In the early '80s, I imported Barum sewups from Canada on behalf of my employer. We brought in 3 different width tires, in three different tread colors, which was pretty novel at that time. One of the tire models was labeled Warszava-Berlin-Praha (which I understood to be an Eastern-bloc race), which had a wide profile and was excellent for Vermont dirt roads. I remember that we had to pay double-duty at the border, due to the Czechoslovakian origin. We soon found that there was quite a variation in quality control. Some would be wobbly or lumpy (not all that unusual at that time) and many a mechanic or salesperson would suffer with a bumpy ride in order to conserve cash by snagging a returned tire. Some would leak and some would explode, though that was not very common, though basetape peeling was a bit too common. I'd estimate a return rate around 30%, but the profits were so high, we continued to bring them in, eventually mounting each tire and checking it before putting it out for sale, which decreased the return rate and increased the roughness of the staff's rides. I remember one tire that leaked out in about an hour. We were a little punchy after work one day, and I decided to inflate it until it blew up. I maxed out the VAR floor pump at 16 atmospheres (according to its gauge, but the tire didn't break. After terrorizing the sales staff by bouncing the wheel all around the store, I tossed it in the shop and went home. The next day, it was still extremely hard, so I deflated it, glued it on my bike, and rode it for a long, long time. We used to say that if you can get a Barum to hold air over night, it will last the entire season.
Steve Barner, thankfully with no more rideable Barums in Bolton, Vermont
> Date: Sat, 4 Jan 2003 11:03:16 -0800
> From: "Janis Johnson" <picabo58@earthlink.net>
> To: "Classic Rendezvous" <Classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>
> Subject: RE: [CR]Bicycle brand nicknames
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> At the 1981 World Track Cycling Championships in Brno, Czechoslovakia
> I traded a very cool Brooklyn wool jersey to a Czech sprinter for four
> Barum sew-up tires. Fast forward to me riding up the Gavia Pass in Italy
> two weeks later, and KA-BLOOOOOOOM! That Barum tire...she BLEW!
> Then the other one..and another one. Then the last remaining tire.
> All four in one day. That's when I swore off Czech tubulars.
>
> When I arrived Stateside, my wise boyfriend at the time, PJ, informed me
of
> Barum's
> reputation and their nickname. That Czech dude is probably still chuckling
> over that
> trade he made with the stoopid American girl.
>
> Jan Johnson
> Portola Valley, CA