Originally Posted by
Bianchi84
Wider tires seem to be the train everyone is jumping on. Is there anyone out there, like me, who used to use 19c or 20c clinchers and never had a problem?
I have searched, but is anyone making a 19 or 20c skinwall-type tire anymore? I think I had Trek and Panaracers "back in the day". It seems "the man" is forcing everyone into blackwall wide tires!
I had Panaracer Technova and Technova II's on some bikes, apparently OEM.
Some of them had screened 700x19 and embossed 700x18 on the same tire.
They were very hard, and not really confidence builders, but on smooth roads, seemed fast.
Combined with lighter rims, they certainly felt light, but the wheels were going out of true frequently.
I switched to 21's and may have noticed a difference, may have not, because it didn't matter at the time.
A bike shop gave me some free 700x18 Hutchison Fusions because a customer brought them back.
At 125 psi, they were rock hard, but they gripped better than the Panaracers.
As my tire inventory built up through maintenance, building, repairs, I didn't give it much thought.
My racer friends (not me), really liked the skinnies, and 130-135 psi was normal for them.