Last night, our 3-speeds
Lucy and
Rodney came home after a bit of sprucing up. When replacing the original tires, we decided to go with the cream Schwalbe Delta Cruisers. These are light touring tires with a "racy" quality. They have Kevlar puncture protection and are inexpensive.
Here they are in motion. It was getting dark by the time we got the bicycles home, so pardon the blurry shots. I think the cream looks so elegant with the green frame! As an aside -- Yes, I've been wearing the same shorts in recent photos (well, alternating between 2 pairs of the same shorts)! It's been over 90° F here with 100% humidity for the past week, and the thin terrycloth material of these is about the only thing I can endure wearing when not submerged in the ocean. Summer dresses get soaked instantaneously and stick to the saddle, but these shorts have an intriguing moisture wicking and non-slip quality to them. They are by Champion; highly recommended.
Back to the Delta Cruisers: The tires on the Roadster are 28", and the ones on the Lady's Sports are 26" . Note that the 26" tires have reflective sidewall strips, but the 28" do not; no idea why that is.
We've tested the tires on a ride around the neighborhood. They feel very similar to the Schwalbe Marathon Plus that came with our Pashleys, but the Delta Cruisers are a bit lighter and faster. This makes them well-suited for the vintage English 3-speeds, which are somewhat more sporty than the Pashleys. I also love how the cream tires give the bicycles a personal touch. There are so many 3-speeds in Boston, but Lucy and Rodney are
our 3-speeds.
Last night, our 3-speeds Lucy and Rodney came home after a bit of sprucing up. When replacing the original tires, we decided to go with the cream Schwalbe Delta Cruisers. These are light touring tires with a "racy" quality. They have Kevlar puncture protection and are inexpensive.
i use the same tires. and i find them very good and elegant :) gazelle use only shwable tires
ReplyDeleteGreat you found some shorts you like for the summer. We've got the similar temperatures in Vienna too, and I absolutely hate that our offices are not air-conditioned. So unfortunately it doesn't really matter what I wear for cycling as I will be sweating the whole day anyhow :(.
ReplyDeleteThe Delta Cruisers look really good on your bikes. Creamy colors are definitely preferably to black.
Anon., what makes you think that Gazelle uses only Schwalbe? Their most recent catalog states that they use Vredestein tires on the Toer Populair and CST tires on the Basic model.
ReplyDeleteI think the look of the cream tires is great though it is a bit of a bummer that the 28s don't have reflective sidewalls.
ReplyDeleteHello, I just discovered your blog last week and I love reading all your little hints on making bicycles look lovely! I have a question. I just got a vintage woman's road bike and I want to put fenders on it. It has 27" wheels and caliper brakes. It doesn't look like there's room for a fender on the back wheel to fit under the brake. But from these pictures it looks like Rodney has fenders and caliper brakes with 28" wheels. How is that possible?
ReplyDeleteI love the new tires on the bikes:) I dont blame for you for wearing the short in the heat and I'm glad you mentioned the brand because I really need some padded bike short...
ReplyDeleteFiona
girlcanbike.com
Fiona, the shorts aren't padded. They are beach shorts, I think. Made of thin cotton terry cloth and with a drawstring waist. They do provide a bit of a cushioning effect though due to the soft terry cloth!
ReplyDeleteLinnea, I'll leave that question for the Co-Habitant to answer, but I am pretty sure your road bike will take fenders.
Rodney is rod-braked. The brake shoes push against the inside of the rim, on both sides of the spokes. That's a minor difference, though, because the system still needs to clear the fender, just like with a regular brake.
ReplyDeleteThe other 3-speed has regular brakes.
Both are factory, together with fenders, so Raleigh made sure that everything is designed with enough clearance in mind.
I am surprised to hear that a vintage road bike with 27" wheels does not have enough space for fenders. Both of our Motobecanes (which use Weinmann center-pull caliper brakes) have loads of clearace for fat tubes + Honjos. Which model is your road bike?
It's a Schwinn World Sport, nothing too exciting.
ReplyDeleteOh man, I LOVE those tires! I think I have to get them for Clementine, my nearly identical green Raleigh 5-speed. They look fabulous.
ReplyDeleteDark green + cream = very classy!
ReplyDeleteLinnea - Don't despair, fenders should be able to fit a Schwinn World Sport. Granted, some road bikes don't have the necessary clearance, but a Schwinn ought to. Road bike fenders usually fit pretty close to the tire. It's important to note that fenders come in different sizes to match tire width. Velo Orange has a good section on fenders.
Hope this helps
Linnea - check out these; they should fit.
ReplyDeleteNice.
ReplyDeleteI'm amazed you have long sleeves. And co-h has pants and long sleeves. I'm crying from the heat.
The tires look great.
I love cream tires! As you said, they look very elegant with the dark green frames. Schwalbe is the best, too.
ReplyDeleteconveniently, have been eyeing those exact same fenders! thanks.
ReplyDeleteI'm guessing these aren't available in 27"? I've looked and can't find them.
ReplyDeleteJ. Emery - They are available in 700, which might be compatible? Here are all their sizes.
ReplyDeleteV - It's a gauze-thin shirt and the sleeves keep me from turning into a lobster : )
just came across this post again, i'm getting the cream deltas for my wifes Superbe, it looks great on your sport.. thanks for the inspiration.
ReplyDeleteI just bought a pair for my "grocery sports" (the one that gets locked outside). I have not put them on yet, but I am looking forward to testing them out. Until now I've been a devout Conti Top Touring user for my Raleighs, but they are getting hard to find. Interesting that you compare them to Schwalbe Marathons - that is what we have on our Bromptons. The marathons are great, but even at only 16" they cost ~ $15 more than their 26" sibling. Lovely bicycles you have there.
ReplyDeleteI just have to say that you are amazing. Anytime I do a google search on bike question i needed answered, like "delta cruisers versus Marathon Plus"--9 times out of 10 a blog post of yours comes up and answers it. It is like you are Bicycle Fairy Godmother.
ReplyDeleteYou might like this youtube of how Schwalbe tires are made. Surprisingly complicated.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M9RzJAWvOMQ&
Disappointed with the color. I received mine in the mail yesterday from Harris Cyclery and they look yellow. Every review I've read states they are an understated cream color, so was not expecting an aged yellow. Hope they live up to performance.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the great article. I just found the same bike as yours in my parents garage and will be refreshing it for my female friends to ride.
ReplyDeleteNote on the Schwalbe tires. The 26" Creme has the reflective stripe, but the 28* has two part numbers. One with and one without the reflective stripe.