ButchA

You all know the story of my '85 Fuji Del Rey from that Craigslist ad, where the college kid had the LBS put on Kenda K161 'cross tires on it, so he could ride all around downtown on cobblestone side streets and so on. No big deal... They work fine for that purpose. But for me, I don't ever intend on going off road, and the knobby tires just slowed me down.

I decided to go real cheap - REAL cheap, for now... I ordered the same brand Kenda and got the standard, everyday, K35 27" x 1 1/4 gumwall tire from Niagara Cycle for something like $9.99 each. I really liked Panaracer Pasela and heard so many good things about them, but I also heard that they could be a real <censored> to mount on a rim, compared to the Kenda tires.

Anyway, below is a quick photo I just took of my old Fuji with the new Kenda K35 tires all mounted. (At first, I carefully inflated them to 70 lbs, let them sit for an hour, went back and they both were still at 70, so I just upped them to 80 and went for a test ride). Wow are they fast compared to that knobby K161 'cross tire! I'll keep these for quite a while and in the future, I'll switch over to the Panaracer Pasela.

In the meantime, I don't know if I should try selling the used Kenda K161 'cross tires or keep them for spares...

Wanderer

Knobbies will be better for winter use.....

Ex Pres 

Keep them for entering your first cross race with this bike - the cross season's only a month or so away

ButchA

Good point. You just never know... One day I might decide to try one of those gravel "rail trails". The K161 'cross tires would be right at home and would eat that stuff up!

eschlwc

generally speaking, you shouldn't choose tires for their reputation of mounting ease.

i'll make one exception for ambrosio extra elite rims, on which mountng any tire is rather difficult and will usually require a dedicated mounting tool.

i'll also say that pasela's folding tire has been more difficult to mount than their more common wire beaded tires.

i will usually use a plastic pedro lever to aid in mounting a difficult tire. if i'm not real careful, i can pinch the tube when doing so. a little baby powder helps a lot.

10 Wheels

You did Good..

The Golden Boy 

I'll heartily agree.

I haven't done Pasela folding tires, but I found the Panasonic made "Sand Canyon" folding tires a bit trickier than regular wire beaded Paselas.

I've got Paselas on most everything. When you get some decent tires on your Fuji, you'll wonder why you waited so long, and toss the other tires- and you will never again want to ride on those things.

cycleheimer

Keep the Kendas for awhile, but not too long...the gum walls start to dry out after awhile. Store them in a cool place, not an attic or storage shed where temps can get pretty high. If you get another bike, they may come in handy.

Henry III

Now you need to build something around these tires! I had to do a double take because a friend of mine was selling a Del Ray exactly like yours with knobbie 27" tires but he was in the Twin Cities. I thought it looked really cool with the meatier rubber.

oddjob2

Panaracer PT or TG wire beads are EZ peasy to mount. Vittorio Zaffiros are the only tire that give me fits to mount.

icepick_trotsky 

I'd definitely keep them around for winter. Kendas are just about the only 27" knobby tires available. I rode a pair in the slush and ice all last winter. They performed admirably for their price point.

ButchA

Thank you.. $9.99 a piece, $9.50 for UPS shipping, and they were delivered to my house about a week later. Great tire, very VERY cheap, and a snap to install. The K161's were also easy to remove with two plastic tire levers.

I heard about gumwalls dry rotting over the years (sometimes months!). Hopefully that won't happen to me. I want to keep my '85 Fuji all intact and classic looking, just like a photo from a 1985 Fuji catalog. It reminds me so much of my old Raleigh (also from back in the early 80's) that I plan on keeping the Fuji for a long time.

mstateglfr 

Pasela tires have gone on quickly each time I've mounted them on a variety of 27" rims.

Like others have said- keep those knobbies and use em later.

Chriskey2015

I believe. that's wonderful.

jimmuller 

Of course difficulty with mounting depends on both the tire and the rim. Try mounting Veloflex or Vittoria 23mm tires on Torelli Master rims. Paselas are easy!

However there is one indispensable tool for any tough tire. A tire jack. I forget who made the original, but KoolStop puts their name on it now.

pastorbobnlnh 

...but not on ice.
Knobbies are not needed on such a trail. I ride smooth 25-32mm wide tires on our packed gravel trail all the time. No issues. Be bold! Go wild! Where no one has ridden before! (channeling my inner Star Trek geekiness)
As mentioned by @cycleheimer it is all about where you store your bike or spare tires. Also keep them out of the sunlight (except when riding) and away from ozone sources (such as electrical motors). I've had some gumwalls which were properly stored last 35 years and they are still ride-able!
Hmmmmm! Do you believe in knobbies? Gumwalls? Dry rot? Easy mounting? Difficult mounting? Or something else? That would be wonderful to know!

eschlwc

yo, ho.

tell us again what tires you're mounting on low-, mid-, and higher-end flips.

i remember you're putting paselas on your mid-level bikes, right?

oddjob2

These are the common tires I seem to reorder.

Mixtes with 27" tires - it's all about the whitewalls
Sunlite Road Raised Center Tire - 27 x 1-1/4, Black/White

Bikes under $200 - 27"
Kenda K35 27 x 1-1/4 Skinwall Tire
Kenda 27 X 1-1/8 Sw Hp-90Psi Road K36

700c
Kenda 700X28 Kwest Blk/Bskn K193, Black With Black Skinwall

700c - hybrids
Kenda Kross Plus K847 700 x 38c Black/Tan Steel


Bikes under $300 - 27"

Vittoria Zaffiro 27 x 1-1/4

Michelin World Tour 27x1-1/4 Tire Black/Tan Steel Bead

700c
Michelin Dynamic Classic Tire Wire 700 x 28c Wire Black

Continental Ultra Sport II Tire 700x28 Black Steel Bead

Vittoria Zaffiro 700 x 25c

Bikes over $300 - 27"
Panaracer Pasela 27 x 1-1/4 Black/Tan Steel

700c
Continental Ultra Sport II Tire 700x28 Black Steel Bead

Panaracer Pasela Bicycle Tire, 700 x 28 Wire Bead, Brown Skin Wall

Vittoria Zaffiro 700 x 25c


700c Mixtes - all get the same tire
Michelin Dynamic Sport 700x28 Black/White Steel

eschlwc

^ thanks, oj.

you seem to have figured out an important mixte flippin' secret.

The Golden Boy 

The true secret is the blue bar tape..

oddjob2

Not on mixtes!

However, the blue bar tape is a chick magnet.
That shade of blue is so hot, I wonder how my Prelude, just bought down here in Palm Beach County, will rate as a chick magnet? Obviously shown below before makeover.