Last winter at Frostbike, Some orange colored fat bike tires caught my eye.
These orange delights are made by Vee Tire Co. in Thailand. I talked to the nice folks at the Vee Tire Co. booth and told them that Ms. Wednesday, my Surly fat bike, would go out of her mind if she saw these tires. I made the Vee Tire staff promise that they would not mention a word to her.
Well, I don’t know how Wednesday found out that I had ordered her some orange Vee tires. Somehow she did, and threatened to stuff me into a tree If I did not get the studded Dillingers off of her My Other Brother Darrell rims, real soon.
Now the tires she lusted after were the Vee Tire Co. Mission Command-N in 4”x 26”.
The Mission Command is a reasonably priced Fat Bike tire that comes in many sizes and colors. Of course they come in basic black, as well as pink, green and, orange so you can trick out any color bike you posses. Mission Command tires come in 120 tpi folding and 72 tpi wire bead versions. All of the colored tires are 120 tpi folding bead. Vee uses their MPC ( Multi Purpose Compound ) compound for the Mission Command tires. It supplies good wear characteristics and grip in warmer weather because of its 56 durometer and tread pattern. The 120 tpi Mission Commands tires are noted for their silky smooth, and fast ride.
Wednesday complained that the Orange Seal tubeless rim tape and solution was not to her liking. Even though the leaks were orange in color like the rest of her bike accessories she had a hard time holding air in her tires. I told her that I did the best I could when I mounted up the studded Dillingers for her last winter.
Wednesday noted that it was now spring and she wanted something better when her new orange Vee tires arrived.
Her firm desire forced me to get some wider tubeless tape made by Sun Ringlé for their MuleFütt 80SLrim. Their tape is 78 mm wide as opposed to the 75 mm Orange Seal tape that I previously used on her rims.
To give the 78 mm tape more rim to stick to, I asked my wife, She Who Must Be Obeyed, if she could trim the Surly rim strip down a tiny bit on either side. “Piece of cake She uttered” and it was done. Then I gave her some cake.
With the wider tubeless tape and the slightly narrower rimstrip I was able to give the Sun Ringle tape ample purchase on the My Other Brother Darryl’s insides. Per the instructions ( yeah I read them ), one layer of tape was applied and overlapped about 4 inches opposite the stem. Then to make sure the tape adhered well to My Other Brother Darryl rims, old tubes and tires were installed and inflated to 20 psi, and then left to bake in my warm garage for a coupe of days. A pair of Schwalbe valve stems were then carefully added to the mix after I removed the old tires and tubes from Wednesday’s My Other Brother Darryl rims. At this point all she needed were her dearly beloved orange Vee tires. She waited for days looking out the garage door for the UPS driver to deliver the goods.
Vee Day finally arrived and Wednesday carefully watched me as I mounted up her new tires. The Mission Commands easily popped up onto the My Other Brother Darryl rims and begged for some of Stan’s Notubes Magic Mayonnaise. An appropriate dose was poured thru the stem, and then I swirled the tires around so that the mayo would coat the insides and keep the Mission Controls on rim and task.
Wednesday was quivering so hard with anticipation of rolling on her new tires I could barely get her through axles on tight.
Once she was shod, she pranced around the neighborhood swishing Stan’s where it belonged as well as showing every passerby her new orange Mission Command tires.
Wednesday and I are still experimenting with tire pressure and terrain, but at first blush these orange flavor Vee Tire Co. Mission Command tires are a hit. On our crushed limestone trails. They rolled easily and tracked well. Once it stops raining, Wednesday told me we will get them dirty on some real single track.
It stopped raining.
This morning, Danimals, Jason, and Tyler escorted Wednesday and I to Elm Creek Park. The three of them rode fast. Wednesday and I rode a bit more slowly as I had not been on a mountain bike trail for at least 10 years and she had never been. Wednesday’s front brake squealed with delight as we went up and down, right, and left trough the woods. The Mission Command tires held us firmly to the earth as Wednesday wiggled her way between the trees and over mud, hard-packed dirt, roots, and some loose stuff.
I am very proud of her, and her choice of footwear. We hope to go riding again soon.
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