Suggestions for beach cruiser tires?

Rat Rod Bikes Bicycle Forum

Help Support Rat Rod Bikes Bicycle Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
Joined
May 12, 2015
Messages
8
Reaction score
3
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
New here and don't know a lot about bikes other than the basics.

I've got a The Realm beach cruiser that needs new tires. Original tires sidewalls are splitting. Original size is a 26 x 2.30 tire. I don't exactly know what tires will fit on the wheels - assume it will fit any 26" bike tire?

Ideally want to keep the cost as low as possible, since I assume that's what 'rat rodding' is all about...and because I have 2 of these bikes to replace rubber on. Like the aesthetics of fat knobby tires (probably because I like 4x4 trucks) but thinking this is not the best solution for a street-ridden single speed cruiser.
Bike will likely be repainted this year, so my brain says get the tires I plan to use once completed. I see TONS of tire choices online and in varying widths - not exactly sure what width will fit my wheels.

Low rolling resistance with good aesthetics and price is what I am looking for.

here's the bike:
ZQi10Cn.jpg
 
Get 26" tires that are sized by decimal, not fractions. There are different sizes, but lucky for you, your rims take the size that has the most variety available. 26 x 2.125 is the common beach cruiser size and will go right on there, but 26 x 1.90 and even skinnier will fit too. You can get wide tires with good rolling resistance. It's mainly in the tread pattern. I've used Niagara for the cheapest prices and they have a big selection too.

http://www.niagaracycle.com/categories/tires-tubes/tires/26/26-x-1-90-2-5
 
thanks for the info it definitely helps. Aside from the resistance created by tread pattern, how much would the width affect this? I guess between the 1.90-2.5" tires, since those are what fit my wheels. Are there any aggressive tread patterns known to have slightly less resistance? I see a lot of cruisers around town with knobby-ish tires, such as these Cheng Shin tires: http://www.niagaracycle.com/categories/cheng-shin-c693-knobby-tire-26-x-2-125-wire-wsw -- can I assume these have a decent rolling resistance since the tread is fairly tight compared to a true MTB tire?

or would something like these be a better choice?
http://www.niagaracycle.com/categories/kenda-26x2-125-bw-atb-w-ridge-k53-max-40-psi
http://www.niagaracycle.com/categories/duro-db-1012-beach-bum-tire-26-x-2-215-wire-bead-black-wall
 
I would go with one of the smoother treads and make sure they are aired up to the max. I put more than prescribed in my Schwinn Typhoon cord 2.125 tires, about 45psi, and they rolled very well. Along with alloy rims, this bike was better at rolling than a 26" lightweight bike with skinny tires I had. Perfectly adjusted and lubed bearings also make a difference. I could roll farther than newer bikes on the smooth bike paths on this heavyweight bike.

2zdzyuh.jpg
 
I have the Holy Rollers on a trike and they are probably the closest to what you're looking for. They have a knobby looking design that is actually quite smooth and they roll nice on pavement.
If you search enough sometimes you can find then cheap. I paid $15 each with tubes on EBay.
 
I love me some Fat Franks, but i also like cheaper/"clunky" tires too. Holy Rollers are nice, and come in both 2.2 and 2.4" sizes. But I gotta say, I recently mounted up some Kenda Kiniptions in a 26x2.3" size (they run smaller in reality though, about 2.125"); they run up to 85psi, and roll fast, plus they have an awesome, grippy, bead-to-bead tread that offers awesome traction. Plus, they look cool, in my opinion: http://www.niagaracycle.com/categories/kenda-kiniption-26-x-2-30-black-black-wire-tire
keuoo2-1.jpg

Yeah, these are more bmx-cruiser than beach cruiser, but the same can be said for Maxxis Holy Rollers....

At any rate, run whatever tires you like and enjoy the ride!
 
thanks for more suggestions. Those Maxxis Holy Rollers are a pretty savage looking tire :thumbsup: I also like the Schwalbe Big Ben and Crazy Bob.

