About a year ago, I replaced a set of Continental Double Fighter semi-slick mountain bike tires with Michelin Wildgripper Sprints. The reason I replaced the Double Fighters was because I wore the rubber down in the center of the rear tire on my bike to the point that I could see the inner tube. I could have kept using the front tire, but I decided to go with a new set so that I wouldn’t have to replace the front tire at the beginning of the season.
The Wildgripper mounted on the rear wheel started having problems back in July. It developed a pretty large nail hole on July 14, and I booted it several times to get more milage out of it. Finally this week, I decided that I would never get more than a few rides out of the tire again without puncturing.
Rather than go out and buy a new semi-slick, I pulled the good Continental Double Fighter off the hook on my garage wall and mounted it on the rear wheel. I’m sure it’ll be good for several hundred more miles, and just as smooth riding as the Wildgripper it replaced.
Saving the better of two old bicycle tires or wheels is always a good idea. You can never tell when they will come in handy. The color of the tires doesn’t match, but they’re both fast with very low rolling resistance. When you are riding a 10-year old bike as I am, you mustn’t be too worried about fashion. I ride for fun and to train for hockey officiating, not for show.