[CR]Clement Clinchers

(Example: Framebuilding:Brazing Technique)

Date: Thu, 24 Aug 2006 18:36:07 -0400
From: "Barb & Dan Artley" <hydelake@verizon.net>
To: "Classic Renezvous" <Classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>
Subject: [CR]Clement Clinchers

I just installed a pair of Clement clinchers that I'd picked up at Trexlertown last fall on my Masi project bike. I'd just gotten the Masi on the road a couple nights ago and needed something reliable for my first long ride, since the old tires had cracked tread, and the fabric sidewalls were pretty nasty looking. These Clement clinchers were sealed in plastic and rolled flat the way Veloflex tires come, but with the Clement scipt on the nice yellow panel like tires of old. I expected the 22 mm wide veloflex sizing but was pleasantly surprised that they were more like 24 mm. with a nice file tread. These tires looked great on the rim! And only $10 each at Trexlertown, what a deal!

I was making a seat adjustment here and there, tweaking the bars just a bit, finally go the first really nice downhill, ... well ... they're not really as smooth as I'd ... BAM!!!!!!! Whoa! Rode it down, the sidewall was over the rim. Did I trap a bit of tube outside the bead? Nope, the durn sidewall pulled apart and released the 3 kevlar cables that made up the bead and lifted the tire off the opposite side. 4" long hole in the tube, no way to repair the tire to ride back, and only two and a half miles on the thing. Rats!

Has anyone else had any experience with these Clement clinchers? Does anyone know where they're made? They sure look great, but right now, I'm not sure I can even trust the other one. Just fishing for anyone else's experience with these tires.

Happy trails,

Dan Artley in Parkton, MD