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The Look: Skinwall v. Blackwall

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The Look: Skinwall v. Blackwall

Old 12-27-18, 10:45 AM
  #26  
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This bike would be so different with blackwalls, I'd weep to imagine. Wheels by @speedevil.
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Old 12-27-18, 10:52 AM
  #27  
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Originally Posted by RobbieTunes
This bike would be so different with blackwalls, I'd weep to imagine. Wheels by @speedevil.
I've heard he's kind of cantankerous sometimes - someone has talked him into trying DA components (@RobbieTunes) when he's been a Campy guy for a long time. Oh, the conflict. Good side vs the dark side, maybe?

That bike does look really good with the gumwall tires - all black, not so much.
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Old 12-27-18, 11:05 AM
  #28  
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When I set up my CSI, I looked for the best tire at the lowest price.

These Corsas were $26 per tire on closeout.

I don't really dig the green, but the tires have been outstanding.


Fun CSI! by gomango1849, on Flickr

I'll probably switch to a similar Corsa my wife uses on her De Rosa.

They look pretty decent and they really perform for her.


Sunday ride! by gomango1849, on Flickr
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Old 12-27-18, 11:22 AM
  #29  
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Originally Posted by RobbieTunes
This bike would be so different with blackwalls, I'd weep to imagine. Wheels by @speedevil.
Skinwalls on dark-anodized medium V's...polarizing look, for sure. Makes me think retro-futurism more than current modern trends or C&V though (e.g., the '79-91 Star Trek films).

-Kurt
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Old 12-27-18, 12:17 PM
  #30  
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Originally Posted by Cougrrcj
That's one of the reasons I went with GRAY sidewalls on my '86 Miyata 710





.
Ooooh la la, that is pretty!
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Old 12-27-18, 01:53 PM
  #31  
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Originally Posted by cudak888
Skinwalls on dark-anodized medium V's...polarizing look, for sure. Makes me think retro-futurism more than current modern trends or C&V though (e.g., the '79-91 Star Trek films).

-Kurt
Yep. The rims are Matrix ISO-CII's. To satisfy the science officer.

Also. Loses some effect with silver rims.

Last edited by RobbieTunes; 12-27-18 at 05:59 PM.
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Old 12-27-18, 04:03 PM
  #32  
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Originally Posted by Fahrenheit531
Was hoping to see other bikes that had sported both sorts of tires, but were otherwise basically unchanged. Are there no other pics? Maybe should've started the title with "Post Your..."
I can't help you there. No skinwalls for me.
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Old 12-27-18, 05:59 PM
  #33  
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I used black tires for some years when it was difficult to get quality tan/skin wall tires. I never liked it.







This one was bought with black tires (and mismatched rims).




10 years ago I did not consider this bike vintage. Used it around town. Much has happened in these years.




This one though has gone in the other direction as I could not find good enough tan wall touring tires. It used to have Panaracer but today it has Schwalbe black tires. If you know about a serious touring tires with tan wall - please let me know.


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Old 12-27-18, 07:04 PM
  #34  
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One of each ... after a cut in the front Pasela, I mounted an old Schwalbe Marathon.

Black Gatorskins (I like how the tire logos nearly match the frame color).

Black with reflective side stripe (as bought).

Skinwall Paselas.

Last edited by Slightspeed; 12-27-18 at 07:22 PM.
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Old 12-27-18, 07:18 PM
  #35  
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Kind of an unfair comparison since I swapped the handlebars, tap, and saddle

I think your Volare looks much better with the skinwalls. It does look lighter and my eyes notice the chrome more with skinwalls on.
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Old 12-27-18, 07:48 PM
  #36  
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Originally Posted by RobbieTunes
Yep. The rims are Matrix ISO-CII's. To satisfy the science officer.

Also. Loses some effect with silver rims.
I'm sure you're always trying to satisfy the science officer, Robbie.

-Kurt
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Old 12-27-18, 08:54 PM
  #37  
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On certain bikes skin walls look right ..

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Old 12-27-18, 09:18 PM
  #38  
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Skinwalls.

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Old 12-27-18, 09:18 PM
  #39  
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When you ride in the rain there is only one choice, black.
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Old 12-27-18, 10:01 PM
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Forgot to mention: Here is a similar '84 Raleigh USA Competition as Robbie's, also set up with skinwalls, but with the factory silver Araya medium-dish V rims:



And from 10 years before, a '74 Competition kitted out all in black, with hard-anodized Mavics, black Bluemels, and modern black slicks. The color palette and choice of components - as a whole - still pull off a C&V look. In fact, I'd go so far as to say that it is a loose interpretation of retro backdating, as it looks older than it is at first glance:



Can I also play contrarian? Greywall. Or rather, grey everything.



