# 19mm Tires?



## sandy555 (May 23, 2009)

Just got an old 80's wheelset for the winter bike. The wheels came complete with Vittoria Florida 19 tires, these tires are 19mm wide! Was this considered to be a ''normal'' width or were they intended to be used for some special purpose?


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## Dave Hickey (Jan 27, 2002)

19mm was normal way back when.....people have wised up since and run at least 23c now


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## SystemShock (Jun 14, 2008)

Dave's right. 18 to 20mm tires enjoyed a sort of 'fad' heyday for a couple of years around the late '80s/early '90s... and then after everyone got through pinch-flatting right and left, we all kind of collectively said, "What were we thinking" and moved to 23C tires or larger.

It was a dumb, dumb fad, aided and abetted by the marketers and bike designers (I seem to recall Centurion being especially complicit here, going so far as to spec 18C tires on some models, 'cuz I guess even 20C was just 'too fat'... whaa??), and I vividly remember flatting nearly every ride on some POS Specialized ultra-narrow tires, until I threw them in the trash can. 

It was bike equipment Darwinism at its best (worst?). :shocked:
.


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## smallmig (Feb 1, 2007)

*My first real road bike...*

was a 1992 or 93 Diamond Back Prevail in a lovely green with splatter paint. Came with Shimano 600 and 19mm Vittoria tires. I loved the way that bike rode but the first time I put wider tires in those wheels I never went back.


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## kiwisimon (Oct 30, 2002)

Michelin 19's were my preference. I think I even stayed at that width for the rain tires. Vittoria Corsa CX (think) dual compound black and green tires. Used to be pretty hard to wheel bump the guy in front of you if they had skinny tires as well.


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## buck-50 (Sep 20, 2005)

Oh god, I remember those- you either pumped them up so hard that they rode like they were made of iron or you got a flat.

goooooooooood riddance.


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## merckxman (Jan 23, 2002)

I ride Michelin Axial Pro 19s all the time on 32 spoked Mavic open rims. Ride fine.


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## buck-50 (Sep 20, 2005)

merckxman said:


> I ride Michelin Axial Pro 19s all the time on 32 spoked Mavic open rims. Ride fine.


I salute your @ss of iron, sir.


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## brblue (Jan 28, 2003)

Plus the 19 - 20 look really cool 
really really cool..


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## SystemShock (Jun 14, 2008)

buck-50 said:


> Oh god, I remember those- you either pumped them up so hard that they rode like they were made of iron or you got a flat.


LOL, exactly. It's like, might as well ride solid rubber tires like they did 100+ years ago... it'd be about the same ride. :lol: :shocked:
.


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## Kuma601 (Jan 22, 2004)

I rode the Michelin Hi Lite Comps at about 120psi, they felt good to me.


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## nenad (May 5, 2004)

Kuma601 said:


> I rode the Michelin Hi Lite Comps at about 120psi, they felt good to me.


I hava a pair of those at 23mm, I think it's the best training tire ever.


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## MR_GRUMPY (Aug 21, 2002)

Even before that, Specialized sold their "Turbo" racing clincher as a 700X25, but they were really only 20mm wide. They made them this way, because they could claim a lighter weight.


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