Tale Of Two Victories

Well, yesterday was a day of two small victories, but I'll take those victories where I can get them, ya know? The first up was a "take two" on the stove/pot stand test firing.

Brought water to a boil in 10 minutes

The new pot stand was made from a can of Bush's Baked Beans. I cut it down, then drilled six holes near the edge of the opening where I can use these stainless steel spokes I modified as support for the cup, or as in this case, the stainless steel martini mixing cup.

I placed the alcohol stove I made inside the bean can, then filled it with fuel. The nice thing here is that if I spill some fuel, it stays contained in the bean can. Then I lit the stove. It gets going rather easily, by the way.

Then I threaded in the stainless steel supports through the holes I drilled, then the cup went on top. I had enough water in it to make a nice, standard cup of coffee. Then, I waited...

It took about ten minutes to get a "roiling boil" going on, so I was pleased. The stove and pot stand are totally stable too. Not like attempt #1! That's for sure! This should cook anything well, as long as it is for one, and the pot I use isn't bigger than the pot stand in diameter. I plan on using a cup anyway. Smaller, lighter, and forces me to pack less.

I snuffed out the stove easily by dumping out the boiling water and turning the cup upside down over the stove-pot stand. The stove, which had been burning for 20 minutes, still had plenty of fuel left inside of it, so I figure I could have cooked up another boiling cup of water, or two, easily. Then I discovered the spent Foster's can I tried my first stove construction with fits neatly over the bean can with a bit of slight modifications to both cans. Now I have a sleek, neat, lightweight storage system for all the cooking stuff.  Victory #1.....

Got 'em set up and rolling!

With that under my belt I moved on to the Velocity A-23 wheels and Clement X'Plor USH tires I had been wrestling to set up tubeless over the past.....what has it been now? A month? Nearly so, I think.

Well, some consultations with my good buddy, MG, gave me some new ideas to try and after applying those, I had some good signs that I was on the way to success there. Overnight pressures held up, and after a three day pressure test, the tires weren't flat. Good.

I decided to take the wheels out for a ride Wednesday, since it was very nice out, and I had no other pressing things to do. I headed straight out North of town. On the way, it was apparent that the brakes were not happy with the new wheels. I had REALLY LOUD noises from the front and back. I decided to get out into the country before dealing with it though.

Funny thing was that by the time I got out of town, the front had bedded in and was fine. The rear wheel brakes were horrible, chattering so badly I thought my nether regions were going to go numb if I used the brake. I stopped by the big rock, namesake for Big Rock Road, and dug out my tools. 

After several attempts, I finally struck upon a reverse toe-in set up that was really quiet, so I went with it, then rode on in back to town. Tubeless wheels set up, and brake noises subdued. Victory #2.

Tale Of Two Victories

Well, yesterday was a day of two small victories, but I'll take those victories where I can get them, ya know? The first up was a "take two" on the stove/pot stand test firing.

Brought water to a boil in 10 minutes

The new pot stand was made from a can of Bush's Baked Beans. I cut it down, then drilled six holes near the edge of the opening where I can use these stainless steel spokes I modified as support for the cup, or as in this case, the stainless steel martini mixing cup.

I placed the alcohol stove I made inside the bean can, then filled it with fuel. The nice thing here is that if I spill some fuel, it stays contained in the bean can. Then I lit the stove. It gets going rather easily, by the way.

Then I threaded in the stainless steel supports through the holes I drilled, then the cup went on top. I had enough water in it to make a nice, standard cup of coffee. Then, I waited...

It took about ten minutes to get a "roiling boil" going on, so I was pleased. The stove and pot stand are totally stable too. Not like attempt #1! That's for sure! This should cook anything well, as long as it is for one, and the pot I use isn't bigger than the pot stand in diameter. I plan on using a cup anyway. Smaller, lighter, and forces me to pack less.

