Those look like Michelin World Tours.

Thanks for the compliment, but I must admit, its a 25 footer that photographs well:). Plenty of patina up close but I love this bike. The tires are Michelin World Tours with Schwalbe tubes. I am a Clydesdale and wanted tires I could pump up to 65 psi or so. The bike had Kenda gumwalls when I bought it and they were very nice also but were limited to 40 psi (I think).

There's been a lot of talk about "best tires" for these bicycles on this thread and, while I've seen them mentioned a few times, no one seems to have pointed to the MWT's as a "go to" tire.

Odd, given the price point and Michelin's well deserved reputation for high quality...

BTW, I think I owe you an apology from many months back when we were discussing handlebars on Raleigh built bikes. I mistook a Hercules we own that was made in Holland for an English built bike. You had made the point that all of the Raleighs and Raleigh sub-brands had a Northroads type bar that gave ample room for the grips w/o forcing the trigger shifter into the radius of the bar - where it's squirrelly at best, impossible at worst.

So, yes, totally different handlebars on the Dutch bikes [like the one I have and had to do surgery on the grips] so you were correct... on the English built bikes there's no need to "shorten" the generic cork grips that are "out there", but on the Dutch built bikes, yes, sometimes you must...

I'll mine the post numbers and post them for reference as I want this thread to be as accurate as possible for those who come to the hobby/obsession in the future LOL!

FWIW, one of my "scouts" procured a men's version of the Dutch made Hercules bikes for me last week so I was able to close out this little mystery. [about the grips]

For that bike I have these on order and I hope they will mean no surgery needed on it!

Velo Cork 92 mm hand grips Velo Cork Bicycle Bike Handlebar Bar Grips Brown | eBay

Caio!

Until Pana starts making Paselas in 590 the World Tour is my Goto tire for that size and that's what I recommend to any of my customers who ride them. It's a great tire, and in that price range is hard to beat. The reflective sidewall is a great bonus too. I wish Panasonic would start putting it on their tires as well. It's a huge safety feature IMHO.

I did not know this. I may have to search one out and try replacing the cover as a winter project.

So I guess you're not in the Col de la Vie camp?

Here are three pics of the "Princess Pea"...

She's a very, very nice riding and smooth bike. If you notice the headbadge it says neither Made in Nottingham England nor Made in Birmingham England. Down at the bottom of the seat tube it has a decal that says something very close to: Made under license in the Netherlands.

So I guess on a Hercules one needs to determine which of these locales the bike was built in.

Anyway, long story short, there wasn't enough room on the handgrip area of the handlebars to mount those ubiquitous [and very nice] cork grips.

http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=441052http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=441053http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=441054

Its the reflective stripe that puts me off the World Tours. I don't ride much at night so the safety aspect is a non-issue, and its already hard enough to find something that looks like gumwalls used to without a shiny band running through it.

I tried out the CdVs for the first time, getting out for a cold but longer ride the other day. They are very cushy over rougher roads, but I do feel they roll very slowly. Glad to have tried them, and I am sure they will last a while, but I'm not likely to buy another pair. The Paselas I tried on my Trek IGH conversion were ideal but not made in the 590 size.

I need a "3 speed" fix! My Prince Phillip(s) is pretty much done. Nothing more to do, but maybe upgrade the lightbulbs from Reflectalight. Emailed & they told me what front/rear bulb to get and the Xgen2 Regulator. Don't know if I want to spend the money for such an upgrade given that I'd likely use my modern battery lights at night anyway.

Have any of you done this with these particular bulbs?

Sounds interesting! I've got LED bulbs in my lighting but I think they only conduct in one direction. From the sounds of it, the Nicelights light up in either direction off of fairly low power, so they stay on longer during the alternator pulse of the Dynohub. So you should get more light. The regulator sounds like its pretty important for that setup.

Yeah, I wish there was a Pasela in 590 as well. It would be even better if they made it with the same "block" tread of the Col de la Vies. What we need is a Jan Heine type to convince Panasonic to take it on! ;) Of course, we could do the same thing that Compass and anyone else does when they want a fancy tire: call up Panasonic and have them make it for you. Wonder how much that would cost...

