jyl

I replaced the old Gommitalia tubular tires on my Raleigh Team Pro with Tufo S3 Lites, chosen because they are light (<215 g) and were >50% off (and thus less than half the price of tanwall Veloflex). But the Tufos are blackwall. As I feared, it doesn't look right. The bike wants tan/gumwall tires.

Has anyone ever used something to "paint" the sidewall of a blackwall tire to simulate a gumwall? What would you use? Or would you just slap yourself hard and go deal with something that actually matters?

oddjob2

I think you answered your own question!

rootboy 

I think you're barking up the wrong tree and should slap yourself but…it is an intriguing idea. I don't think it'll work though. Black is a tough color to cover with a lighter one. I've used Winsor & Newton Permanent masking fluid to cover over obnoxious tire labels, but tinted black to work on blackwall tires. It seems durable and flexible but, not as durable as sidewall rubber.

I think you should just embrace the blackness. I know some hate them, but I like all black tires. On some bikes.

Velocivixen

I consider myself very creative. I've wracked my brain, and even I can't think of anything. Given that there's no changing it without replacing the tire, may I suggest that you divest yourself of all stress and embrace the "alternate" look that these tires lends to your bike (this is Portland, after all).

rootboy 

Or…
Three 3 Gommitalia Champion Training Tubular Tires | eBay

rootboy 

Some consider them "alternate", Velovixen. But I consider them de rigueur.

thinktubes 

kc0yef 

Well there are plenty of tubulars on ebay just depends how much you want to spend is $125 too much OR is adding the extra weight of the paint going to slow you down? lol

The Golden Boy 

Rebel.\

Velocivixen

@rootboy - your bikes are gorgeous - tires & all! Your orange bike, in particular, really catches the eye. I do sometimes find gum wall/tan walled tires distracting vs simple black. I meant "alternate" for the original poster's apparent desire for tan wall.

rootboy 

I know. Just havin' some fun.
And thanks.

RobbieTunes

Don't do any slapping....unless there's a politician around.

I would be interested in those, if you find replacements. Tufo makes some with a caramel-colored gumwall. I happen to like the S3 Lites, have a set stretching as we speak.

I don't even know what de rigor means.

big chainring 

What is Liquitex raw sienna and a camel hair brush.

I'll continue with "totally tubular" for $100 Alex.

RobbieTunes

Gumwall.



Gumwall.


Blackwall.


Sort of depends on the whether.....you do or don't.

repechage

I really like the styling of this bike, the fork rake is uncommon and handsome. Good color and pairs well with chrome.

Velocivixen

I have 26 x 2.2 tan walled tires on my Sekai & I know someone with solid black tires in the same size on a vintage mtb. My tires look smaller in comparison. On one hand I think that lighter sidewalls visually "lighten" a bike up, however sometimes I think the solid black tire puts the visual focus on the frame of the bike depending on the color of the bike. So I guess, for me, just depends.

Velocivixen

@RobbieTunes - I believe that "de rigor" means "par for the course".

jyl

It's an originality thing. All the photos I've seen of Team Pros as raced by the Raleigh team back in the day showed gumwalls. I assume that's all there was in the mid 70s for tubulars?

Well, I wanted to save some money and some grams, so now I have to live with the shame. Little children point and cry as I ride by. Their parents cover wee eyes and hurry away from The Debased One.

No time to switch out tires, we are leaving tomorrow for Cycle Oregon Weekend. My son has proper gum walls on his Gran Sport. At least I'm trying to do right by my child.

jyl

Oh, another thing - these Tufos have long valve bodies, presumably for the aero carbon rims they are meant to be paired with, and that looks stupid with my bike's box section rims. I'm having a Bad Hair Day.

Revracer

I love long stems with box rims...creates an illusion of racing retro. Modern tubes on an old steed. FWIW, the bike will ride fine with either, but my bikes with blackwalls are faster, never mind they are 4lbs lighter than the vintage bikes that I put gum (err, Conti-Classics) non blackwalls on.

autoteacher

Wear your helmet first.

Wogster

I think originally, gumwalls were made, not by painting, but by making the tire carcass out of natural rubber, without carbon black in it, then adding the tread layer, with the black, during pressing. Car whitewalls are made by adding a strip of white rubber on the sides during manufacture. If you look at old tires, the inside is a tan colour, while newer tires are black throughout. Of course it's much cheaper to manufacture an all-black tire, which is why they are that way now. No paint will stick for very long, and few white/gum wall tires don't look dirty quickly, which is why it fell out of fashion.

ohh

I feel your pain. I've got a '73 Schwinn which originally had gumwalls, now has all-black tires, and the change still looks wrong to me a year later. I tried Kenda's S-6 gumwalls as a replacement, which didn't look good because their gumwall-to-black transition line was never consistent, and also tried Ranger tire paint (Ranger Tire Paint ? Ranger Tire Paint), which looked beautiful for about a mile or so before it began flaking off. Still looking for an alternative. It's surprising how much of a difference it makes, especially for something which doesn't really make any difference at all.

rootboy 

Actually, it means "required if you want to be in fashion", according to Websters.
But again, I was being tongue-in-cheek. Black sidewalls aren't really in fashion for C&V
bikes. I do it because I like the way it looks on certain bikes.

Velognome 

Poppycock!