I snuffed out the stove easily by dumping out the boiling water and turning the cup upside down over the stove-pot stand. The stove, which had been burning for 20 minutes, still had plenty of fuel left inside of it, so I figure I could have cooked up another boiling cup of water, or two, easily. Then I discovered the spent Foster's can I tried my first stove construction with fits neatly over the bean can with a bit of slight modifications to both cans. Now I have a sleek, neat, lightweight storage system for all the cooking stuff.  Victory #1.....

Got 'em set up and rolling!

With that under my belt I moved on to the Velocity A-23 wheels and Clement X'Plor USH tires I had been wrestling to set up tubeless over the past.....what has it been now? A month? Nearly so, I think.

Well, some consultations with my good buddy, MG, gave me some new ideas to try and after applying those, I had some good signs that I was on the way to success there. Overnight pressures held up, and after a three day pressure test, the tires weren't flat. Good.

I decided to take the wheels out for a ride Wednesday, since it was very nice out, and I had no other pressing things to do. I headed straight out North of town. On the way, it was apparent that the brakes were not happy with the new wheels. I had REALLY LOUD noises from the front and back. I decided to get out into the country before dealing with it though.

Funny thing was that by the time I got out of town, the front had bedded in and was fine. The rear wheel brakes were horrible, chattering so badly I thought my nether regions were going to go numb if I used the brake. I stopped by the big rock, namesake for Big Rock Road, and dug out my tools. 

After several attempts, I finally struck upon a reverse toe-in set up that was really quiet, so I went with it, then rode on in back to town. Tubeless wheels set up, and brake noises subdued. Victory #2.

Rainy Day Experimenting

New wheels for the Orange Crush

Well, it was a good thing I wasted my legs on Saturday, because Sunday was a, (much needed, much appreciated), washout. It rained steadily off and on for most of the day, making any effort to ride an unwise decision for the most part. Not that you can not ride in the rain, but for mountain biking and gravel, it isn't preferable or a good idea at all at times.

So anyway, I decided that it was as good a time as any to mount up the new A23's in silver I just got not long ago. While I was at it, I used some Velocity tubeless tape and valves to try and do the tubeless thing with skinny(er) tires than I usually do. These are the X'Plor USH tires that will be stock on Salsa Cycles Warbird bikes, just so you know. Well, the tubeless process is well understood by me, and I will report that these tires are not super easy to set up tubeless. Experienced folk with the process will have to use most every trick to get these to go tubeless on Velocity A23's, at any rate. I'm not 100% stoked on how they will turn out, but so far.....

I am stoked on the silver rims/hubs on the Orange Crush from Black Mountain Cycles. This is how I had envisioned the build from the get-go. Classic silver parts are just really good looking, and the Orange Crush comes off in a totally different way with these wheels. The new Velocity silver color is a result of actual polishing of the metal and then is clear anodized to preserve the shine. All made in the U.S.A. as well, by the way.

I'll be doing some testing with the tubeless thing if the Clements can hold air for any length of time tubeless. Not knocking Clement here, so don't get me wrong. These are not tubeless tires. I understand the risks involved and will be fully okay with it if they do not go tubeless, as I hope they will. Besides that, there is something else in the works that will be going on as a test product on this bike. Stay tuned for that and more soon....

Rainy Day Experimenting

New wheels for the Orange Crush

Well, it was a good thing I wasted my legs on Saturday, because Sunday was a, (much needed, much appreciated), washout. It rained steadily off and on for most of the day, making any effort to ride an unwise decision for the most part. Not that you can not ride in the rain, but for mountain biking and gravel, it isn't preferable or a good idea at all at times.

So anyway, I decided that it was as good a time as any to mount up the new A23's in silver I just got not long ago. While I was at it, I used some Velocity tubeless tape and valves to try and do the tubeless thing with skinny(er) tires than I usually do. These are the X'Plor USH tires that will be stock on Salsa Cycles Warbird bikes, just so you know. Well, the tubeless process is well understood by me, and I will report that these tires are not super easy to set up tubeless. Experienced folk with the process will have to use most every trick to get these to go tubeless on Velocity A23's, at any rate. I'm not 100% stoked on how they will turn out, but so far.....

