I fear that I am asking a question like "why do firemen wear red suspenders?" but I looked at Aldo Ross's picture of Kubler and Bobet, and I can't stand it anymore.
Why did the old racers carry a spare tire looped over their shoulders? Surely a tire could be carried more comfortably on the bike, or in a pocket.
In ignorance,
Marcus Helman
Huntington Woods, MI