An argument against vintage tubulars:
Total lifetime miles:
3
The more I look at the tread and tube, and think about what had occurred just a minute before, I believe the casing failed due to age after passing over a small piece of gravel. It shot out from the back wheel to my right. Less than a minute later: bang! There is a small nick in the rubber in the center of the blown-out portion, just to the right of the tread's center, and - tellingly - there's also a small dent in the tube at the same location, from which the tube itself then split in three directions.
Pretty sure a modern casing wouldn't have done this over a small piece of gravel. Just ordered a pair of Challenge Stradas that are 330tpi casings and will accept up to 175psi (just in case). Too bad I won't have them in time for Thursday's Turkey Ride up South Mountain
Oh, well, I'll give the 42/26 combo a go, anyway...
DD