Curly wrote:
Try a pair of continental 27 x 1 1/4" ultra gatorskin tires. They do not have the tan gumwall look you might prefer, otherwise they are one of the best tires I have ever ridden and are mounted on all four of my paramount tourers, with thousands of miles of smiles.
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This post put me in mind of something I've been meaning to mention for awhile, although most of you probably found this out before I did.
We were riding Continental Ultra Gatorskins (700c) on our tandems, and I thought they were pretty good..then I tried some Rolly Polys from Rivendell.
I've been trying to find clinchers that I can love for 30 years now, and I never found them, until now.
For those who have yet to try these... don't hesitate. For a hooked clincher rim, these may be the best all-around clinchers ever made. They're fat, fast, and incredibly comfortable. I still prefer sew-up wheels and Campionato del Mundos, or Paris-Roubaix, when you can get them.. but Rolly Polys on a light clincher wheel give a lot of that sew-up feel, and as a bonus, they sing too! Unlike anything besides Clement tubulars, at least, in my experience. The
Gators felt rock-hard, and dead, by comparison.
And the overall ride quality with the Rolly Polys is as good as it gets, short of a CdM, in my opinion.
The Rolly Polys come only in kevlar bead, so hooked rims are a must. If you can catch Rivendell on a day when they have some of the steel-beaded versions (which occasionally come to them on the fully-built bikes from Japan) then you have some nice tires for the Weinmann Concaves of the world. I just wish Grant would make them in a 27" tire. Not enough demand I suppose.
And the Ruffy Tuffys are *perfect* for tandem use. Or any more demanding use. A fantastic tire. Just like the Rolly Polys but with more rubber in the tread.
I will say they probably wear a little faster than the usual, but I'll trade that for the ride. A great, great tire, and if there were any justice in this world, Grant would make a fortune on that tire. But it seems that few shops carry it.
Try it, you'll like it.
I just wish I could find a tire this good in a 27"
Charles Andrews SoCal
"What concerns me is not the way things are, but rather the way people think things are."
- Epictitus