Hiawatha frame size

[Tonka]

Hey Guys,
I recently bought a really cool Hiawatha straight bar frame from a guy I know locally. He sold it to me as a 24" frame. It had a crusty 24" wheel on the rear and a crankset with 5 1/2 arms on it. I got it to my house and started to size up a few of my 24" parts and nothing seemed to match. I took off the forks and noticed that the fork length matched some of my 26" bikes and none of my other 24" bikes. It has a really short headtube similar to my Monark that I bought as a 20" and have always suspected it to be a 24".

How do I tell if it really is a 24" frame or a 26" frame?

 

[Tonka]

It'll hold a 26" rim, but so will my other 24" bikes.......
Then again.....I've not tried it with a rim AND a tire full of air.......

 

[user 135]

Air in the tires can make a big dif. A 26" might not fit. I like bikes with bigger wheels than original.

 

[Tonka]

Re: "A tire full of air"

Mystery solved via "A tire full of air"
It's a 24" bike.........
Eureka! .....and, at the same time, "Duh!"