One comment from a Liege driver.
We all run on crossply Avon Speedmaster 5.00 x 16 (motorbike) tyres with very stiff sidewalls, some owners are normally using just 14 psi on the road due to the round tyre profile and the very light weight of the car.
We were faced with the requirement to pump them UP to the minimum pressure of 18 psi for the Edinburgh, which I see as a big handicap when compared to other cars using radial tyres at reduced pressures.
The only other tyre available for our 16 inch wheels is the slightly wider Dunlop 5.5 inch width but this still has a crossply construction.
Any comments?
One reply from a Marlin driver. The knee-jerk response is "16 inch wheels - we should be so lucky!". I'm afraid that this is just 'one of those things' that makes Class 7 such a joy/lottery. On some sections, and under some conditions, those 16" wheels are a real benefit - Arthur Jones cleaning Burledge in his Liege on last year's Allen for example. It's true that we Marlin drivers can run nice big 185x14 radial tyres but 18psi can still be testing under some conditions unless you've got a decent amount of ballast, and the power to pull it. There's certainly a debate about which 185x14 tyres work best under which conditions. And ... as I've always said ... Roger Bricknell made a very sensible Class 7 choice when he opted for a Vincent on 15" wheels. However ... Tommy Kalber is a top competitor in his Dutton Melos which is on 13" wheels. So I'm afraid my response is that you-win-some-and-lose-some, but that's Class 7 trialling. Andrew
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