Originally Posted by
nlerner
On the subject of EA3 tires, I've been running Panaracer Col de la vies on a set of CR-18 rims for some time now and on a few different bikes. I like them a lot and never have had a flat (but they also don't see much mileage). They're well suited to unpaved surfaces at low PSI. With my dial caliper, they measure 37mm wide on those rims. For my 1940 Raleigh Sports project, I wanted blackwall tires and ordered some
Schwalbe Delta Cruisers, directly from Schwalbe USA at $17/tire. They're listed as 37 x 590, and I installed one last night on a steel Endrick rim, and at about 40 psi, they measure 35mm, which should be just right for this bike. I'm encouraged by the feel of these: the rubber isn't super hard, the look is traditional, the weight not too bad. Much better than those skinny Kenda rocks I reported on previously!
Yes, there's a big jump up in quality when you go up from the Kenda or Duro to the Schwalbe or Panaracer. I think the Kenda is a passable budget option - not great, but they lasted a lot longer than the Duro tires. But I noticed the difference in the quality of the ride improved a lot going to the Panaracer and the Schwalbe.
Did you have any trouble fitting them under the fenders? One thing I noticed was that the Panaracers maxed out my fender space on a 1974 Sports. The Schwalbes are on a 1958 Sports and the fit wasn't quite as tight, but certainly they were a larger tire than the Kenda or Duro.