DizRotus Posted May 2, 2018 Share Posted May 2, 2018 After 43 years the hassle of sew-up tires became too much. My friend at Reset Bike Shop in Portage , MI convinced me to let him lace clincher rims & tires to my Campagnolo hubs. The new clincher tires can hold 125 psi, so the low rolling resistance of the old-school sew-ups won't be missed entirely. Now my wife can ride her 45 year-old Schwinn and I can ride my newer (43 year-old) Legnano in Detroit's "Slow Roll." I believe I'll leave the music to the other rollers. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DizRotus Posted May 2, 2018 Author Share Posted May 2, 2018 As an example of Elden’s @dtel observation that most don’t share our passion for audio, I offered to trade a very nice pair of Heresy 2s for the work described above. My friend was not even remotely tempted. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schu Posted May 2, 2018 Share Posted May 2, 2018 SL or SLX? Can't tell... novo record or super record with titanium bolts? Why are you using track hubs on a road bike? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DizRotus Posted May 2, 2018 Author Share Posted May 2, 2018 Nuovo Record 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave1290 Posted May 2, 2018 Share Posted May 2, 2018 Ha, my old LeTour is hangin out in the garage... I make it out to spin the wheels about once a month and just wonder IF these old bones could crank again like they used to... lol 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schu Posted May 2, 2018 Share Posted May 2, 2018 6 minutes ago, Dave1290 said: IF these old bones could crank again like they used to... lol Indeed... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave1290 Posted May 2, 2018 Share Posted May 2, 2018 Yea, no foolin Schu,, A few of us would ride 100-150 a week averaging 15-16 mph... Then a couple DEDICATED guys joined us and were hitting about 18... I was like geez, have at it... cya when I cya... Loved cranking w/the walkman plugged in, hit that wall about 6 miles out and just crank right thru it and go. Probably in the best shape of my life then... Yea, THEN! Now? Not so much... HAHA! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schu Posted May 2, 2018 Share Posted May 2, 2018 When I was racing, my weekly average was 500-650 miles a week... I did that for more than a decade. The 80's was a great time to be on two wheels... unless your goal was to go to the Soviet union for the 1980 summer olympics 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DizRotus Posted May 2, 2018 Author Share Posted May 2, 2018 47 minutes ago, Schu said: Why are you using track hubs on a road bike? I bought the bike new in 1974 as it is. I’m still deciding if the hubs are suitable for road use. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave1290 Posted May 2, 2018 Share Posted May 2, 2018 Schu, Schu, Schuuuuuuuuuuuuuu... Waves bye-bye!!! lolol 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schu Posted May 2, 2018 Share Posted May 2, 2018 They are... but usually large flange hubs were developed for velodrome/track use. They went to much "lighter" low flange to save weight for road use. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators dtel Posted May 2, 2018 Moderators Share Posted May 2, 2018 We have not had a bike in many years, mostly because of no place to ride that's off the streets and on these back roads you may get run over. But the reason I posted is because I can't figure out What is a sew-up tire, is it the standard bike tire ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schu Posted May 2, 2018 Share Posted May 2, 2018 Put it this way... you need glue to use'em Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rplace Posted May 2, 2018 Share Posted May 2, 2018 Tube is sewen up into the tire as one unit. So the cross section is round not U shaped. The rim is concave. You glue the stitched/sewen side to the rim, you still ride on the rubber side. Almost all pro teams still use them. Most mortals do not. I use a mix of clinchers, sew-ups and tubeless. All tools in the toolbox. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DizRotus Posted May 2, 2018 Author Share Posted May 2, 2018 Elden, @dtel after posting this it occurred to me that perhaps I should have explained what sew-ups are, but Rich @rplace has done an excellent job of doing just that. One thing I would add is the tube sewn into the tire is more like a balloon or condom than the tube in a regular tire. The high pressure (>120 psi) and very narrow cross section make for extremely low rolling resistance. For more than 40 years I enjoyed the benefits, but endured the tribulations of sew-ups. They seldom got flats, but repairing a sew-up is damn near impossible. It's necessary to remove the tire from the rim (glued on) open the stitches that sew the tube into the tire and patch the tube, and then re-sew it into the tire and glue it back onto the rim. The result is a tire with a goiter that thumps at each revolution. Such repaired tires, IMO, are suitable only as spares in an emergency. Sew-ups used to be made by many manufactures, such as Michelin, Pirelli, Dunlop, Continental, and others, but, over the years, the choices dwindled while the prices have soared. Suitable sew-up tires are $60+ each. These 69 year-old-hands are tired of wrestling tires onto rims with glue involved. The 125 psi clinchers will be much more convenient. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DizRotus Posted May 4, 2018 Author Share Posted May 4, 2018 They’re back. My friend, Jeff, was very quick. The new Mavic clincher rims look just like their sew-up/tubular counterparts. Jeff asked me if a set of clincher tires he had available would be OK. He warned me about orange sidewalls. When he said they could do 125 psi, I said sure. It was a surprise to see that the orange is only one one side. Now I feel like a Gator fan with these on my blue bike. I asked Jeff if there was any purpose other than cosmetic, he replied it was just something different. It occurs to me this would be useful for a getaway bike after a bank robbery. “Officer I distinctly remember the robber’s bike had orange tires.” Meanwhile, you sip some Starbucks nearby while your bike leans against the restaurant’s wall with the blackwalls showing. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Davis Posted May 4, 2018 Share Posted May 4, 2018 This is a very interesting thread. I had never heard of these wheels and tires before. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DizRotus Posted May 4, 2018 Author Share Posted May 4, 2018 12 minutes ago, Davis said: This is a very interesting thread. I had never heard of these wheels and tires before. Not like ripple wall slicks with 5 psi, are they? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DizRotus Posted May 4, 2018 Author Share Posted May 4, 2018 I distinctly recall riding home one evening in 1975 enjoying the lively feel of the Reynolds 531 frame and the sew-ups and thinking of my choice if forced to choose between the bike and my $2,000 (1975 dollars) stereo. The bike has been a constant, the stereo gear has come and gone many times over the four decades. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edgar Posted May 4, 2018 Share Posted May 4, 2018 Higher pressure does not always lead to lower rolling resistance. It depends upon tire size, rider+bike weight, and surface roughness. See http://trstriathlon.com/talking-tires-with-joshua-poertner/. You want to operate at the minimum point of the curve. That said, I don't worry so much about tire pressure any more. My racing days were over 30 years ago. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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