If you're into 80's bikes you already know where I'm going with this.
These are almost impossible to find these days! It's not like you can go out and even get NOS ones, that is unless you're living dangerously.
Sometimes I've lucked out and found some on Nashbar or some other mail order site, but it's really a crapshoot. Let's see, I've found IRC Triathlons in 700x20c for my Allez and soon to be on my Circuit at Nashbar for $9.99/ea.; 700x23c Vredstein Ricorsos that are on my *other* Allez also $9.99/ea at Nashbar; and the venerable Panaracer Pasela TG's in a portly 700x35c on sale for $19.99 at Nashbar that are on both my and my wife's touring rigs. Recently, I also found some Veloflex skinwalls on probikekit.com but they seem a bit pricey at ~$35USD/ea. I also have some old Continentals that I loathe because of their poo-colored brownwalls. Ick.
Why all the hullaballoo over skinwall tires? One word: Looks. If you're restoring a vintage 80's bike, it just doesn't look right without the tan sidewalls. Then again, vintage 80's bikes also look like crap with smeared and patchy hard anodized rims, but that's a post for another day.
If anyone knows a stash of tan-sidewalled skinnies, please let me know!
Michelin Dynamic or Schwalbe Lugano are both pretty cheap gum/skinwall tyres. The Luganos are more like an off-white though. But they look great on my pearly white 90's Pinarello Treviso.
ReplyDeleteExcellent! Thanks for the tip!
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