Tires

As a long-time enthusiast who collects mountain bikes from the period during which my love for cycling eventually became my career, I routinely uncover new finds from the 80s & 90s which are well worth restoring and riding, but whose tires are beyond saving. Light-colored sidewalls which contrast black tread rubber are back in fashion, and we're lucky enough to have access to modern production of a couple classic MTB tire designs from the 1990s, but I realized that no available tire incorporated the following design elements, which ideally suit earlier mountain bikes.

• Large, tall, simply-shaped tread elements
  • The 80s called, and they're bringing big blocks back
• A slightly directional, but not position-specific, tread pattern
  • Use the same tire both front & rear; a simple flip changes the grip
• A round tire profile
  • Consistent cornering control over all surfaces, from soft through hard
• No graphics printed on the beige, 120TPI sidewalls
  • How much more beige could they be? The answer is none - none more beige
• Folding, yet not tubeless-compatible, beads
  • The only thing harder than mounting some tubeless tires to old rims is removing them