Now we'll have to do some research. More fun. Joe neville sounds like one of the old school. Argue, dicker, haggle forever, and when the deal is done take what you need to make it right. Honor among thieves. Love it. Ted Ernst Palos Verdes Estates, CA
<classicrendezvous@bikelist.org> Sent: Tuesday, January 31, 2006 7:13 PM Subject: Re: [CR]Pye tires
>
> You have to realize that my "authority" for saying the tires were silk
> was probably an offhand comment from Joe Neville that "Ya know they was
> made from parachute silk?"
>
> Joe was a nephew or something of an uncle who ran the Newark Velodrome. He
> was the original "classic bike" guy I ever encountered who had gathered
> many, many bikes, parts, and of course, stories. His interest had
> persisted from the 20's to the early 1990's.
>
> Joe was a car salesman of the old school, for maybe 40 or 50 years. If
> you can imagine the best car salesman in New Jersey, that was Joe. I can
> only say that the negotiations with him for my Pop Brennan were epic and
> took place over about 3 years. When all was said and done, I think he
> just had mercy on me. It was funny because I basically bought the frame
> plus the right to select the parts and then we picked through his parts.
> Once we had set a price, he turned to my side to be sure I got the right
> parts from his boxes.
>
> Joe Bender-Zanoni
> Great Notch, NJ
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: ternst <ternst1@cox.net>
> Date: Tuesday, January 31, 2006 9:39 pm
> Subject: Re: [CR]Pye tires
>
>> Joe might know something I didn't.
>> I don't remember the tires being made out of silk.
>> I was under the impression that they were cottons.
>> From my experience The track riders always wanted cotton and not
>> silk for
>> their track racing.
>> Some new stuff to chew on. Great!
>> Ted Ernst
>> Palos Verdes Estates, CA
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: <joebz@optonline.net>
>> To: "Tony & Shellie Welch" <tswelch@indy.net>
>> Cc: <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>
>> Sent: Tuesday, January 31, 2006 6:13 PM
>> Subject: Re: [CR]Pye tires
>>
>>
>> > I'll tell you what little I know. Pye tires were made in Newark,
>> NJ
>> > during the height of the velodrome activity there. The tire
>> casings were
>> > made of parachute silk. There is a picture in "Hearts of Lions"
>> by Peter
>> > Nye showing a part of the Pye process involving winding the
>> casing on a
>> > large drum.
>> >
>> > Given that they were made from top quality silk and reputed to be
>> well
>> > made, I suspect that any blowouts were due to light weight and
>> high
>> > pressures.
>> >
>> >
>> > Joe Bender-Zanoni
>> > Great Noth, NJ
>> >
>> > ----- Original Message -----
>> > From: Tony & Shellie Welch <tswelch@indy.net>
>> > Date: Tuesday, January 31, 2006 7:52 pm
>> > Subject: [CR]Pye tires
>> >
>> >> I just finished the book Six Days of Madness by Ted Harper. In the
>> >> book
>> >> he said that he has yet (1993) to see a tire to compare to the old
>> >> Pye
>> >> track tires. He also said blowouts were common then.
>> >>
>> >> Anyone know why there were so many blowouts if the tires were so
>> good?>>
>> >> Tony Welch
>> >> Indianapolis, IN
>> >> USA