Same '84 Super Course, but with minimalist skinwalls on the same Mavic SUPs:



If anything, the moral of this story is that there's no one-size-fits-all answer. Even with personal preference aside, the color scheme and overall components of a given bike can recommend multiple different "looks" depending on what you wish to achieve.

-Kurt
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Last edited by cudak888; 12-27-18 at 10:15 PM.
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Old 12-27-18, 10:01 PM
  #41  
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Black.

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Old 12-27-18, 10:38 PM
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Addendum: Apparently, C&V must have had this same conversation back in 2009, because I found this very black Bontrager on a very white rim, on a very 1961 Paramoung in my photo archives. Looks like I was trying to piss everyone off during the Dawn of the Deep V era.



Somewhere, I have an equally revolting picture of some carbon-spoked deal in the back of the same bike...but we were talking about tires, right?

EDIT: Found the pic. It has a skinwall on it. Too bad I didn't have the Deep V available for the pic




-Kurt
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Last edited by cudak888; 12-27-18 at 10:54 PM.
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Old 12-27-18, 10:39 PM
  #43  
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Anyone know about what year the gumwalls appeared? Blackwalls would be appropriate on say pre 1960 bikes? I have a couple 1950s Hercules that I want to find tires for that look the most period correct.
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Old 12-27-18, 10:47 PM
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Originally Posted by 56ford
Anyone know about what year the gumwalls appeared? Blackwalls would be appropriate on say pre 1960 bikes? I have a couple 1950s Hercules that I want to find tires for that look the most period correct.
Gumwalls or skinwalls? Gumwalls are present in the 1962 Raleigh catalog and probably date back a bit more than that. Pretty sure the idea of making high-thread count clinchers with really thin skinwall sides didn't come out until the late-1960s (perhaps in response to tubulars? But what do I know?).

-Kurt
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Old 12-27-18, 11:02 PM
  #45  
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I prefer skinwalls on most bikes. That said, my last two rides were on bikes that are half-sister (customs, same builder, very different bikes). One had G+ black, the other a G+ skinwall in front and a black Open Pave in back. And you know what? Both rides were sublime and I never noted the tires beyond them feeling right and all I saw was black (the tread).

Ben
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Old 12-28-18, 09:40 AM
  #46  
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Originally Posted by cudak888
Gumwalls or skinwalls? Gumwalls are present in the 1962 Raleigh catalog and probably date back a bit more than that. Pretty sure the idea of making high-thread count clinchers with really thin skinwall sides didn't come out until the late-1960s (perhaps in response to tubulars? But what do I know?).

-Kurt
Thanks for that information. I was curious about both gumwall and skinwall. I was thinking skinwalls were about that time.
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Old 12-28-18, 12:40 PM
  #47  
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I've got:
* brown-wall Conti GP4000s on a Colnago Competition (yellow & blue)
* tan-wall Michelin Dynamic Classics on Bianchi Sprint 76 (celeste)
* black-wall Michelin Lithion 2.0s on a Bianchi MegaTube (celeste)
* red-wall Michelin Pro 3 Race on a Bianchi M Alloy Pro (celeste & yellow)
* black-wall Conti GatorSkins on a Litespeed Catalyst (titanium)

... and "it all depends". I think the MegaTube would look stupid with tan or skin wall tyres. The Colnago (and it's flashy frame and chrome lugs) would probably look better with black wall tyres. The Bianchi Sprint 76 would look odd with anything /but/ tan or skin wall tyres. Funnily enough, the Bianchi M Alloy Pro's celeste/yellow (like Pantani) is such a ridiculous colour combination that just about anything would work - pink, yellow, blue, grey, red... or tan or black, it wouldn't matter.

Great thread. One thing it has reinforced is my distaste for black handlebar tape. It doesn't /always/ look bad, but it does look bad most of the time. Kinda like black cranksets
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Old 12-29-18, 06:16 AM
  #48  
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​​I've never been a huge fan of black or dark sidewall tires and frankly I'd rather have silver rims over dark anodized




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Old 12-29-18, 12:08 PM
  #49  
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Here is something a little different to look at , Although I prefer tan walls on most C&V bikes , I think some need the black wall treatment , here I like the contrast black , silver , black . And annoying ORANGE !

















































































































IMG_0008 by mark westi, on Flickr

Last edited by markwesti; 12-29-18 at 12:15 PM.
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Old 12-29-18, 04:06 PM
  #50  
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Retro skins are seen in the pro peloton. Must be some secret sauce in them or something.
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