It's amazing that when gumwalls in 590 comes up, no one mentions the fact that Schwalbe Delta Cruisers come in a gumwall, and no reflective strip to boot! Maybe we're all just fixated on the cream colored Delta Cruisers?
Delta Cruiser, 37-590, Gumwall, Wire | Schwalbe North America
http://cyclocrossracing-cdn.make-a-s...600-407983.Jpg

I also tried the Col de la Vies, and am not in the camp. I liked the look, and also felt it was pretty cush over rough/gravel. I felt that they rolled a bit faster than Delta Cruisers. My biggest issue with them was how...delicate they are. Pretty much no flat protection. I got tired of the numerous flats, especially a number of slow leaks that I (or the bike shop) could never find the source of. I'm not a light guy and do carry a bit of stuff in my day-to-day adventures, and I just felt that the tires weren't up to the task. If I was going to do more a path-racer/clubman style build and use the bike as just a riding bike, I might go with the Col de la Vies again. For now, I'm sticking to Delta Cruisers until we get those Paselas in 590!

In my estimation, the toughest tires in 590 are the Schwalbe Marathon Plus. I like 'em,and I like the way they look -- all black with a reflective stripe right along the rim line. They are pricey and not widely available (amazon shows them) and some people claim they are sluggish and heavy. I pump them up pretty high, which eliminates sluggish, and don't talk too much about heavy, for very obvious reasons.

Here in Toronto, Canadian Tire carries these Kenda brand tires. Reasonably priced for everyday riding.

https://youtu.be/1FzxSp9GxSM

Yeah, Marathon Plus would be the toughest tires in 590, though I have to say that the Delta Cruisers are plenty tough enough for me.

And in the US, you can get any tire that Schwalbe makes for the American market (providing it's in stock) direct from Schwalbe USA. I bought some tires from them last year and paid just $6.50 for FedEx Ground Shipping. (May be more elsewhere, as Schwalbe USA is based in Ferndale, WA just north of Bellingham and I live in Portland.)
Marathon Plus, 42-590, Black-Reflex, Wire | Schwalbe North America

Boy, it didn't take much to lure you into this world. While these mechanical projects are great, you might consider riding them in what otherwise would be your wrenching time.

I have the Schwalbe Delta Cruisers in white on my Rudge. To my taste, they ride harshly. Maybe I overinflated them. And while I'm not a huge fan of Kenda, I was impressed with their ride on my friend's three-speed. I think it was the Kwest, but I could be wrong.

:)

And @velocivixen does have some opportunity to ride a three speed in Portland, like on a Three Speed Ride. ;)

My two cents: Rather than go through the trouble of retrofitting a retro light, get the B+M Retrotec LED dynamo light. Goes for about $60 new. Yes, I realize that it's not "authentic", but from ten feet away it doesn't look any different. And if you have a Dynohub, might as well use that dynamo lighting!

Maybe I'm just too much of a pragmatist, but when the option is between "keep the not-really-good authentic light and clip a modern battery light to the handlebars" and "get a good modern aesthetically correct LED dynamo lamp to use with the Dynohub", I go with the latter. You can always save the old lamp for a later project. Or for next year when Portland will actually get a winter! :D

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7611/...05581d1d85.jpg

Good idea, @adventurepdx.

I found the sweet spot is somewhere around 55 psi, esp. if you have an alloy rim.

Inexpensive DL-1 on Portland Craigslist. Almost...too inexpensive. $120?
DL-1 Raleigh Tourist Bicycle
http://images.craigslist.org/00J0J_b...bF_600x450.jpg

@adventurepdx - Yeah, I wish I could have been on your 3 speed ride. For the next 6 months I'm not readily available on Saturdays before noon.
@noglider - yes, I like projects, and I have been riding...different ones of my bikes.

Almost worth it just for the tires...

Well, since the next ride is on a Sunday (June 21st), you'll have to find a different excuse! ;)

(and if I knew you could have made it later, I could have figured up a meeting spot, if you were into coming)

Yes, but the 21st is Sunday Parkways. I usually go to those. However since I've missed your 3 speed ride, your gig would take precedence. Will want to take a closer look at how you hooked your wires to dynamo. I presume you had to cut the modern end off & attach metal hooks for where it bolts on to dynamo?