Stephen Barner wrote:
>
> I found the original post pretty incredible. Tires and tubes are among the
> most important components on a bike, as far as rideability goes. I think
> even a cheap sewup gives a better ride than most clinchers, and I suspect
> that a lot of it has to do with the rim cross section. Sewup rims are
> typically lighter, stronger, and the profile allows the tire to squash more
> when going over obstacles than do clinchers. It is difficult for me to ride
> the 4 miles to pavement on my Bianchi with 23mm clinchers without getting a
> snakebite puncture. I never have that problem on my bologna skins.
>
> Sewups also allow you to run wider profile tires without significant
> penalty. I imagine one could make a light, wide-profile clincher, but I
> haven't seen anything to rival the sewups of 20 years ago. I glued my last
> Paris-Roubaix Seta on the back wheel of my Marinoni a few weeks ago, and I
> am feeling pampered again. If only Campionato del Mondo Setas would go back
> in production...ah, there's a pleasant thought. What a sweet tire that was.
Years ago there was an interview with a Continental tire engineer in VeloNews and he said that to equal the feel of a 23mm sewup you needed a 28mm clincher. Recently as a reaction to $60+ clinchers I decided to try 28mm Continental Ultra 2000 with wire beads (the things are really inexpensive). This is the size tire people use for performance riding on tandems from what I understand.
You know what? I like them. They hum like a sewup and with a lower tire pressure than a 23mm clincher. They roll nice, no pinch flats ever, and they are amazing on descents. AND, you can ride offroad even (shades of Jobst Brandt). I put them on my De Rosa and my Colnago. They don't feel super "lively" (maybe the extra weight and gyroscopic effect) but they are very confidence inspiring on the descents.
They are so cheap I'd suggest everyone at least try a set once; you may even love them like I do (yes, I still run sewups and hi-performance clinchers on some of my bikes).
Chuck Schmidt
SoPas, SoCal