Gentlemen of the realm, What would have been a common *actual* width for a high performance, wired-on tire in the late '50s? I'm trying to select rubber for my '58 RRA Moderne.
At 8/13/2006 02:51 PM -0400, Neill Currie wrote:
>Nashbar has Pasela's in a variety of sizes for $6.95. Go very well with
>that vintage bike ;-)
Much as I hate recommending a big mail order discounter, this might be a good thing. 27 x 1-1/4" Paselas have changed recently. Perhaps Nashbar is closing out old stock. Old: Have a small ZigZag pattern down the middle, look sort of old fashioned, except for the orange logo. They are nominally 630 - 30 in size but are a bit smaller when installed. New: More modern looking with the "Normal" Pasela pattern. Nominally 630 - 32 in size, they really are almost 32mm wide on a Super Champ Mod 58. Functionally I'm sure this is a better tire, with a more round shape. (and, I like 'em fat) But it might be worth grabbing some of the earlier tires for your old crocks, before they're gone. From your LBS if possible, or from Nashbar.
Actual vs. Nominal tire sizes. Today I decided to replace the 27 x 1-1/4" Conti Super Sports on Jane's mixte with a set of the new style 27 x 1-1/4" Pasellas. Don't try this right before a ride. With the Contis there was room to spare. But I had to cut new, longer fender struts, bend the strut mounting tabs outward and file the brake bolt mounting holes to accommodate the larger tires.
Got out the trusty calipers and found the Contis were just 25mm wide and the Paselas about 31.4mm, both on Mod58s. I always thought the Germans were strong in math, but 25mm isn't even an inch, much less 1-1/4".
When we finally got on the road I asked her if she could feel any difference. I meant handling, but she said, "I know this sounds crazy but it feels like I'm taller".
Mark Stonich;
Minneapolis Minnesota
http://mnhpva.org
http://bikesmithdesign.com