LyzurJane

The tires on my trusty commuter bike (Raleigh LTD-3) are getting very worn and I need to replace them soon. Any recommendations?

Would it be totally gauche to put gumwall tires on an LTD-3, for example?

David Newton

No, the gumwall Kenda's are about the best inexpensive 26 x 1-3/8" tire. I've ridden mine almost bald with never a flat.

bobn

I have a blue LTD 3 and it looks great in gumwalls.
+1 on the Kendas.
I am presently using Michelin World Tour with gumwall and reflector strip.
Also a nice look

PHT

I say keep it black! Sunlite has a blackwall made by Vee Rubber that is in the same price point as the Kendas (both gumwall and blackwall,) but it is way way thicker rubber and appears to have a slightly wider profile. Just from handling them, they look and feel a LOT like the asian made Raleigh Red Dot tires that are original to my LTD 3 (which I prefer to the Kendas- not that the Kendas are bad.) They may or may not wear well, who knows.

I am not sure how they ride as I havent mounted them yet, but I wish they were still available. I bought the last 4 at the NY warehouse and appears they are now out of stock throughout the company. However, you may get lucky and find some at your LBS or favorite online retailer. Here's the p/n if you are interested in checking them out :

https://www.jbimporters.com/web/check...t_number=59377

If you cant find these and want to keep it black, simply get the Kenda blackwalls. I am having a hard time finder higher quality classic looking blackwalls though. The Panaracer is a nice high quality option but I dont like gumwalls on my LTD!

Howard

Recently bought some Michelin World Tours for the 1948 Sports I'm working on.
Thought I'd do differently this time. That said, I have no complaints on the Kenda's I have been using for several years - a set of which recently went on SWMBO's '74 LTD-3.

I think the K-40 Kenda is what I've experienced.
Just make sure you get the 37 - 590 (or whatever-590) and not the 597, because they aren't really interchangeable.

From Michelin:
https://www.michelinbicycletire.com/m...worldtour.view


Panaracer also sells some 590 tires that are supposed to be really nice, although kind of spendy.

noglider 

The Panaracer tire that Howard speaks of is the Col de la Vie. I hear they're really nice. They may not be durable, though.

I have the Schwalbe Delta Cruiser on my 3-speed, and I think they ride too harshly. I'm going to switch to Kenda Kwest. I generally don't like Kenda tires, but I tried them on my friend's 3-speed (also an LTD-3), and I liked them quite a lot. And no, I don't think it's gauche to put gumwalls on a 3-speed. They'll look just fine.

LyzurJane

Thanks for the input, all. I'm going with the Kenda K-40 gumwalls. I'm looking for decent yet cost effective tires, and I love the look of the gumwalls. Will let you know if I have a problem with them.

wahoonc

I have some Walmart Bell specials on my beer/basket bike and they roll along just fine. Kendas are always a good choice on the bang for the buck. I have one set of Michelins on my son's city bike and two sets of the Col de la Vie on two other bikes, they are some nice riding tires, but I can't tell you how long they will last because I just put them on late last year and they haven't been ridden more than about 20 miles.

Aaron