I am stoked on the silver rims/hubs on the Orange Crush from Black Mountain Cycles. This is how I had envisioned the build from the get-go. Classic silver parts are just really good looking, and the Orange Crush comes off in a totally different way with these wheels. The new Velocity silver color is a result of actual polishing of the metal and then is clear anodized to preserve the shine. All made in the U.S.A. as well, by the way.

I'll be doing some testing with the tubeless thing if the Clements can hold air for any length of time tubeless. Not knocking Clement here, so don't get me wrong. These are not tubeless tires. I understand the risks involved and will be fully okay with it if they do not go tubeless, as I hope they will. Besides that, there is something else in the works that will be going on as a test product on this bike. Stay tuned for that and more soon....

Friday News And Views

The post about gravel grinder events the other day elicited a few responses that I think are worthy of comment out in the open here, basically to give credit where credit is due.

It has been a few years since a certain individual has been associated with Trans Iowa but it doesn't reduce or lighten the tremendous influence this person has had on gravel grinding. Many times, I seem to be the one that gets the "credit" for Trans Iowa, in particular, and for gravel grinders, such as they are, in general. While it is true I may have had something to do with what has happened out there, this person deserves way more credit than I do. His name?

Jeff Kerkove.

Need to know why? Go here and read up on it. Nuff said.....

3GR: A reminder that I won't be there tonight, but Saturday morning. A request for coffee will be granted and we'll start at 8:30am, weather permitting, at Gateway Park.

Uh...I thought Dracula did?

It's Summertime! How can you tell? Because another doping allegation has sprung up and just in time for Le Tour. This never happens in December, January, or February. Odd that. Almost as if it were timed for maximum impact and publicity, don't you think?

Well, they are after "you know who" again, and I have zero interest in this story anymore, other than to watch in amusement as folks get their hackles up and froth away about this nonsense. I'm apparently not alone.

Much of the reaction I've witnessed from casual observers is along the lines of "who cares?", or "can we move on from this finally?". In other words, people I've talked to about this just don't care anymore. But what about those who do?

Here's my solution: If he did not enhance his performance by "doping", fine. But if he did? Put an asterisk by his name in the record books and annotate it as, "tour title won by using illegal substances". Done and done. I mean, it isn't like you can rewind the clock and take the moment away from him, and he's retired now. Oh maybe a fine, whatever. But "stripping away the title"? Really? You can't erase the memories and the moments folks. They are his forever. He won the Tour seven times whether you say he didn't now or in the future. It's like saying the American Revolution never happened because you don't agree it was done correctly. Shots were fired, people died, and things changed because of it, so...you know, it is what it is.

So short of fining him into oblivion, or imprisoning him, this other "stripping of title" stuff is just weird. It doesn't work, and oh by the way.....who gets the titles? The other dopers that placed beneath him? That's rich. I say forget about it, and let's move on from here.

Update On The Clement X'Plor MSO: 


There were a few things about this tire I wasn't sure about when I got them, and communication between myself and the Clement guys was not as good as I would have liked. However; now I have learned that the tire- the X'Plor MSO- is a 60TPI tire with puncture protection. The USH has puncture protection as well. But now for the good news:

The MSO now is available in a 120TPI folding bead tire with bead to bead Kevlar puncture protection at a sub 500 gram weight. That's awesome news! I'm not always very hot on narrower tires, but the MSO is really, really good on gravel roads. Now with the nicer casing, I can only imagine how smooth it would roll, but I aim to get a pair to compare with. I'll update on the longevity of the original pair I got as well, but as of now, they are going strong.

That's it for today. Get out and ride!

Friday News And Views

The post about gravel grinder events the other day elicited a few responses that I think are worthy of comment out in the open here, basically to give credit where credit is due.

It has been a few years since a certain individual has been associated with Trans Iowa but it doesn't reduce or lighten the tremendous influence this person has had on gravel grinding. Many times, I seem to be the one that gets the "credit" for Trans Iowa, in particular, and for gravel grinders, such as they are, in general. While it is true I may have had something to do with what has happened out there, this person deserves way more credit than I do. His name?

