Originally Posted by
Salamandrine
That's quite a time capsule. I haven't seen one that mint since they were making them new. Was this stored in a freezer?
Those Del Mondo's look mint. Normally I wouldn't ride vintage tires, but silk tends to hold up and those look well preserved, at least enough to try them out around the block. Do they still hold air? Might need to be re-tubed.
If you want to build a set of new wheels, I'd suggest sticking with sew ups, but something with ferrules at a reasonable training weight. For example Mavic Championnat du Monde. You'll never get the full experience with clinchers IMHO.
I concur on losing the tire savers and reflector. Also, the rear wheel is all the way forward. It's a bit extreme. I'd adjust the adjusters to place the axle more in the middle of the dropout.
Yes, the old Clement tires still hold air. I pumped them up to 70 psi and they were still at 50 psi 24 hours later. Latex tubes? I don’t see any signs of cracking or crumbly rot and they have still lots of tread. I don’t plan on riding them much but I do want to know what they’re like on a tiny circuit “around the block.”
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