Re: [CR]Randonneur 650B tires and cheap tires

(Example: Framebuilders:Mario Confente)

In-Reply-To: <083120061815.7266.44F7274C0007134800001C622209229927020E000A9C9D0A08@comcast.net>
References: <083120061815.7266.44F7274C0007134800001C622209229927020E000A9C9D0A08@comc ast.net>
Date: Thu, 31 Aug 2006 12:25:41 -0700
To: hersefan@comcast.net
From: "Jan Heine" <heine94@earthlink.net>
Subject: Re: [CR]Randonneur 650B tires and cheap tires
cc: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org

>Now cheap wide tires are great if you don't mind loosing a bit of
>time, and you're just out for fun.

I would argue that cheap tires are a lot less fun. Nothing ruins the ride of a nice bike more than bad tires. Great tires are great fun... I rode on the Kenda 650B tires when they came on a bike I bought used. I took them off, replaced them with Mitsuboshis, and the ride was transformed.

When we selected which tires to test, we picked tires that we thought were of interest to our readers. These include two tubulars (including the venerable Clement Del Mundo), some racing tires, some wider 700C tires and a range of 650B tires. The main reason we did not test Kenda and others is that we haven't got any requests for information on them from our readers. Testing them for people who do _not_ read our magazine makes little sense.

We do not have unlimited resources, and already spent more time on this project than on any other in the history of our magazine. We tested 19 different tires for rolling resistance, which took 60 miles of roll-out tests (more than 150 times up and down a 160 m hill). Between preparation, waiting for good conditions (no wind), switching wheels and tires, etc., we spent a full 6 days on this, plus a few more days analyzing the data we collected. Then we tested six 650B tires and three 700C tires in a full road test. This involved riding the tires on the same courses, plus using some for long events to evaluate their durability. And then we sent off the 650B tires to another tester, who evaluated them independently. The results make it worth while, but I wouldn't want to go through the effort again. -- Jan Heine Editor/Publisher Vintage Bicycle Quarterly c/o Il Vecchio Bicycles 140 Lakeside Ave, Ste. C Seattle WA 98122 http://www.vintagebicyclepress.com