Need 26 x 2.125 larger/taller Street/Cruiser replacement tire suggestion?

[G-T]

Hi everybody, I want to rotrod my balloon tire vintage bike with bigger tires that would fit stock fenders and frame without modifications.
I don't like off-road or winter tire's look.
Someone told me that the new imported Schwalbe 26 x 2.35 tires were actually the same size as regular 2.125???
Is there someone who installed Sunlite Sandy Beach tires (or other brands) 26 x 2.5 and took pictures?
My ratrod project is a 1951 rusty Firestone/Monark with stock deep fenders.
Any tip would be very much appreciated; Cheers...!!

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[Captain Awesome]

Ultimately much of the tires mounted width and height (crown) is dictated by the rim width

My Kenda 2.35 are true to size on the correct rim but if I squeeze them onto a narrower set they draw in about .125 but are significantly taller in the center or more crowned

 

[G-T]

Ultimately much of the tires mounted width and height (crown) is dictated by the rim width

My Kenda 2.35 are true to size on the correct rim but if I squeeze them onto a narrower set they draw in about .125 but are significantly taller in the center or more crowned

OK, Now I got it, all 26" tires 2.125, 2.35 or 2.50 are all 26" high, according that they must first be installed on their proper specific matching rim's width!?
So I will have to "try" to install a 2.50 tire on my stock 2.125 rims; hope it'll fit, or better yet, I hope someone will post some pictures of their personal experience in a bigger than stock tire swap; Thanks Very Much...!!

 

[RustyGold]

Nope. A 26" wheel is named such because that is what the original 26" x 2 1/8" tire was designed to measure. Every tire since then is at best a rough estimate. In Theory, any 2.125" wide '26' should be 26". Any increase in width will increase height, and a decrease will result in a less than 26" tall tire. The inner case of the tire is supposed to be a circle...so if you increase the width of a tire by .5"...the overall height of the wheel should increase by ~1". All this is adjusted by rim width, tread design, and truth in advertising.

 

[JaxRhapsody]

OK, Now I got it, all 26" tires 2.125, 2.35 or 2.50 are all 26" high, according that they must first be installed on their proper specific matching rim's width!?
So I will have to "try" to install a 2.50 tire on my stock 2.125 rims; hope it'll fit, or better yet, I hope someone will post some pictures of their personal experience in a bigger than stock tire swap; Thanks Very Much...!!

It's not the hieght, it's the diameter. A 26" tire... or 559mm, is around two feet tall. It's the inner diameter that measures 26", so that would be the bead. The outer diameter can be any size. I have two different size Kenda Kwest from my old ratrod, and the wider one is taller, the wider a tire, the taller it'll be, since it needs more sidewall.

Like the other user said;rim width plays a factor,and those old or basically single wall box cruiser rims are wide and actually don't permit to higher pressure,and usually have no bead support/flang- that's why balloon tires are how they are,when really they aren't no different than say a Schwalb Big Apple- which is a quote;balloon tire.

 

[JaxRhapsody]

The formating really got screwed up on that post,Im trying to say that if you had newer generic rims,or just newer in general,they're narrower and have a bead flange,thus you can run a higher pressure,and that combo will make the tire taller,and it MAY be narrower as a result,that depends on the tire,a twopointfifty kwest might not get narrower,but a twopointfifty kenda eightthirtyeight might,the .... is going on with this site?

 

[Karate Chicken Industries]

The formating really got screwed up on that post

the .... is going on with this site?

Not Enough Led Zeppelin



That should fix things!

 

[idiotboy]

Sun lite sandy beach 26x2.5

 

[MattiThundrrr]

Not Enough Sabbath

Fify

 

[G-T]

Sun lite sandy beach 26x2.5View attachment 203278View attachment 203281

Are those two bikes having wider rims than stock '50s type ones?

 

[Kevin B]

Sun lite sandy beach 26x2.5View attachment 203278View attachment 203281

What is the lighter blue frame? I like feature of the lower top tube extension.

 

[Wildcat]

It's not the hieght, it's the diameter. A 26" tire... or 559mm, is around two feet tall. It's the inner diameter that measures 26", so that would be the bead. The outer diameter can be any size. I have two different size Kenda Kwest from my old ratrod, and the wider one is taller, the wider a tire, the taller it'll be, since it needs more sidewall.

Like the other user said;rim width plays a factor,and those old or basically single wall box cruiser rims are wide and actually don't permit to higher pressure,and usually have no bead support/flang- that's why balloon tires are how they are,when really they aren't no different than say a Schwalb Big Apple- which is a quote;balloon tire.

View attachment 203243

559mm is the inner diameter, 22". The tire being 2" tall makes up the other 4 inches to make it a 26". 26 is the outer measurement, which isn't exact. The inner diameter must be exact to fit the rim. A 20" tire inner diameter is 16" as an example. 559 is the standard, the 26 x 1 3/8ths size and Schwinn S-7 26" are slightly different and have a different size inner diameter.
My 26 x 3.0 tires are 559 at the inner diameter, but they are 28 inches tall.

 

[idiotboy]

Are those two bikes having wider rims than stock '50s type ones?

No, the blue rims are off a 1950’s Columbia and the black ones are modern aluminum 1.75x26

 

[idiotboy]

What is the lighter blue frame? I like feature of the lower top tube extension.

That was originally a girl’s Colson frame, modified by Walker and sold to me years later at a swap meet by Danimal. There is a post on here somewhere way back.

Looked like this when I got it

 

[Kevin B]

Nice. I missed that one the first time around.