Originally Posted by
arty dave
I like the Michelin world tour too, they have a nice retro tread pattern, but they seem to have disappeared in 27 x 1 1/4" (they were a bit wider which I liked a lot - probably more like 1 3/8"). Apart from 26 x 1 3/8" they're still out there in 700C, and also have whitewalls and gumwalls in this size.
It looks to me like Michelin may have replaced the World Tour with the Protek in 27x1 1/4", the World Tour disappeared from the catalogs last year in 27".
I have a sneaky suspicion that they're going to go away in the 26x1 3/8" size soon as well.
Something that's always puzzled me is how the selection of tires overseas is so much better than here in the United States.
I can understand the 590 size being more common in the UK, but considering how many bikes were built with this size, and looking at how many posts this thread alone has generated over the years, the ISO 590 size is far from dead. The same with ISO 630 or 27x1 through 1 3/8" tire sizes. Its a size that I'm told is still common in Asia and the US, its just the tire selection that's dwindling here in the states. I think part of the problem is that shipping costs now exceed the tire cost and many smaller countries don't have the imeans to manufacture or export tires in large enough numbers.