Tire size Q

[musclebikemadman]

I've been mulling over building a SS klunker from an old frame. I know 26" was the most prevalent size for such bikes, but were there ever any made with larger diameter wheels? I saw on another thread here where someone had installed 27.5" wheels on an old Phantom frame. Will any of the old Schwinns take larger wheels, or only certain models? I have my eye on a couple of different frames, but I want to make sure I can do what I want before I proceed.

Tony

Schwin cantilever frames are all the same size basically even the king size when it come to tires. The difference is in the width of the seatstays , chain stay and forks. The balloon type are slightly larger mostly to accomidate the fenders. I have 26x2.125 tires on a middle weight with no fenders. The height of the tire would be an issue at some point. If you put a taller tire on a middleweight the width becomes a problem. Different tires have different profiles some bigger then 2.125 might for but it would be trial and error. Schwinn balloon frames can get expensive.

 

[Kevin B]

Anyone have any recommendations on 26" tires in the 2.125" or 2.2" range? I see various offerings from Maxxis, Kenda, Duro, Sunlite, CST, etc. I don't want to pay premium $$, but I don't want ultra cheap, either. I'm not a mountain biker, but I sometimes go off-road for short stretches, I do some side street and sidewalk riding, and a fair bit of gravel on rail trails. Don't want slicks, either. I've seen tires listed as "official Schwinn replacement" listed on Amazon. My rims are 24mm internal width.

I get these 2.125 tires on eBay. I've bought about four pair black and also w/w. They are inexpensive, low friction and durable. I like the modern style and profile of them too. https://www.ebay.com/itm/26-X-2-125...6-5825-436c-9ded-745377adc3ce&redirect=mobile

 

[RustyGold]

I saw on another thread here where someone had installed 27.5" wheels on an old Phantom frame. Will any of the old Schwinns take larger wheels, or only certain models?

Alan Bond's 27.5" klunker

 

[MattiThundrrr]

Alan Bond's 27.5" klunker

But what does he know about klunking?

"Back in 1976/1977 when I shared a house with Gary Fisher and Charley Kelly we would occasionally sit around the living room talking about the bikes"

Oh. To be a fly on that wall

 

[wvoldguy]

I ended up going with Kenda Komfort 26x2.125 Wire Clincher 60TPI tires. The Kenda K892 tires on my wife's bike have held up well for years, and I seriously considered picking up some through eBay, but I preferred tires that don't have the knobby edges. As these will be mounted on wider rims, I flipped and flopped while debating whether to go to 2.2" or even 2.3" tires. In the end, I decided to forego the chance I'd have to further dimple the chainstays. Thanks to all who added their input.