thedevilisbad

Hey Guys! I just got my first road bike this summer, an old Cannondale from the 80's, but it's as good as any entry level road bike now.

Anywho, because I'm so new to things I made the mistake of tugging a bit to much when trying to inflate my tires to 110psi and pop! the Presta valve came right off and I was in need of a new tire. I figured I should just get 2 new ones instead of replacing just one.

Here's where my problem is: I had Bontrager Race X Lites (700x23) on this bike, which aren't exactly cheap tire, but I had recieved them for free with the bike. I searched bikeparts.com for new tires and soon found like a bazillion brands. What are some brands that might not be so noticed as Bontrager, and lower priced, and what are some brands to stay away from?

Do you guys have any suggestions? What should I be looking for in new tires?

hapul

Hey mate.
you might not need new tyres, you could just replace the inner tube, which sits inside the tyre and is attached to the valve. Having said that, if the tyres are from the '80s, i'd replace them as the rubber is probably old, hard, and not grippy.

in any case, head down to your local bike shop ('LBS' around here), and ask them. If you're going to do lots of riding, watch them change it and get tyre levers and either tubes or a patch kit. That way you can do it yourself next time you bugger a tube!

thedevilisbad

I think these tires are Tubular, can they still be patched? The tires aren't from the 80's luckily They were lightly used that the guy who gave me the bike threw in. If I can get it fixed, my question still applies for the future.

Thanks for the great tip! I want to get into biking more, especially since running is started to hurt the knees.

hapul

i've never owned or even ridden tubulars, so i'm not sure. you might be able to pick new ones up (I dunno how much, maybe around $80 a pair). BUT - most people only race on them, and train/commute/ride recreationally on clinchers, because they're sooo much easier to deal with when you get a flat. Sadly, you can't put clinchers on the tubular rims. So, it's your call. If the wheels are a bit old and crap, maybe look at a new cheapo clincher set. it'll probably save you paper in the long run!

clausen

If your not sure what type of tires you have, I suggest you go make friends at your LBS. They are alway good to have.