What Pressure Am I Running? I'LL NEVER TELL!!!

As I've mentioned, I'm currently working my way through a pile of awesome bike stuff, and when last we met I was swaddled in Merino finery from Pearl Izumi:

Not only had I worn the aforementioned ensemble the very day I wrote about it, but the very next day I headed out in it again without even washing it.  (Yes, I wore different shorts and socks obviously, I'm not that disgusting.)  I did so for three (3) reasons: 1) To test the miracle properties of Merino, which supposedly doesn't retain odor; II) It was a Saturday, and when you're stepping out onto 9W on a weekend day you've got to look your best; C) I headed out really early, it was dark and I'm lazy, and that's what was sitting on top of the laundry pile.

Well, I'm pleased to report that not only did I feel relatively fresh in my unwashed attire, but if I smelled nobody said anything about it, and that includes my family who I can assure you are quite forthcoming when it comes to critiquing me.  I guess what I'm saying is, sure it's expensive, but you can amortize the expense by not washing it.

Anyway, today I figured I'd start out the week by trying out yet another decadent product, so I grabbed a pair of Donnelly LCV road bicycle racing tires in the 25mm sizeway and the tan sidewall colourwhey:

With a thread count of 240 and a price of $75 per tire these are easily more supple and more expensive than any of my bedding.  The reason that I have them is because after my last experience with the Tresca I figured I owed it to the bike to see how it felt with a really nice pair of tires, so I called in a favor.  Then, in the process of calling in said favor, it occurred to me I might as well really push it by asking for two pairs of tires so I could also try a pair on my New-To-Me Titanium Forever Bike.  Incredibly, Donnelly accommodated me, and shortly thereafter I received two (2) pairs of the LCVs, one pair in tan sidewall and one pair in black sidewall.  (I asked for one of each to be especially annoying.)

As of yet I have not gotten around to installing them on the Tresca, but this morning I put the skinwall pair on my NTMTFB and headed out for a ride:

(I figured the tan sidewalls would look better with the traditional wheels, though now I'm wondering if maybe the black would have looked better, but I don't care enough to try and see.)

As I've said repeatedly, I really love this bike.  You know all that fawning crap people write about titanium?  Well, it turns out it's true.  And yet I'd never tried the bike with a really nice set of tires on it.  When I first received it from Classic Cycles it had a pair of Mavic Scaryums with Specialized Roubaix Pro tires on it:

In my experience Specialized tires are pretty good, and these seemed nice enough, though clearly they're designed for versatility and durability as opposed to Maximum Fredness.  (I mean arguably that's a good thing, but still.)

I immediately fell in love with the bike, but because the wheels were a little persnickety I wanted something a little more traditional.  So Classic Cycles were kind enough to furnish me with these:

This pair of wheels was far more in line with my sensibilities, though the tires were unremarkable: wire bead Vittoria Rubinos.  Please do not take this as a complaint--I didn't expect Classic Cycles to include any tires at all, so I was pleasantly surprised that the wheels showed up ready to ride--but at the same time once you go that far down the lineup the tires do start to get noticeably sluggish.  Nevertheless, they were brand new tires, so I figured I might as well wear them out before buying new ones.

Alas, the difference in tire quality was noticeable enough that I'd find myself switching back and forth between these wheels and the Scaryums.  However, the Scaryums were plagued by noises I have still not been able to quell (I don't even want to get into it), and while I don't mind dirt or ratty bar tape or anything like that I have zero tolerance for noises.  All of this was a disservice to both me and my beloved NTMTFB.

But now this bike has the wheel and the tires it deserves:

I expected the bike to feel nicer (according to the respective websites a Rubino is 60tpi and 320g while an LCV is 240tpi and 224g), but I was surprised by just how much nicer the ride is now.  You know when you're reading a review of a wheel or a tire or something and the reviewer says they automatically rode in a higher gear than usual and you're like, "What a load of shit"?  Well that happened; the cassette on these wheels is a 12/25, and I'd always felt like it stopped a little short on the low end, until today.  I'm certainly not saying this is unique to the LCV--I'd no doubt have felt the same sensation by switching to pretty much any high-end racing clincher--but this just happens to be the one I switched to, and the bike feels better than ever now.

As for the attributes of this particular tire, here's what the tread looks like:

And here's a closer look at the sidewall:

I'm not sure what you're supposed to glean from any of this, except that my overly long valve stem is clearly creating excessive rotating weight and wind resistance.  As for traction and all that stuff, I doubt it will surprise you to learn I don't exactly corner like Jobst Brandt:

But I will say it's fall and it rained all day yesterday which means there are wet leaves everywhere, and I felt as confident with these as I do with any road tire.

Of course, under ordinary circumstances I would not be installing a pair of brand-new high-end lightweight $75 racing tires on my bicycle in late October; heading into the winter on tires this nice is like eating ribs in a linen suit.  However, these are not normal circumstances, and the bike felt so exhilaratingly sprightly today I'm now ready to embrace being the kind of person who rides around on fancy tires all year round Just Because.

Hey, I think I've earned a little decadence.

And yes, one (1) ride of 40-ish miles tells us nothing of durability or anything like that.  Certainly I don't expect them to perform like a pair of Gatorskins in that regard but naturally I'll keep you posted.  In the meantime however I plan to enjoy them.

As for that second pair that I'd earmarked for the Tresca, I may just hoard them for the spring instead.