I was just contemplating correct wheels for early to mid 70's bikes, and the question occurs to me, when were 700C clinchers introduced?
I know from experience that in the 60's and early 70's the norm was 27" for clinchers in UK and America, at least at the high end, although both had their variations of 26" as well. Racing bikes of couse used sewups/tubulars/sprints just about worldwide. But did 700C clinchers exist in Europe in the 60's and early 70's? Or was it tubulars on racing bikes and 650B clinchers on touring bikes? So when were 700C clinchers introduced?
I think I've heard it said that the Michelin Elan in the mid or late 70's was the first clincher tire to gain wide acceptance in racing. Were 700C clincher rims introduced about this same time? And were 650B rims used on European touring bikes always clinchers, or were tubulars once made in that size as well?
My own recollection is that I had some clinchers built for my 1973 Lejeune, which of course originally had tubulars, or sewups as we then called them. Those first clinchers were 27", but presented the problem of repositioning the brake shoes every time one switched between sewups and clinchers. I think it wasn't until the mid 80's that I had some 700C clinchers built to make switching wheels easier. But that was when 700C clinchers became common in Southeast Texas where I then lived. Could have been years or decades earlier Europe.
Regards,
Jerry Moos
Big Spring, Texas, USA