This is a shameless attempt to save the the most advanced civilization in
history from imminent self destruction by eliminating carbon emission,
dependence on foreign sources of fuel,obesity, hypertension and diabetes.
Cycling accomplishes all those things at once and helps us develop a better
understanding of ourselves, each other and our relationship to the cosmos.

Oh, horse puckey!
I like to ride bikes, have been doing it all my life.
The rest of that crap is just a fringe benefit,
and the blogosphere gives me a chance to share my interior
monologue with virtual rather than imaginary friends.

Thursday, February 25, 2016

Bring me the head of Telly Savalas!

Last year I decided to try the Rivendell Nifty Swifty tires on my city bike.  They are a nice 650B tire which are fast at 33.333333 mm in width.  Touted to have a kevlar tread liner I expected reasonable durability, but suffered with flats. They were fun, but troublesome to me.  I decided to go back to the Soma Express which are larger, softer and have a reinforced sidewall to boot.  Nearly everybody was out of stock.  Hmm.  Schwalbe has a 35-584 tire which looks interesting so I gave them a shot.
I wasn't able to order them locally because QBP doesn't stock them, so I ordered from the Schwalbe website.  They are treadless right out of the box, measured a smiggeon under 35mm on Velocity Dyad rims and feel like lightning under me.  Of course I am comparing them to studded Nokian A10's which I replaced since the winter here has seemed kind of intermittent. 
 These feel fast, even faster than the Nifty Swifty.  They have Racegaurd (kevlar belt) technology although the sidewall is not reinforced like the Soma Express.  I don't think that's a problem because these tires are rated for 95psi and pinch flats shouldn't be an issue if they are kept up to spec.
Since they are totally slick, I assume they derived the name from the famous TV detective,
 but they may be named after a hamster for all I know.
Riding on them a few days has been wonderful.  If they prove to be as durable as other Schwalbe tires, they may be the perfect 650B city tire.  I may try the 35-622 version on the Hillborne if they make me happy all year.
.  The extra, added, bonus 
is the highly reflective trademarks (why don't all tires have this?).  They  show up like a blaze of glory in the headlights.    The first few days were nice, now we got hit by a blizzard, so my optimism is crushed and I will have to wait a bit for them to totally satisfy me.
 Oh well, I live in Michigan.  We are expecting a foot or more of snow overnight.

2 comments:

  1. I'll be interested to hear how these hold up. Also, I agree about the reflective side walls. I'm always amazed at how much difference the little things make in terms of visibility.

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    1. I'm anxious to get some miles on them as well. Schwalbe takes their tires seriously and their Racegaurd tech provides level 4 of 6 in their own durability ratings.

      Marc

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