Jeff Kerkove.

Need to know why? Go here and read up on it. Nuff said.....

3GR: A reminder that I won't be there tonight, but Saturday morning. A request for coffee will be granted and we'll start at 8:30am, weather permitting, at Gateway Park.

Uh...I thought Dracula did?

It's Summertime! How can you tell? Because another doping allegation has sprung up and just in time for Le Tour. This never happens in December, January, or February. Odd that. Almost as if it were timed for maximum impact and publicity, don't you think?

Well, they are after "you know who" again, and I have zero interest in this story anymore, other than to watch in amusement as folks get their hackles up and froth away about this nonsense. I'm apparently not alone.

Much of the reaction I've witnessed from casual observers is along the lines of "who cares?", or "can we move on from this finally?". In other words, people I've talked to about this just don't care anymore. But what about those who do?

Here's my solution: If he did not enhance his performance by "doping", fine. But if he did? Put an asterisk by his name in the record books and annotate it as, "tour title won by using illegal substances". Done and done. I mean, it isn't like you can rewind the clock and take the moment away from him, and he's retired now. Oh maybe a fine, whatever. But "stripping away the title"? Really? You can't erase the memories and the moments folks. They are his forever. He won the Tour seven times whether you say he didn't now or in the future. It's like saying the American Revolution never happened because you don't agree it was done correctly. Shots were fired, people died, and things changed because of it, so...you know, it is what it is.

So short of fining him into oblivion, or imprisoning him, this other "stripping of title" stuff is just weird. It doesn't work, and oh by the way.....who gets the titles? The other dopers that placed beneath him? That's rich. I say forget about it, and let's move on from here.

Update On The Clement X'Plor MSO: 


There were a few things about this tire I wasn't sure about when I got them, and communication between myself and the Clement guys was not as good as I would have liked. However; now I have learned that the tire- the X'Plor MSO- is a 60TPI tire with puncture protection. The USH has puncture protection as well. But now for the good news:

The MSO now is available in a 120TPI folding bead tire with bead to bead Kevlar puncture protection at a sub 500 gram weight. That's awesome news! I'm not always very hot on narrower tires, but the MSO is really, really good on gravel roads. Now with the nicer casing, I can only imagine how smooth it would roll, but I aim to get a pair to compare with. I'll update on the longevity of the original pair I got as well, but as of now, they are going strong.

That's it for today. Get out and ride!

Box-o-Goodness: Part IV

I last reported on the Clement Tires here in early April. The X'Plor USH has been ridden more and on gravel, so here will be my final take on this 440gm, 35mm wide tire. (You can read my last update on this tire here.)

Gravel Dust Over X'Plor USH

Much like the X'Plor MSO, I felt that with more riding, the USH "broke in" more and started riding in a more supple manner. This also coincided with my feelings that higher air pressures were working better than they had before when the test started. In fact, my last ride was at the highest pressure I had used yet. (60psi)

While urban riding was fantastic with this tire, I needed to find out how it would do on our exceptionally chunky gravel in Iowa this spring. Urban rides had shown a good resistance to cutting and punctures, so the rocks didn't pose an issue in my mind in regards to flatting, but rather the narrow profile and lower volume of the tire, (than I normally run on gravel), had me concerned.

For whatever reason, Iowa has used a lot of freshly laid chunky gravel all over the state on the gravel roads this spring. Normally we see very little of this, but when we do, it causes issues with any sized tires, but especially with narrower ones. This was part of the reason I held off riding these for as long as I did, hoping for some faster, less deep and chunky gravel to test on.

Ride Impressions:

On the days I rode this tire on gravel the chunk was mostly in full effect, and allowing for that, I will say the USH held its own out there. Yes- it got deflected and there was some tendency to get washy, and cut into deeper gravel, but that would be exactly what I would have expected with any 35mm tire.

