Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 9,797
Likes: 1,763
From: Northern California
Bikes: Cheltenham-Pedersen racer, Boulder F/S Paris-Roubaix, Varsity racer, '52 Christophe, '62 Continental, '92 Merckx, '75 Limongi, '76 Presto, '72 Gitane SC, '71 Schwinn SS, etc.
The TourGuards are well-shielded from puncture, but don't the wider tires mop up more thorns?
None of the Paselas are gumwalls though. They are all skin-side tires, tan sidewall in this case.
"Gumwall" tires feature thick sidewall rubber which might be any color. They're not actually gum these days, it's regular rubber.
Some printed catalogs actually confuse gumwall with skinwall, but these designations actually don't refer to the color.
Thick rubber on the sidewalls adds about 100 grams and makes the sidewalls far, FAR more resistant to cuts, aging and abrasion.
I see riders who let their front wheel/tire flop against the curb when stopped along the road, and this can cause instant irreparable damage to skinside tires, especially as the very thin rubber coating has almost literally evaporated from aging.
Last edited by dddd; 05-11-12 at 12:06 PM.