"I never win." Can't say that any more!
My 2004 Convertible still has the original Goodyear Eagle tires. The car is always garaged, and with only 5,000 miles, the tires still look brand new, including the factory stamps. The problem is, as most of you know, rubber degrades and weakens over time. The elastomer components become less flexible and less durable. So even though tell-tale cracks may not be visible, older tires are simply less reliable and more failure prone.
This, coupled with the likelihood of driving the car more this summer (including some trips in the boondocks), led to the decision to get new tires. The 'where to get' part was easy. Radial Tire in Silver Spring had recently installed tires on my wife's Miata and my SUV, and both experiences were pleasant and problem free. The clincher of course was that Paul of Radial Tire has been a great friend of the CCA for years. Knowledgeable, helpful, very fair, and just a genuinely nice guy.
So I called Radial Tire to check on availability and price. Eric handled those items because Paul was in Daytona for the Rolex 24. I was in no hurry anyway, so I figured I'd wait before signing up, and I wanted to confirm the correct tire pressure sensors as well. But then, a couple days later, it occurred to me that Radial Tire was putting up a $1,000 gift certificate to raffle off at the club's upcoming Winter Awards Dinner, and, since there was no rush -- what the heck -- I'll give that a shot and see what happens!
You guessed it. I bought some chances for the certificate, and after dinner, the drawing was held. Bingo! Its one of my numbers! Amazing. I think Joe was up there watching out for me. And now, thanks to the CCA and Radial Tire, I'll soon be riding on stronger, smoother, safer tires!
Cal Milans
CCA Member Since 1998