Classic & Vintage - 700 c Foldable, Skinwall Tires Needed

I am in need of a pair of tires. The rims are 700c Mavic MA2 clinchers. I usually run a 25 mm width in the front. I always run a slightly wider, 28 mm, tire in the rear as I am over 200 lb. Without this extra width, I find get a ridiculous number of flats. I did some searching on this site and on the internet but came up with nothing useful. I found a bunch of tires but finding the wider (~30 mm) rear seems to be a problem.

I want a skinwall design with the natural, tan colored sidewalls. I like little or no tread. I want a "high performance" tire.

I probably don't want a gumwall, as these are usually just "clunky" tires. I do not want a cheap tire with thick rubber sidewalls and a substanial tread.

I want these because they are what I always use to have, not because they are better. In fact, they are probably worse. I have always found the natural colored rubber (latex) to deteriorate very rapidly in the sun, air polution and salt spray.

If the tire was foldable, that would be great. I like to keep a spare tire and tube with me under the seat.

What I used to use was the foldable Specialized Turbo/R in 1 1/8" width in the rear and 1" in the front.

For example, I found the Panaracer Extreme Duro. This is the type of tire I'd like but it does not come wider than 25 mm which I am sure will leave me with lots of flats.

Yep, it's a style thing. This is California, style over substance.

The Panaracer Pasela TourGard (or TG) comes in widths fromj 25 to 35. Has some tread, however. Kevlar belted, natural sidewalls. Harris has them in folding model for the 28, 32 and 35 widths. Recessionary pricing. Continental GatorSkins have less tread, but brown walls, and I don't think they're available in 32 mm width.

I liked both the Specialized Turbo and the Avocet slick tires. I wonder if Avocet will ever produce theirs again (though they had already converted to blackwall).

i recently came across a new skinwall folder from challenge called the roubaix, iirc with a claimed 27x700c sizing- thread count , compound,tread & construction nearly identical to a very high quality cotton sew-up-pricing was pretty dear, however, at around $85 per- ie- a tad high if you're only after the aesthetics

I am not surprised you didn't find anything.
1) Rivendell makes a sweet tire that is close to what you are looking for.
http://www.rivbike.com/images/products/full/0000/1495/JBpair.jpg
2) a truly sweet riding tire that will give you some flats cause it's so thin...
http://www.vintagebicyclepress.com/tireoffer.html
3) I use Panaracer Pasela TG folders in 32c but their real size is about 30 or 30c. They are a nice tire and not as expensive as the others.

Charles Wahl, thanks for the help. I've seen the Panaracer on the internet. I didn't like it very much from the images I saw. I have Conti's on it right now. I'll check out the other Conti model you mentioned.

I'd forgotten the Avocet model. I had those, too, they were also great. In fact, they were the first tire I used when I switched away from sew-ups. I keep hoping I'll open an unmarked box here in the garage and find some of these items. So far, that's been a no go.

caterham, I've never heard of those at all. I'll go check them out but $85/tire - OUCH! Sounds like sew-ups. Then again, I just paid almost $20 for a seat binder bolt. You know what they say about a fool and his money.

I screwed up and had to modify my original post. I was typing too much and not thinking. As stated at the end of the post, I run a 28 mm (1 1/8") rear tire not the 32 mm (1 1/4") stated early in post.

I still have one Specialized Turbo/R but it is 27" not 700c. <-- argh!

I'm running Conti Ultrasports right now - blackwall, with a thin tread pattern. <-- good tires but just don't look right to my eye.

I do want a "high performance" tire. I also want a certain (vintage) look.

http://www.rivbike.com/images/products/full/0000/0746/10-034-1.jpg

http://www.rivbike.com/products/list/tires_tubes_pumps_patches?page=2#product=10-043

late, that link was great! Have you ever used any of those Grand Bois tires, perhaps the Cerf, Cypres or Challenge? Geez, they even have the tubular tire tread pattern.

late, I take it back. It wasn't that that link was great. I should have said, BOTH those links are great!

In addition to your pinked page, this quote (with imbedded link) are a complete answer to my questions. Many thanks to all who replied.

"Click here (http://www.vintagebicyclepress.com/images/BQ64TireTest.pdf) to read the detailed Bicycle Quarterly test of the of wide high-performance clincher tires from Challenge, Grand Bois and Vittoria (pdf format)."

Tires are so important. Is this thread worthy of a tack?

Is there, should there be, a whole sub-forum just on tires?

late, that link was great! Have you ever used any of those Grand Bois tires, perhaps the Cerf, Cypres or Challenge? Geez, they even have the tubular tire tread pattern.

My wife uses the Grand Bois Cypress in the 650b size. However, she weighs 110 pounds, is slow, and just rides with me on the weekends... and never gets flats.
I don't know what you weigh, but the number of flats goes up fast with weight.
But the ride... it is exquisite.

I rode Roly Poly's cousin, Ruffy Tuffy, for years. and I can tell you that both are great tires. It's pretty much what you wanted.

Panaracer Pasela TourGuards are really nice and really cheap.

IRC Roadwinner Duro II's - skinwall, 700x28c, nearly no tread and non-directional, very vintageish. Only downside is that they're extremely finicky to seat.

-Kurt