# Let's talk vintage tires



## Drummerboy1975 (Nov 24, 2011)

When you guys and gals are doing a spot on resto, what do you do for correct tires? NOS or is there someone making repop vintage tires? Because I'm assuming you wouldn't use old used tires.


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## hollister (Sep 16, 2005)

how do you spell assume?
=============================
FF has repops


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## yo-Nate-y (Mar 5, 2009)

"Spot on" would tend to be NOS or nice shape used. There is also these:

Panaracer Timbuk II skin wall tire


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## laffeaux (Jan 4, 2004)

When possible I use old tires. However, (a) they are often hard to find and expensive when you do find them, and (b) often either too brittle to ride, or too hardened from age to have any traction. So it's not always possible (economically) to use old tires.

There are several repro tires out there. The Timbuk II tires are really nice, the Smoke and Dart have been reissued as well, and a few others can be found with a bit of searching...


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## stan lee (Mar 5, 2006)

I've purchased bikes in the past just for the tires and then sold or given the rest away.


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## DFA (Jan 26, 2004)

The Smoke/Dart reissues are good. Finding 80s tires is a bit harder. Duro bought the moulds for 26x2.125 Tioga Comp IIIs and is reproducing them under their own name.


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## unicrown junkie (Nov 12, 2009)

finding the large Tri-Cross is almost impossible. I found the 1.5" version in Utah ten years ago now, but it wasn't worth buying the bike for them!

At least Panaracer still makes the Smoke!


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## tductape (Mar 31, 2008)

Found these 20 something year old Ground Controls a couple of years ago almost new. After admiring them for a while temptation was too great. Had to use them up....
Yesterdays ride:










Timbuk 2 from First flight are awesome..










Or get what you want new:










I prefer era correct.....


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## Rumpfy (Dec 21, 2003)

The FFB Timbuk II's I bought have been great. Soft and held up as good as any other new/modern tire on the market.

I took the GCs from the middle of the top pic...and after three spirited rides...


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## girlonbike (Apr 24, 2008)

Rumpfy said:


> I took the GCs from the middle of the top pic...and after three spirited rides... *


*disclaimer: I like to do long skids. :thumbsup:


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## dirtdrop (Dec 29, 2003)

First Flight or you go hunting...


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## unicrown junkie (Nov 12, 2009)

girlonbike said:


> *disclaimer: I like to do long skids. :thumbsup:


 I see a original fat Crossroads in that box, but still no Tri-Cross! Sigh....awesome pic. btw.


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## Fillet-brazed (Jan 13, 2004)

unicrown junkie said:


> I see a original fat Crossroads in that box, but still no Tri-Cross! Sigh....awesome pic. btw.


Tri Cross have proven to be very tough to find. I've only found a couple in decent shape in the last decade.

Hunting for the real deal is like elk hunting with a bow for your meat. FFB is like going to the meat dept at your local grocery store.


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## unicrown junkie (Nov 12, 2009)

Uhhh, the last reply I did for some reason came out wrong. Hit the "quote" button on *dirtdrop* great photo of old vintage tires, then got *girlonbike*'s post instead.

Apologies to all.


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## Benster (Mar 16, 2006)

I don't know if Sky of Velocult is actively trying to offload his NOS tires, but I purchased two sets from him before his move to Portland. Worth a call perhaps?

NOS Timbuk II's and NOS Ritchey Force

No, they weren't cheap either.

Benster


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## First Flight (Jan 25, 2004)

Tires do grow on trees:thumbsup:


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## doc Zox (Sep 16, 2010)

Continental Grand Canyons were on my Grove on day 1


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## Shogun700 (Jun 15, 2009)

I was looking for fat cruiser tires, and came across these 26x2.2 Halo Twin Rails. They are available in a wide range of colors, the skinwalls mostly are sold in the UK but they can be had in the US as well.


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## 83stumpjumper (Feb 14, 2011)

Hey Dirtdrop,I think I spotted at least one Specialized Crossroads tire in the boxes photo. I need a pair! Are those tires in the photo available?


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## unicrown junkie (Nov 12, 2009)

OK, just pulled the oldies out of the rafters. BTW, count me in for a Crossroads if its for sale, I need it to complete my collection!:thumbsup:


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## 83stumpjumper (Feb 14, 2011)

Hey, I called it on the Crossroads first! I need a pair. If it's just one, than U J can have it for his collection. I'm looking for a set to put on my 1985 Stumpjumper.


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## girlonbike (Apr 24, 2008)

This is not a what tire do I need thread.


