Keep the Rubber Side Down

I learned an old bicycling farewell saying a few days ago, "Keep the rubber side down." Meaning is obvious. A warm and thoughtful saying. I had my second set of new tires put on the bike today in Missoula, also put on new tires in Breckenridge. Also started the trip with new tires. I could have gotten at least twice the mileage out of the tires but wanted to have new rubber on the wheels, gives you a lot more confidence going down hills at 40 mph. Also important for turning and cornering as the incident with the U-Turn car lady showed. Doing the same thing they do in Nascar, put on fresh rubber when possible. A tour like this is no time to skimp on tires.I had two new Continental Grand Prix 4000 tires with me, but the bike shop had the same tires, so I bought them from the store anyhow. Having them put on my tires would be like bringing your own food into a resturant and asking them to cook it. Only problem was that they had one black tire and one yellow tire, so the bike looks a lit
tle funky now.