When I did find more "typical" gravel road conditions, the USH was right at home. It rolls fast and feels smooth. The control on sandy, finer gravel was enhanced by the flattish profile to the crown of the tire and to some degree, the aggressively "file treaded" outer sides of this tread pattern.

I'm still not sold on the diamond shaped blocks on the outer edges of the USH, but when you do hit real dirt, these do enhance cornering. So, let's say you do a bit of minimum maintenance road that requires cornering, or probably most likely, a single track session on buff trail- Then I can see these uniquely designed side areas of the USH as being worthwhile.  For my gravel riding, they are just odd.

They don't hurt anything though, so there you go. And the center tread is smooth, so road riding isn't affected by the diamond shaped file tread, and the road riding stays quiet with low rolling resistance.

Going Where Others Fear To Tread

Conclusions: 

The Clement X'Plor USH is a good tire for urban commuting, has a nicer feel the longer you ride it, and may be just the thing for gravel riding if your gravel is hard packed, free from loose spots, and has smaller rock on the road surfaces. At least in its currently offered 35mm width.

At 440 grams, it is a very reasonable weighted tire, has decent grip on cornering on pavement, hard packed dirt, and hard gravel pack. I would be very careful about doing any leaned over, high-ish speed cornering on the USH on typical gravel though, as the USH just doesn't have the volume or width to do that sort of thing. Loose, big, chunky gravel will ping this, (or any other tire this size), all over the road and loose dirt, sand, and deeper gravel will not be friendly to this tire either. Expect the USH to cut in and want to wash out in those types of road surfaces. The tire seems reasonably tough and puncture resistant though.

 In the end, I see the X'Plor USH as a specialist tire for touring on multi-surfaced routes, or for certain areas of the country where the rural roads are more suited to the USH's strengths. For a more "all around" gravel tire, the X'Plor MSO, with its tread pattern and bigger volume, seems more suited to use as a "go to" gravel grinder tire.

NOTE: Today QBP is expecting these tires to be in stock, so ask your local bike shop to check on availability.

Note: Clement sent these tires for evaluation and review at no charge. I am not being bribed, nor paid to give my opinions and thoughts on these tires. I will strive to give my honest thoughts and opinions throughout this evaluation.

Box-o-Goodness: Part IV

I last reported on the Clement Tires here in early April. The X'Plor USH has been ridden more and on gravel, so here will be my final take on this 440gm, 35mm wide tire. (You can read my last update on this tire here.)

Gravel Dust Over X'Plor USH

Much like the X'Plor MSO, I felt that with more riding, the USH "broke in" more and started riding in a more supple manner. This also coincided with my feelings that higher air pressures were working better than they had before when the test started. In fact, my last ride was at the highest pressure I had used yet. (60psi)

While urban riding was fantastic with this tire, I needed to find out how it would do on our exceptionally chunky gravel in Iowa this spring. Urban rides had shown a good resistance to cutting and punctures, so the rocks didn't pose an issue in my mind in regards to flatting, but rather the narrow profile and lower volume of the tire, (than I normally run on gravel), had me concerned.

For whatever reason, Iowa has used a lot of freshly laid chunky gravel all over the state on the gravel roads this spring. Normally we see very little of this, but when we do, it causes issues with any sized tires, but especially with narrower ones. This was part of the reason I held off riding these for as long as I did, hoping for some faster, less deep and chunky gravel to test on.

Ride Impressions:

On the days I rode this tire on gravel the chunk was mostly in full effect, and allowing for that, I will say the USH held its own out there. Yes- it got deflected and there was some tendency to get washy, and cut into deeper gravel, but that would be exactly what I would have expected with any 35mm tire.

When I did find more "typical" gravel road conditions, the USH was right at home. It rolls fast and feels smooth. The control on sandy, finer gravel was enhanced by the flattish profile to the crown of the tire and to some degree, the aggressively "file treaded" outer sides of this tread pattern.

I'm still not sold on the diamond shaped blocks on the outer edges of the USH, but when you do hit real dirt, these do enhance cornering. So, let's say you do a bit of minimum maintenance road that requires cornering, or probably most likely, a single track session on buff trail- Then I can see these uniquely designed side areas of the USH as being worthwhile.  For my gravel riding, they are just odd.

