It’s a bold move, so brace yourself: Over the past week, I have switched two bikes back to cream colored tires. Two bikes! At practically the same time! Crazy, no?
First, let’s talk about the Raleigh Crested Butte. A few months ago I picked up Continental Traffic 26″ x 2.1″ tires. I wanted to experiment with some more knobby tires for off-roading adventures. While they definitely helped the couple times I really needed it, even small-knobbies are finicky things. If I let the pressure get slightly low, I definitely felt it. Plus, the knobs started to rub against fenders no matter how much I tweaked them. So off they came and I replaced them with the old Rubena Cityhopper 26″ x 2.0″ tires that were on there before…
Next came the Raleigh Wayfarer three speed. After being frustrated by the Panaracer Col de la Vie tires that were on it (read a more thorough account over at Society of Three Speeds), I decided to go back to Schwalbe Delta Cruisers. I could have stayed with tanwalls, as Schwalbe makes that “flavor” for Delta Cruisers, but since I already had a perfectly good and used cream colored one, it was cheaper to just buy one other new tire, not two. So after a year of being cream-less, the Wayfarer is back to its old ways, tire wise.
At first I was a bit concerned about having two bikes with the same color tire. Then I realized that I never cared when I had multiple bikes with black tires, so why care if I have two bikes with the same not-black color? Besides, cream tires are sexy, if I do say so myself. What do you say? (Cue someone saying how they get dirty fast.)
Urban Adventure League 
“(Cue someone saying how they get dirty fast.)”
Maybe, but I’m not sure people with clean bikes can be trusted. I say, if you want a little creme with your coffee, use it and enjoy it.
Next time you get the Tire Urge, try some Schwalbe Big Ben’s. They are like the Big Apple version with deeper cleats and IMHO, the best all around tire. They are great on pavement and gravel too. And yes, they come in cream.
Oh, I know about Big Bens, that’s what’s on the Heavy Duti! Unfortunately the Crested Butte maxxes out at about 2.1″ width with fenders, so the Big Bens are not an option at 2.35″. I tried a similar width tire (CST Metropolitan Palm Bay) and just too much clearance issues.
Big Ben’s come in 26×2.15 in Cream and even 26×2 in black. For the record, my 26×2.15 Bens are 54.6mm wide mounted on 17mm rims.
Good to know. I think I’m getting them confused with Fat Franks (which actually are on the Heavy Duti.) Or maybe I’m confusing them with the Large Larrys? Or Rotund Rogers?
Your bicycles look great with the creamwalls. Lately I’ve had good luck with tires that are advertised with Kevlar as part of the tire. It doesn’t seem to matter which brand and I like tires with 65psi and greater. The last tire I bought was a Ching Sing Goodyear pattern 26 x 2.125 inch kevlar/rubber tire at 65psi and have had no flats for months. The bicycle it is on spends a large part of its life on dirt and gravel roads. I weigh 245 lbs which destroys bicycle tires. These newer puncture resistant bicycle tires are quite a bit better generally than the older style bicycle rubber tires. I get more miles and fewer flats. Good luck with your new tires.
To be clear, the Rubena Cityhoppers are actually my OLD tires!
I like like lighter tires on dark frames, so yes, I like your style!
I think as you already know that I like cream colored tires. I think both your bikes look great and what’s a little dirt but some extra traction. I’m also a big fan thus far of the 2.15 x 26 Big Ben’s which I have on my Atlantis mounted on DT Swiss XR425’s 23mm wide. Great on pavement & Gravel.
Could you please tell me how you set up your computer? I have a cruiser too but can’t figure out how to set up the computer. My computer only covers mountain and road bikes. Thanks
What do you mean by “cruiser”, as this designation means different things to different people.
Really, it’s all about tire size and width. You just need to see what your wheel size is on the provided chart and input that number. The tire size will be on the tire sidewall, like 26″ x 2.0″ or 50-559.
If it isn’t there, Sheldon Brown has the answer:
http://sheldonbrown.com/cyclecomputer-calibration.html
Oh man I forgot all about that website. Thanks so much. When I say cruiser, though, I mean like Pee Wee Herman’s bike. But thanks again for the site and the help.