Paul, Regarding the Soma Supple Vitesse tires, how accurate are the size designations when inflated? Or perhaps more to the point, if you have used the 33 mm, is it truly in the ballpark of 33? I bought some Challenge tires labeled 33 mm but they inflated to nearly 37 mm!
Secondly, in your experience, how puncture prone is the extralight version compared to the standard version? Thanks, Aaron On Tuesday, June 23, 2020 at 5:35:52 PM UTC-7, Paul Brodek wrote: > > You can order from Scott in Mpls, as already mentioned, or buy from him on > ebay. He's always got listings for tires there, makes it handy to see what > he may have in stock. > > Ordering direct from Grand Bois has been mostly smooth for me. Recent > covid-related shipping issues have cropped up, they switched from EMS to > DHL when delays kicked in, not sure what they're doing now, but Japan seems > to be getting back to a quasi-normal. > > Nobody's mentioned the Soma Supple Vitesse tires, which are another > high-zoot Panaracer OE product for a US-based brand/company. I use 'em a > lot, like 'em a lot. They have std and extralight versions, and are > generally less expensive than Rene Herse. You can buy direct, might help to > wait for one of their occasional/seasonal sales if you're not in a rush. > ModernBike seems to have the lowest everyday price on them. > > The Challenge tires are also very nice. Just be aware they are "open > tubular" design, not vulcanized, so they lay flat against the rim out of > the package, with no natural upward curve whatsoever. I don't use tubeless > tires, so I can't compare mounting a Challenge open tubular to those, but I > can say that Challenge open tubulars are the most difficult tires to mount > of any tires I've used over the past 10yrs+. I'm cranky and stubborn, and > only when death is the only other alternative (yes, I'm exaggerating) will > I use tire irons to mount a tire, but I've come close with Challenge. I > recently got some fat, puffy Strada Bianca Pros, and they look just > beautiful, but every time I look at them I can almost feel palm and thumb > pain again. Once they've gone on, and had some time inflated, subsequent > mounting isn't inordinately difficult, but the first time is a real bear. I > recently got a Kool Stop Tire Bead Jack to spare my palms and thumbs next > time around. > > [image: 49837732981_ce1b8c5de4_c.jpg] > I'll also say that tire mounting experience is akin to flatting > experience, in that it is a certainty that someone else thinks mounting > Challenge tires is easey-peasey, they never have a problem. ("Tire X is a > flat magnet!" "I ride mine thousands of miles and never get a flat." Like > that...) One man's death fit is another's no sweat. But Challenge does see > the need to have a video on their website showing their preferred mounting > technique. And boy howdy the dude in the video doesn't seem to struggle > like I do. I've bought more than one pair near-new from somebody on a forum > who gave up trying to install them. So it ain't just me. > > But they are dead sexy. > > Paul Brodek > Hillsdale, NJ USA > > On Sunday, June 21, 2020 at 11:07:49 AM UTC-4, Tom Goodmann wrote: >> >> I've long enjoyed the suppleness of these tires, but they seem not to >> have been available in the U.S. now for some years; I think they can still >> be obtained outside the U.S.. Any recommendations for near-equivalents? >> (Labeled as 700 x 30, but seem to measure out closer to 32). Thanks in >> advance for any recommendations. Tom, Miami >> >> Sam Hillborne >> Legolas >> Goodrich-built 650b prototype >> '94 RBT >> > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/9a3ca8a9-edd4-43ef-b78d-45f0ac75ae79o%40googlegroups.com.