Re: [CR]road tire survey?

(Example: Framebuilders:Tony Beek)

Date: Sat, 29 May 2004 19:52:26 -0700 (PDT)
From: "r cielec" <teaat4p@yahoo.com>
Subject: Re: [CR]road tire survey?
To: themaaslands@comcast.net, Classic Rendezvous <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>
In-Reply-To: <053020040133.22827.40B939F3000717170000592B22007348409C0B020E049C0E0E030A089B@comcast.net>


Steve: I didn't follow your last paragraph being puzzled by a loose pronoun or two. Can you please clarify whether you mean Vredetein or Pariba? Thanks. Richard Cielec Chicago, Illinois

themaaslands@comcast.net wrote: Jamie,

Dale already mentioned the Dutch-made Vredestein tires, and spoke well of them. I would like to give a bit of background on them. Back in the 70's and before, Vredestein made a wide selection of 'normal' bike tires. One of their engineers, Mr. Siemes, developed a procedure to make the tire casing out of continuous thread, that would have enabled them to make their first high end tires. Vredestein was not willing to invest the needed money to launch production, so Siemes set out on his own across town and the company Pariba came to be in the late 70's. The Pariba tires were the first of what I considered to be top notch clincher tires. Far superior to the Specialized, IRC and Michelin tires of the day. The tires were hand-made in the tradition of the best tubulars. They also had one of the most compliant sidewalls around. The compliant sidewalls were a result of the production method that Siemes had developed. They became an immediate hit in the Netherlands and then in the neighboring countries. I met up with Siemes in 1982 and arranged for the first export sales to North America (If I recall correctly it was for 10,000 tires, all 700C, in widths of 23, 25 and 28mm.) In 1983, Siemes was approached by Cees Priem, a well-respected ex-pro and directeur sportif. Priem asked whether Siemes could supply Pariba tires to his cycling team. No money changed hands between the two, Siemes supplied the tire needs of the team free of charge. Priem encouraged Siemes to make more race-friendly tire designs and features (lighter weight, narrower... etc) as well as latex inner tubes. Pariba also developed their production so that they could make an almost infinite variety of tire models and sizes (all 700C however.) Shortly thereafter, Priem's team morphed into the new pro team TVM. Pariba became one of the original component suppliers of the TVM team. TVM became one of the very first pro teams to use exclusively clinchers (The only other clincher being used by teams at the time was Michelin.) Upon seeing the Pariba tires in the peloton, Michelin offered a boatload of money to TVM to switch over, but the riders and Priem all agreed it was not worth it to them. Pariba continued to supply TVM for as long as the team continued to exist.

By the mid-90's, the former ultra-conservative management of Vredestein had been replaced by a new group that were transforming the company into one of the most innovative and financially successful tire makers in the world. The management noticed the cross-town rival and liked what they saw and bought out Siemes. Much of Pariba's technology and design was then transferred to the new high-end Vredestein tires. Vredestein was therefore able to go from nowhere to being a serious competitor in this area. The Pariba brand continues to exist, but it seems that Vredestein is letting it die out. The tires however are definitely top notch, and, contrary to so many other brands, they can be mounted and removed without the need of superhuman strength or tools (don't try to fit a Continental tire without tire levers while out on the road in the rain.) While they have moved into the fashion colors, they do seem to keep making the tan sidewalls. They also make some 'old-style' tires with a wire bead. I can highly recommend them.

-- Steven Maasland Moorestown, NJ

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