Dan,
I have a set of the old, NOS, but very old, cotton sidewall Clement clinchers from probably back in the 70s. Basically naked cotton sidewalls, wire bead, they look great, but I'd be cautious riding them any distance.
BUT... it sounds like you're speaking of the recently manufactured tires - am I right?
So, what I'm sure you meant to ask [to keep this On Topic -- "Kevlar", AHEM!] was really:
What ever happened to that once famous tire company?
I believe the answer is, those tires were made in Thailand, but regadless of where, who knows if there is any remaining connection with the venerable Clement company of yore, except in the licensing of their name. Times change, and once proud companies sometimes put out cheap crap to survive.
But, it sounds to me like the bead just slipped off the rim - can happens with any new (especially folding) clincher tires, when first mounted - and then the tube pinched between the tire and rim and just blew up. Installation error perhaps,... but I wasn't there.
Bob Hanson Albuquerque, New Mexico
---------------------- Dan Artley wrote:
I just installed a pair of Clement clinchers that I'd picked up at Trexlertown last fall on my Masi project bike. I'd just gotten the Masi on the road a couple nights ago and needed something reliable for my first long ride, since the old tires had cracked tread, and the fabric sidewalls were pretty nasty looking. These Clement clinchers were sealed in plastic and rolled flat the way Veloflex tires come, but with the Clement scipt on the nice yellow panel like tires of old. I expected the 22 mm wide veloflex sizing but was pleasantly surprised that they were more like 24 mm. with a nice file tread. These tires looked great on the rim! And only $10 each at Trexlertown, what a deal!
I was making a seat adjustment here and there, tweaking the bars just a bit, finally go the first really nice downhill, ... well ... they're not really as smooth as I'd ... BAM!!!!!!! Whoa! Rode it down, the sidewall was over the rim. Did I trap a bit of tube outside the bead? Nope, the durn sidewall pulled apart and released the 3 kevlar cables that made up the bead and lifted the tire off the opposite side. 4" long hole in the tube, no way to repair the tire to ride back, and only two and a half miles on the thing. Rats!
Has anyone else had any experience with these Clement clinchers? Does anyone know where they're made? They sure look great, but right now, I'm not sure I can even trust the other one. Just fishing for anyone else's experience with these tires.
Happy trails,
Dan Artley in Parkton, MD