Are Cheng Shin/CST tires really that bad? I looked them up and it seems they are the same company as Maxxis, which I know makes good rubber. Would they be on-par or better than Kenda?

Also like the looks of:
CST Cyclops: http://www.niagaracycle.com/categories/cst-cyclops-pro-tire-26-x-2-4-black-steel-bead
Kenda K-Rad looks like Holy Rollers: http://www.niagaracycle.com/categories/kenda-k-rad-26-x-2-30-black-black-steel
Duro Berm Master: http://www.niagaracycle.com/categories/duro-26x2-35-berm-master-wire-bead-berm-master-26x2-35-black

I think I'm just going to find some that are inexpensive and have the look I want. Also see some package deals on eBay that come with tubes and liners, so perhaps will go that route.
 
I was going to suggest the k rad. They are all knobby looking, take a high psi and are super smooth on the street. I think I'm running the 26x2.3
 
CST does own Maxxis: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cheng_Shin_Rubber My experience is, you get what you pay for with tires, for the most part. A cheap Kenda will be roughly on-par with a cheap CST, and so forth. At a given price point, they'll be really similar, but you might pay literally a few bucks more for the name-recognition that comes from a Kenda or a Maxxis over a CST or a Sunlite (even though Maxxis is just a badge-engineered CST, and Kenda makes a lot of the Sunlite-label products. Also, there are a lot of Cheng Shin products that have identical treads and specs as Kenda products. The whole situation is murky.)

If you want fast rolling tires, you'll want something with less friction. One way to achieve this is with relatively smoother tread, but high pressure is nice, too. When I pump my Kiniptions up to 85psi (manufacturer's recommended max), they really do accelerate and roll noticeably faster. K-Rads are close behind at 80 max psi in the 26x2.3 size; Holy Rollers come in at 65, as do the Maxxis Hookworms (can't believe nobody suggested these yet.... they might be a nice option if your frame will clear 2.5" rubber...)
mbhkw2-1.jpg

The CST Cyclops is a bit of a Hookworm knock-off, but they take 65psi, too. The thing about both the hookworm and the Cyclops s, they weigh a whole lot. Most of us feel like "big deal; cruisers are heavy anyway, so what's the difference?" This is kind of how i feel about it, although there is a theory that rotating weight (tires, wheels, cranks) makes a bigger difference than static weight (frame, fork, saddle, etc) does....

Fat Franks inflate to 55psi these days; earlier versions were rated to 65psi, if my memory serves me right.

The cheapie stuff like the tractor tread Kenda K80 and the virtually identical Sunlite Cruiser 80 and Cheng Shin C693 are rated at 40psi; running higher pressures is a crap-shoot, and 40psi will feel sluggish and increase friction versus higher-pressure offerings.
 
I was going to suggest the k rad. They are all knobby looking, take a high psi and are super smooth on the street. I think I'm running the 26x2.3
I run the K-RAD 2.3 on my Klunkers and like them for light dry trail riding and they roll smooth on the street
 
thanks bicycle808, that was some very informative comparison info.

after looking more, I narrowed it down to the KRad ($26) and Duro Berm Master ($25). I also found the DMR Moto RT, which look very very close to the KRad, but are more expensive. Holy Rollers are a little out of my price range for this bike unless I go with 2.2 on F/R instead of the 2.4 size ($28 vs $38).

Duro Berm Master
berm-master-2.jpg


Kenda K-Rad
KE030N811_zoom.jpg


DMR Moto RT
tydmr-motort.jpg


One last cheaper tire that got my interest is the Schwinn Street Comfort w/Kevlar ($17) but they are only 1.95 and though they are aggressive looking, not sure if the narrower width will help gain the look I want.
spin_prod_247690501


Since I have two of these bikes (the 2nd is missing a front wheel) I might end up getting the Schwinn tires now since I need to replace the rubber on the running bike. Cheaper all around and lets me afford other stuff like tubes, etc. Also I know the brand and like the idea of Kevlar. When I tear apart the 2nd frame to do my build and get another front wheel, I think I might invest in the more expensive meats and get the exact look I want.
 
i understand what you're saying, that's why i inquired about the Schwinns to see if they're even worth my time, since I know basically nothing about bike tires other than they're rubber and round.
KRad is likey what I'll end up with, but want to weigh all my options first.

