High Milage

 Several years ago, I thought I would need new bike tires. In particular, the front tire looked a little cracked.

I had inherited them from a bike I bought from Packrat and parted out. They replaced the (then beloved) velociraptors that I spent many happy hours grinding through the Socorro single track on. They were reduced to rubber straps filled with goat heads.

 I miss Socorro.

Those tires are an awkward mismatch that make cornering a little funny (the rear tire has lugs that make it very wide, so the front of the bike climbs into curves). For a while, I worried about various performance aspects of these tires on pavement. Sheldon Brown ha(s/d) deep discussions about this, but I think they are targeted at bicycles with thinner tires and different rider geometries. After various turning and breaking tests, I concluded that the performance envelope of a mountain bike is such that there is virtually no situation on pavement and packed dirt where the tires will be the overriding factor in emergency response, unless, of course, they have no air.

Last year I suffered a rash of flat tires, and the cracks grew more obvious. I was certain I would need to replace the tires to make the bike reliable again. But then I found the tire liner was pinching the tube, causing holes. I rolled for the rest of the summer with few issues.

I have concluded I will simply ride, and wait no more.