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## Drummerboy1975 (Nov 24, 2011)

girlonbike said:


> This is not a what tire do I need thread.


Haha, no, but I wish it was.

Soon, I hope.


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## 83stumpjumper (Feb 14, 2011)

Ok then, I'll be more than happy to get the tires as a gift.


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## unicrown junkie (Nov 12, 2009)

I apologize, I was just messing around. I actually don't need it. I finally got off my butt and wanted to show off my Tri-Cross! The dang thing sucked back in '85, but sure looked cool. The thread I liked a while back was talking about sidewall restoration, my two Tri-Cross's aren't able to take much actual riding, otherwise I would have snapped pics of it mounted.


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## girlonbike (Apr 24, 2008)

You guys are crackin' me up.


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## -Anomie- (Jan 16, 2005)

Back to the original question. I use NOS or at least period correct tires for show and tell purposes, but modern (or at least less valuable old) tires for riding. It depends though, I have a set of the original Timbuk II tires (pink label) on my clunker and they're holding up fine, and I have some less desirable yellow label Specialized tires (Hard Pack I think, not GC's anyway) that I use for riding too.


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## Drummerboy1975 (Nov 24, 2011)

So I guess you guys and gals are finding them on old bikes your buying?


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## mainlyfats (Oct 1, 2005)

-Anomie- said:


> Back to the original question. I use NOS or at least period correct tires for show and tell purposes, but modern (or at least less valuable old) tires for riding. It depends though, I have a set of the original Timbuk II tires (pink label) on my clunker and they're holding up fine, and I have some less desirable yellow label Specialized tires (Hard Pack I think, not GC's anyway) that I use for riding too.


I waited almost a year for the NOS WCS Z-Maxes I put on my Fat restoration to come up on ebay. I would have been happy with Ground Control S' as well, but after a year... They were about $100 each and came from Italy.

As far as Canadian retail prices go - that means that the person who sold them made about a dollar a year - less inflation - so I had no issue with them price-wise.

There was a guy selling skinwall Speedmaxes on ebay a couple of years ago and I bought two sets for cruising around on at about $25 a tire. I have a set of FF Ritchey Repops as well that I'd probably use were I to actually ride the Fat offroad.

They come up. Patience is good.


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## -Anomie- (Jan 16, 2005)

There are some Speedmax tires on Ebay right now (I think it's safe to out something like that, but G.o.B. will delete this if not) and you can find a other skinwall tires on Ebay or Craigslist if you look. Prices are all over the map, but you get what you pay for (usually).


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## mtnbeer (Jul 2, 2007)

Is there any interest In Tioga Psychos K? I have a bike with Skinwall Pyscho K s on it. I was going to put some Blackwall tires on it to sell the bike.
Most people think Skinwalls looks strange.


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## CCMDoc (Jan 21, 2010)

Rumpfy said:


> I took the GCs from the middle of the top pic...and after three spirited rides...


Rumpfy ...

Increasing the value of all things VRC by systematically depleting the remaining stores ... 

At least he seems to behaving fun in the process :thumbsup:


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## y0chang (Oct 10, 2012)

I decided on panaracer fire xc pros for my kona. Although its hard to find the black on black ones, I had to get the heavier wire rimmed ones.


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## iamkeith (Feb 5, 2010)

*Sidewall preservatives?*

Since this thread is active, it might be a good place to ask a question that's been on my mind: *What's a good preservative for skinwall/gumwall/amberwall tires?* I think that maybe one time in my entire life have I ever worn the tread off of such a tire before the sidewall dry-rotted out.

So I was initially glad when everything went blackwall, but now I'm feeling nostalgic and vain and wanting the classier appearance of tan sidewalls again. And we're getting the options again, too. In fact, I'm just about to pull the trigger on some Rock 'n Road and Splashback tires, and have some Rolly Pollys on my road bike already. But I'd sure like them to last more than two years.

I seem to remember bike shops carrying preservatives in the '70s, but I can't even find a reference to them anymore on the internet - let alone in bike shops staffed by 20-somethings. Was this my imagination? If it wasn't, then what was in that stuff and how well did it work? I've heard that armour-all is a terrible solution, and I assume that many products could cause a conflict with rim brakes, so I don't want to just "experiment."

Any other suggestions or tricks or expreiences to share? Good or bad?

I live in an extremely arid area, so that might be part of my problem. I do a better job of keeping my bikes out of the sun now that I have a garage, but I don't think that alone will do the trick. I've heard that actually riding them helps (that idle tires tend to rot the fastest) but, like many of you, I own a few bikes these days, so any given set of tires gets less use than it otherwise might.

Thanks for any info


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