Just this month I've already spent $2k on "toys" for myself (cabinet table saw, carburetor + vehicle transport), which my wife isn't too happy with already - so If I'm about to drop another $75 on a bicycle tire parts to fix an old bike I know I'm going to get an earful :banghead: We've ridden bikes literally only 3-5 times in ~10yrs. Maybe I'll end up having to buy her a cheap hybrid bike like she's been interested in for the past month to keep her happy.


BTW, does brand of tire tube make a difference? Was thinking the Avenir schrader 26x2.125-2.40" is what I will get.
For rim tape, what size would I need??? for a klunker bike like this, can I get away with reinforced packing tape like I've read many people use on their bikes? I've got a roll of that and gorilla tape in my garage already.
 
Last edited:
Hey!
I am curious to know how your experience with the bike has been.

I am set to pick up a black version of your bike tomorrow afternoon and until I saw it listed for $40 on Craigslist about an hour ago I'd not been aware of this bike at all. But it looks very distinctly unique and kind of gives me a little bit of a dopamine rush when I look at the pic.

I saw the ad, contacted seller set up a meeting to buy it and then set out to find out what the deal was with this newfangled bicycle i had totally discovered... just like columbus "dicovered" America.

I have had a "the Realm" frame and fork hanging in my garage for a while now, but the pic on CL showed Realm in some font across the top bar. I knew from trying to get info on the "The Realm" i have that the info was probably scarce. Well, even less info seems to be available via search in google and bing for cruisers that simply go by Realm. In the image search for google I did finally locate my future bike's cousin. Of course the one image and link to follow with even a snowball's chance to get me up to snuff is the website i already am constantly heading to already. Ratrodbikes.com

I am sure you figure by now that the post the images came from is this one and that the cousin is your bike.

I'm hoping you can fill in a little bit of the details that are missing for the brand, the model, what it is like... etc...

The "The Realm" I have is a mystery machine already but at least it always looks the same, thus has been standardized parts wise and so it has that connection with other ones I have found online.

Your bike looks like it's the same as mine but the paint is not the same nor are the words written the same or are the graphic elements in the same spots or same style nor do the rims and tires match which would suggest that the bike was around for a couple years or had to have been built enough times where a major change in appearance would be cost effective.

As far as I can tell, this post is one of the only solid link for finding out more on what this particular bike is and any info about it.
But it mostly just is links to other sites that are selling bike tires and not much about the actual bike itself. (hopefully the people posting those links have affiliate links so they make money for the ad they made by linking there)
When I get home with it tomorrow afternoon, I will detail the impression I get about the thing and with any luck, we can compare notes
 
I kinda like the funky fenders on your bike... I bought a pair of beach bum tires but they are way too wide to fit on my old 56 hawthorne middleweight and I had to go with 26 x 1.50 tires to fit the fenders.
 
Yeah I don't know too much about the bikes I've got. My dad found them when at the dump years ago. I found very little info online about the company "the realm" other than it was a surfer who had started a bike company or something like that. Tried finding other pics of these bikes and I saw several styles - springer and non springer cruisers. Mostly from for sale ads, lol.
Anyways, I like the bike. It seems like a solid start for something cool. I did get new tires for my bike - Kenda K-Rad tires....but then I decided to take apart my heavily oxidized and unhappy wheels to paint them up. Can't put new tires on those old wheels. Stupidly I only did the front wheel just to get up and going again and then realized I had the same age tire on the rear as the one that failed. I also had a 2nd rear wheel off the 2nd bike - so now I've got it disassembled, cleaned up and waiting for paint. I went with gloss royal red rims and hub with satin black spokes - it looks REALLY good with the k-rad tires.
I did find stickers on the rims that said 2008, so perhaps that's when the bike is from.
 

Latest posts

Back
Top