Well, naysayers be danged. With only a little elbow grease, and more than a little cursing, I was able to get this tire onto the rim. Really, it wasn't that big of a deal. I was reluctant to give them a good stretch at first as I was unsure of the strength of the rubber/glue/canvas but even with some substantial pulling, everything seemed to hold together well. I figure I'll leave the tire on the rim (unglued) for a few days to give it a really good stretch. It's a great, great bike and I'm sure that once these tires are on, I'll get countless miles out of them. Hell, the *original* Czech rubber is still perfectly rideable, despite its appearance and a few cracks. I've been zipping around town on them no problem. Maybe it's a latent American hatred of Communism that garners such negative reactions to the ol' Favorit/Barums... really I've been nothing but pleased with the quality and endurance of this 35 year old equipment. I say 'bikers of all nations, unite!'
I'll post some pictures soon just to rub it in to all of you non-believers.