is a necessary evil. If you're riding a classic it will not
have clinchers\u2014but tubulars. They are the only tires I've used for the
last fifty-years of my cycling career. Because I'm compulsive about wiping my tubies, I seldom get flats, but wear through two-three pairs
of gloves in a season. Recently I discovered Assos gloves with a Kevlar
fiber palm, and now I can get three seasons with one pair. The classic
bikes we cherish, and the pros who rode them loved tubulars because they have a soft ride, low moment of force, are perfectly round so the
tire contact surface is constant while turning or going straight, require TLC and occasional wiping.
Michael, hoping I didn't break the lucky spell, Allison, NYC