Dugast tires

[dbrk]

The thread about Veloflex and Gommitalias had me looking at all the Dugast tires for sale at momovelo. Andre Dugast's cross tires have been the subject of conversation in those circles as the Last Word, All That, Beyond the Beyond (parapara, in case you wanted the Sanskrit) but I was wondering if any of you sew-up types have used any of the road tires. momovelo seems to have the lot of them. They sure _look_ cool and have that bespoken quality that makes you gasp when things are done right.

I've more or less given up on tubulars because I spent my youth gluing tires (shop rat chore) and hate it, and when one flats and it's basically brand new then you have an $80 piece of rubber that requires surgery. I am too cheap in some ways to deal with this and too lazy in others. I confess that these Dugast tires have my eye. Anyone tried these? You have to love your tubulars to spend $200 plus on a pair, at least imho.

dbrk

[jerk]

the jerk thinks, ne knows dugasts are the best. perfect in every way. just make sure the place you get them from accepts returns because dugast tires do occassiionally arrive dry-rotted due to the way in which the importer seems to fold them up and store them under less than ideal conditions. silk and cotton tubulars should really never be folded and kept in plastic which is how euro-asia keeps them. if the dugasts are relativly new in the country, no problem. if they've been sitting in a musty basement for months all folded up....you could have issues.
the jerk


(dbrk-andre dugast also makes very special and very rare 650b tubulars. but you already know this i'm sure.)

[dbrk]

I have never actually held a 650B Dugast tubular in my hands but I have seen them in pictures and heard about them from fellow Confreire members in France. Just as rare as these Dugast tubulars are 650B tubular rims! Now if I could find those I'd go looking for the tires: they are fatboys, about 32c and the ride would be past sublime.

dbrk
never failed to be impressed with the jerk's breadth of knowledge and experience...i mean, dugast 650Bs? who knows about _those_? you gotta be waaaay out there...

[Kevin]

I have never heard of Dugast tires. Do they have a website?

[dbrk]

As senor jerk properly notes, Andre Dugast's handmade like-none-other tires are imported by Euro-Asia, who also brings us Nagasawa from Japan, btw. You cannot deal with Euro-Asia directly but here is the contact info: Euro-Asia Imports 3935 Foothill Blvd., Suite A La Crescenta, CA 91214 Tel: 818-248-1814/Fax: 818-248-1243. Most bike shops will order from them. Also, momovelo.com has the best pictures of the Dugast tires I have seen. Durance Cycles in Idaho sells the cross tires (the owner is nuts about them). To learn more about them including a nice letter from Andre look here:
http://users.tpg.com.au/ricknt/Dugasttyres.htm
Other bike shops carry them including Schwab Cycles and the crossworld.com folks.
I am intrigued but still not quite willing to reach for the glue again....

dbrk

[Kevin]

Thanks for the contact info. It never ceases to amaze me how many high quality shops are there that many people have never heard of.