The Look: Skinwall v. Blackwall
#27
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This bike would be so different with blackwalls, I'd weep to imagine. Wheels by @speedevil.
That bike does look really good with the gumwall tires - all black, not so much.
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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
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
#29
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This bike would be so different with blackwalls, I'd weep to imagine. Wheels by @speedevil.
-Kurt
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#32
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I can't help you there. No skinwalls for me.
#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.
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.
#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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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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#38
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Skinwalls.
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"But hey, always love to hear from opinionated amateurs." -says some guy to Mr. Marshall.
#40
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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
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
Last edited by cudak888; 12-27-18 at 10:15 PM.
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Black.
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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
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
Last edited by cudak888; 12-27-18 at 10:54 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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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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#46
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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
-Kurt
#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
* 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
#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
Electra Ticino "Sheriff Star" 8+spd shipmano hubs wif Electra rims
Campagnolo 8spd hubs Mavic GP Rims
Electra Ticino "Sheriff Star" 8+spd shipmano hubs wif Electra rims
Campagnolo 8spd hubs Mavic GP Rims
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“One morning you wake up, the girl is gone, the bikes are gone, all that's left behind is a pair of old tires and a tube of tubular glue, all squeezed out"
Sugar "Kane" Kowalczyk
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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
IMG_0008 by mark westi, on Flickr
Last edited by markwesti; 12-29-18 at 12:15 PM.