Gumwalls: Love em or Leave Em?

[weisan]

I pretty much buy whatever that's on sale and if they come in tan, so be it, I will accept em' grudgingly instead of returning for a refund.

[Jmj2323]

Gumwalls on a Merckx Team SC and HED Belgiums pull it off.....

[bicycletricycle]

I like them clean but I make them too dirty. I sometimes use them on a nice weather only type bike. One rain ride and they are a mess

[Mike Bryant]

I liked the brown sidewalls of the old Continental Gran Prix and the threads that came (off) with them. Put them on, wash along with bike, and let them stain naturally with the rear tire always getting darker than the front. Size 23 of course. If you’re an old fart like me you’ll remember. Like 20+ years ago.
It was more about did they ride well and last long than how they looked.


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[Mzilliox]

https://forums.thepaceline.net/showthread.php?t=204431

[Morgul Bismark]

All my bikes have tan wall tires of some sort - including the Kirk posted earlier in this thread

Sometimes though I contemplate going black again just for the ease of care and consistent appearance in the longer term.

[rwsaunders]

Blackwalls when she was first built and now wearing tan walls for the last 10,000 miles. I might try the black version (Raven) of the Vlaanderen if I can find them reasonably priced. Until then, this is what the doctor ordered.

[madsciencenow]

Originally Posted by berserk87

I don't hate gumwalls, but I certainly don't get the appeal of them.

I've never cared how my tires look.

...or your bike


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[retrofit]

Black walls/rims/spokes when sporting modern Campy.
Tan walls/silver rims & spokes when switched to vintage Campy:

[93KgBike]

I enjoy the photos of the bikes in both colors of shoe.

In the end, this question brings me back to another question: do I have the optimum number of tires/wheelsets for my n+1?

[mistermo]

Gumwalls!

[Mark McM]

When I started cycling, high performance clincher tires were only just starting to be developed. Back then, a "gumwall" tire meant a tire with a thick natural latex layer molded over the sidewalls (i.e., the sidewalls had a layer of gum rubber). These were the kind of tires found on balloon bikes and cruiser bikes (also found on the Schwinn Varsity, "The world's heaviest 'lightweight' bicycle"). The extra layer of rubber over the sidewalls made the tires tougher, but gave them a less compliant ride (which was mitigated by the fact that most gumwall tires were 1 1/4" wide and wider).

When high performance clincher tires were developed, they had "skinwalls". These tires didn't have an extra layer of rubber of rubber over the sidewall, and the casing had only enough latex mixed in to bind the casing threads together. Unlike gumwalls, you could actually see the casing threads on skinwalls (i.e, these tires had just a thin "skin" of latex on the threads). (Tubulars generally weren't referred to as "gumwalls" or "skinwalls", as nearly all tubulars didn't have an extra layer of latex bonded to the sidewall).

The tires being referred to in this thread as "gumwalls" would been referred to as "skinwalls" back in the '70s and '80s, and even into the '90s.

[MURDERF4CE]

Love me some gumwalls.

[Jmj2323]

Ok, new Panaracers Race D with gumwalls have potential to be my next everyday tire. Just saw them in an email from Excel Sports. They are a little darker so maybe easier to stay clean. I have had good luck with the Race A.

[AllanVarcoe]

Tan/gum walls and big cassettes. Me gusta!

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