They don't hurt anything though, so there you go. And the center tread is smooth, so road riding isn't affected by the diamond shaped file tread, and the road riding stays quiet with low rolling resistance.

Going Where Others Fear To Tread

Conclusions: 

The Clement X'Plor USH is a good tire for urban commuting, has a nicer feel the longer you ride it, and may be just the thing for gravel riding if your gravel is hard packed, free from loose spots, and has smaller rock on the road surfaces. At least in its currently offered 35mm width.

At 440 grams, it is a very reasonable weighted tire, has decent grip on cornering on pavement, hard packed dirt, and hard gravel pack. I would be very careful about doing any leaned over, high-ish speed cornering on the USH on typical gravel though, as the USH just doesn't have the volume or width to do that sort of thing. Loose, big, chunky gravel will ping this, (or any other tire this size), all over the road and loose dirt, sand, and deeper gravel will not be friendly to this tire either. Expect the USH to cut in and want to wash out in those types of road surfaces. The tire seems reasonably tough and puncture resistant though.

 In the end, I see the X'Plor USH as a specialist tire for touring on multi-surfaced routes, or for certain areas of the country where the rural roads are more suited to the USH's strengths. For a more "all around" gravel tire, the X'Plor MSO, with its tread pattern and bigger volume, seems more suited to use as a "go to" gravel grinder tire.

NOTE: Today QBP is expecting these tires to be in stock, so ask your local bike shop to check on availability.

Note: Clement sent these tires for evaluation and review at no charge. I am not being bribed, nor paid to give my opinions and thoughts on these tires. I will strive to give my honest thoughts and opinions throughout this evaluation.

Box-o-Goodness: Part III

Last time we spoke of the Clement tires here, I was focused mainly on the MSO model, which is a 40mm tire. You can catch up with that here. This time I will focus a bit on the X'Plor USH  .

I decided to switch my "rat-ride" Raleigh Grand Prix from fixed to free by way of using the Sante' wheel set I first used on my BMC Monstercross bike. The X'Plor USH tires list out at 35mm wide and the old school frame geometry and steel construction allowed me to mount these with a bit of room at the chain stays to spare. Mounted on the narrow road rims, these tires measured out at 33.2mm at 50psi.

I'm sure one could eek out the listed 35mm width on some proper, wider gravel road worthy rims, but this width on these rims does make these tires cyclo-cross legal, as long as no one goes by the Clement hot patch!

The X'Plor USH  features what Clement calls a "file tread" pattern. Well, if those things on each side of this tire are "file tread" patterns then they must be talking about a bastard file! More like spiky pyramid shapes, I would say.

The center section is raised and features a smoother, chevron negative tread pattern which at 50 psi, you are rolling only on this section of the tire on paved roads. The casing feels fairly stiff on these, and that is probably due to the puncture protection belt in the casing.

The tires roll reasonably fast on pavement, and hold up to abuse well. Grass and smooth dirt are no problem at all, but don't expect the same, floaty feelings you get with a tubular or even with the MSO Clement tire. I haven't made it out to the gravel roads yet on these tires, but from a commuter/urban standpoint, these seem like winners.

I have run over a fair bit of busted up glass with no issues to report. The overall feel is better than some commuter tires but you do give up a bit of that smoother feel over some straight up hybrid tires that do not feature as much tread or the flat protection.

But, with the word "X'Plor" in the tire's name, we maybe shouldn't be comparing it to supple tires with an ultra-smooth feel. As an adventure tire on, say a touring bike, I could see how these would be much appreciated. Loaded down these tires would no doubt feel a bit smoother than they do with just me on board.

I will continue to ride these tires and some gravel will be on the menu soon. I suspect that smoother sections will prove to be this tire's forte'. The narrow, crowned profile, at least on these rims, seems to me to be a recipe for bouncing around, but I'll give them a whirl anyway.

