New Rubber

Don't you think it's a truism that non-believers don't understand the nature of multiple tires and how they influence a bike ride? I did a post a good while ago about all the extra tires I have in the garage, ones I guess I should sell, although I don't have an eBay acct. As some of you know, I'm sure you have several tires with different qualities. As an example, I discuss the RBW Bleriot started with Col de la Vie 38c tires. I initially found them too squishy, especially in turns. Ademas, the straight groove tread made for a slow, ponderous, albeit comfy ride. In response to my less-than-glowing option, I sought out and purchased the highly rated 32c Gran Bois Cypres from Vintage Press/Bicycle Quarterly. I read numerous reviews extolling the buttery virtues of this tire, so I was excited to see. Surprisingly, it mostly met the hype as the most comfy, smooth and secure tire I've ridden. It did/does everything right, except... As a soft and comfy tire, it also wore down quicker than any I've ever had after maybe 1500m tops. Actually they didn't bother me until I had several sudden flats. A visual inspection showed obvious significant tread wear and led me to remove them and return to the CdlV's if for convenience.

Above we have a driveway pic of the latest, and GREATEST, 650b option, the Soma New XPress 650b. RBW has a nice description and comparison to other 650b offerings. They're not mounted, but if I can talk Dave into a Sunday morning ride we'll test them out. Marketing suggests a tire about the same size as the CdlVs (wider than the Cypres'), but with a tough, no-flat casing. I've yet to have a flat on the CdlVs', but they're hell to mount, so maybe these will be a bit better, although I've heard that the first run of wheels that came with the Bleriot offering had a diameter slightly too small, rendering loose tires even looser.

Happy Hour Brew Cruise tonight and a busy day tomorrow, but it's the weekend. Vamos!