# Tire and wheel options. 1923 Hawthorne



## Skulybros (Jun 20, 2022)

Hello, I am looking at putting a 1923 Hawthorne Deluxe back on the road. I would like to keep the wood wheels with it but ride on metal rims. (I have thought about lacing the stock hubs into new rims as well.) What is the best option to look original and ride well? Let's say cost is the last concern at this point. This unit is getting full frame off restoration. Thanks.


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## fordmike65 (Jun 20, 2022)

Welcome to the Cabe. There's lots of info on this very subject if you use the search feature. There are display tires some also use for riding, modern sew-up tires that seem to work,  wheelsets off of some British bikes, wheelsets off modern bikes as well as lacing up original hubs to the favorite Velocity Blunts.


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## Cooper S. (Jun 20, 2022)

My vote is Alex adventure 700c rims with vintage hubs wrapped in gravel king tires


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## RustyHornet (Jun 21, 2022)

Very cool Schwinn built Hawthorne! I have it’s twin! I am currently going through the same thing, building a new wheel set with Velocity Blunt 35’s. The only difference being, I am using new hubs.


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## mike j (Jun 21, 2022)

I've had good luck grooving & faux wood graining old metal clads. I got it here on the Cabe. I believe that @bikewhorder first posted the process. They can be had at swaps pretty reasonably, the grooving isn't hard to do & my wood graining skills have progressed from poor, all the way to mediocre. I've ridden this one pretty hard & am confident that they won't catastrophically fail. The metal does add a lot of strength to the side wall & they look fairly authentic.


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## New Mexico Brant (Jun 21, 2022)

If you want to be period correct and have a good ride this is it:








						Official G & J Clincher Rims Thread | Antique Bicycles Pre-1933
					

This thread is intended to discuss the three types of clincher rims Gormully & Jeffery (G & J) offered.   A goal is to determine when certain rim types (wood, wood with steel inserts, and all metal) were first introduced and how long their individual production continued. Please feel free to...




					thecabe.com


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## Rusty72 (Jun 21, 2022)

I always do Velocity's as tires are easier to get.


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## New Mexico Brant (Jun 21, 2022)

Search results for query: G & J
					






					thecabe.com


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## dasberger (Jun 21, 2022)

Skulybros said:


> Hello, I am looking at putting a 1923 Hawthorne Deluxe back on the road. I would like to keep the wood wheels with it but ride on metal rims. (I have thought about lacing the stock hubs into new rims as well.) What is the best option to look original and ride well? Let's say cost is the last concern at this point. This unit is getting full frame off restoration. Thanks.View attachment 1649290



Welcome!  Nice bike...  would love to add it the the Pre '33 Schwinn registry.  Feel free to PM the serial and crank date for reference.  I'd think twice about restoring that bike.  Hard to find complete and that one has great original paint just needs to be cleaned up!  Do some digging here and you'll be amazed at what can be brought back

To OG question both G&J and Velocity blunts are great options...  Have both although the Blunts are certainly lighter.  Good luck with the project


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## RustyHornet (Jun 21, 2022)

dasberger said:


> Welcome!  Nice bike...  would love to add it the the Pre '33 Schwinn registry.  Feel free to PM the serial and crank date for reference.  I'd think twice about restoring that bike.  Hard to find complete and that one has great original paint just needs to be cleaned up!  Do some digging here and you'll be amazed at what can be brought back
> 
> To OG question both G&J and Velocity blunts are great options...  Have both although the Blunts are certainly lighter.  Good luck with the project



Second on the restoration part! I’d gladly trade my current project that could actually use a restoration and keep this one here OG! But to each his own! Love seeing them regardless.


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## Iverider (Jun 21, 2022)

Velocitie Blunt 35s are almost identical in width and profile as well as diameter. 

The light colored rim in the pic is the Velocity Blunt 35 the rim with spokes is the wood rim.

I haven't seen another modern rim that matches better. Some people recommend 28" English rims, but they're actually larger in diameter than a 700c rim. Lots of good looking "Gravel bike" tires out there in approximately the right size (700x38 is approximately the same as the old style 28"x1.5" singletubes tires)


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## Skulybros (Jun 21, 2022)

The unit is much rougher in person than the pics. I have been looking for this bike for MANY years. I do alot of restoration of old things so it will be done absolutely correctly. I am a Historic Preservationist by trade.

I have limited my choices to old Westwood style rims vs modern Velocity Blunts. I am convinced to use my stock hubs. 


Where is the crank date? Thanks.


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## Freqman1 (Jun 21, 2022)

Alternatively you could have Noah Stutzman (see post #11 here  https://thecabe.com/forum/threads/wood-rims-and-tires.206152/page-2#post-1407988). 

I, too, would not restore this bike for two reasons; first it's actually a pretty nice original, second, the cost to correctly restore this bike will greatly exceed its finished value. If money is no object then no worries. If you hope to turn this at some point expect a loss. I also assume by correctly restore you mean to have the correct plating done e.g. nickel and cad and use a single stage automotive grade acrylic enamel. V/r Shawn


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## bikewhorder (Jun 21, 2022)

This was my "cost an object" solution to getting new tires on old rims.  It worked.  https://thecabe.com/forum/threads/i-made-some-wheel-progress-recently.27120/


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## Skulybros (Jun 21, 2022)

Yes I plan to restore it as close as the original as possible with correct practices. This unit would go into my personal collection and selling it is not something of concern. Pre depression era units like are extremely hard to find " in the wild" here in the Midwest. I do appreciate all of these comments. I have spent an entire lifetime preserving history of all kinds. Some things are left as is and some should be taken back to where they started.



Freqman1 said:


> Alternatively you could have Noah Stutzman (see post #11 here  https://thecabe.com/forum/threads/wood-rims-and-tires.206152/page-2#post-1407988).
> 
> I, too, would not restore this bike for two reasons; first it's actually a pretty nice original, second, the cost to correctly restore this bike will greatly exceed its finished value. If money is no object then no worries. If you hope to turn this at some point expect a loss. I also assume by correctly restore you mean to have the correct plating done e.g. nickel and cad and use a single stage automotive grade acrylic enamel. V/r Shawn


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## pelletman (Jun 26, 2022)

I'm another vote for preservation.  I have used velocity blunts in the past with great success.  That bike is WAAAAAYYYYY too nice to restore


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