A Word On This Raleigh: This one is a '73 vintage and made in England, of course. The cranks, pedals, brakes, head set, bottom bracket, brake levers, and seat post are all original to this rig. The saddle, wheels/tires, stem, and Origin 8 Gary Bars, (version 1), are the only deviations from stock, along with the removal of all "shifty bits". The chain runs off the 39T sprocket to an 18T rear cog. Of note here is the fact that the Sante' hubs have the original style Shimano cassette hub body with a threaded on final cog, which I used as a lock ring to secure the spacers and drive cog. I haven't tried the big ring and lock ring, but it may be that I actually have a "dingle" here. However; I am quite unlikely to try that, as the 53 X 12 would be too tall for anything but time trialing!

Note: Clement sent these tires for evaluation and review at no charge. I am not being bribed, nor paid to give my opinions and thoughts on these tires. I will strive to give my honest thoughts and opinions throughout this evaluation.

Box-o-Goodness: Part III

Last time we spoke of the Clement tires here, I was focused mainly on the MSO model, which is a 40mm tire. You can catch up with that here. This time I will focus a bit on the X'Plor USH  .

I decided to switch my "rat-ride" Raleigh Grand Prix from fixed to free by way of using the Sante' wheel set I first used on my BMC Monstercross bike. The X'Plor USH tires list out at 35mm wide and the old school frame geometry and steel construction allowed me to mount these with a bit of room at the chain stays to spare. Mounted on the narrow road rims, these tires measured out at 33.2mm at 50psi.

I'm sure one could eek out the listed 35mm width on some proper, wider gravel road worthy rims, but this width on these rims does make these tires cyclo-cross legal, as long as no one goes by the Clement hot patch!

The X'Plor USH  features what Clement calls a "file tread" pattern. Well, if those things on each side of this tire are "file tread" patterns then they must be talking about a bastard file! More like spiky pyramid shapes, I would say.

The center section is raised and features a smoother, chevron negative tread pattern which at 50 psi, you are rolling only on this section of the tire on paved roads. The casing feels fairly stiff on these, and that is probably due to the puncture protection belt in the casing.

The tires roll reasonably fast on pavement, and hold up to abuse well. Grass and smooth dirt are no problem at all, but don't expect the same, floaty feelings you get with a tubular or even with the MSO Clement tire. I haven't made it out to the gravel roads yet on these tires, but from a commuter/urban standpoint, these seem like winners.

I have run over a fair bit of busted up glass with no issues to report. The overall feel is better than some commuter tires but you do give up a bit of that smoother feel over some straight up hybrid tires that do not feature as much tread or the flat protection.

But, with the word "X'Plor" in the tire's name, we maybe shouldn't be comparing it to supple tires with an ultra-smooth feel. As an adventure tire on, say a touring bike, I could see how these would be much appreciated. Loaded down these tires would no doubt feel a bit smoother than they do with just me on board.

I will continue to ride these tires and some gravel will be on the menu soon. I suspect that smoother sections will prove to be this tire's forte'. The narrow, crowned profile, at least on these rims, seems to me to be a recipe for bouncing around, but I'll give them a whirl anyway.

A Word On This Raleigh: This one is a '73 vintage and made in England, of course. The cranks, pedals, brakes, head set, bottom bracket, brake levers, and seat post are all original to this rig. The saddle, wheels/tires, stem, and Origin 8 Gary Bars, (version 1), are the only deviations from stock, along with the removal of all "shifty bits". The chain runs off the 39T sprocket to an 18T rear cog. Of note here is the fact that the Sante' hubs have the original style Shimano cassette hub body with a threaded on final cog, which I used as a lock ring to secure the spacers and drive cog. I haven't tried the big ring and lock ring, but it may be that I actually have a "dingle" here. However; I am quite unlikely to try that, as the 53 X 12 would be too tall for anything but time trialing!

Note: Clement sent these tires for evaluation and review at no charge. I am not being bribed, nor paid to give my opinions and thoughts on these tires. I will strive to give my honest thoughts and opinions throughout this evaluation.