Can I run modern beach cruiser tires and wheels on an old Schwinn?

[JimMendel]

I have a nice, straight 1964 Typhoon frame with S-7 Schwinn middleweight wheels. Was thinking about buying a later model beach cruiser and pirate the wheels off of it as part of the build. It has fenders on it. Will they still fit?

 

[deorman]

It'll be close. If the braces are long enough, you may still need to indent the fenders at the fork and seat stays. They use to have a slightly larger tire for S-7 but I haven't seen them in a while. You can definitely get some 2" aftermarket tires for the common standard rims.

 

[Modelcarjedi]

I like these tires on my s-7 rims. They are a tad beefier than regular s-7 tires

https://www.bmxguru.com/collections...-bicycle-tire-all-black-54-571-goodyear-style


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Wildcat]

Beach cruisers usually have the 2.125 inch width. I've used those with no fenders easily on Schwinn middleweight frames like yours. Your fenders don't look like Schwinn, they look a little bigger which would work with the standard wheels and tires. It looks like you have a little more clearance than with the middleweight fenders Schwinn would have put on there.
I've had others say they fit a standard wheel set and 2.125 tires with the factory fenders that came with their Schwinn middleweights. So, I think they will fit.

The black Duro 26 x 2.125 tires would be good, looks like the classic Schwinn pattern:

 

[Dizzle Problems]

Yes, they’ll fit.
For reference, here is a middleweight with middleweight fenders, with ‘standard’ 26” wheels and 2.125 wide tires.

 

[SilverBullet08]

Yes and yes. 3 speed nexus on an American and 7 speed nexus on the Tiger

 

[us56456712]

This worked on my Schwinn corvette. Other brand middleweights didn’t work for me, not enough room in the frame.

 

[Starnger]

I run wide reproduction Roadmaster rims and Schwinn Typhoon Cord 2.125 tires on my GF's 1963 Corvette, with original Schwinn fenders (from later model though, 1987 HD). No problem, even got some room left.

 

[us56456712]

Yes, they’ll fit.
For reference, here is a middleweight with middleweight fenders, with ‘standard’ 26” wheels and 2.125 wide tires.
View attachment 93080

Dangerous. Road junk, gravel etc. gets stuck between the tire and fender and causes a crash. Very old bikes had giant clearance to avoid fender/tire lockup. I have a friend, who worked with me before we were retired. Four years ago he was riding on the bike path and derbies got stuck between his oversized tires and fender. He remembers nothing except waking up 400 miles away in a brain trauma unit even though he wore a helmet. He now has very poor balance, walks shakily with a cane and has speech that is so poor and slow that I have a hard time understanding him. He can ride a low to the ground recumbent on the flat bike path. Over the bars on your head is bad as you stop immediately and your brain takes it all.