Tires: 26 x 1 3/8 Schwinn "S5" "S6" (ISO 597MM)

So you've decided to buy (or you already own) a vintage Schwinn three speed bike... that's great. But you've reach the point where you need new tires. Either the originals are shot, or else missing, and you need tires.

 

First,  let us start with general rules. The proper tire size for this discussion is 26 x 1 3/8 Schwinn, also called 26 x 1 3/8 x 1 1/4 and 26 x 1 3/8 S5/S6. You need a special tire size, this is NOT the same as 26 x 1 3/8 British. The common tires for British three speeds will not work on your old Schwinn three speed. Instead, Schwinn co-opted an older size that was known in Britain as 26 x 1 1/4 (EA1). Schwinn renamed the size and modified the tire thickness a bit, and just like that they had their own tires. The idea was that you had to pay a Schwinn dealer to sell you tires rather than being able to buy commonly available British Dunlop tires off the shelf at the local shop. 

So now that you know you need this different tire size that fits Schwinn three speeds, what can you do?

The answer is, "not a whole lot". The reason is that only one company currently makes new tires for the Schwinn three speed size: Kenda. The Kenda tires are an acceptable tire, and not bad considering they are in the "budget" tire range. The Kendas work reasonably well if you're a casual vintage rider like I am. Don't expect the same quality as Michelin, Panaracer, or Schwalbe. But these tires are what are available today, and they're not all that bad.

 

The Kenda tires look reasonably vintage, have straight, street-type treads, and are reasonably durable. They come in black wall, tan wall, and white wall. The white wall goes especially well with those 1940s-60 era Schwinns from the age of glossy paint and lots of chrome and stainless steel. The tan walls work on the later "bike boom" era bikes from the 1970s. Black walls go with just about everything and are understated (they also are more correct for early post-war bikes). 

 

The other option besides the Kenda is a set of vintage tires, such as Goodyear, Uniroyal, Chain, or BF Goodrich. These were excellent tires in their day, and the Goodyears especially seem to last a long, long time. It's too bad these tires are no longer made. Interestingly some specialty British tires called 26 x 1 1/4 still turn up sometimes, and this is the same size as the Schwinn tires, but they are very uncommon in the United States today. They were used on some of very old "Clubman" type bikes the British had, and those tires are also very well made. But by now, they are very old. I recommend using new Kendas before trying to use old, broken-down vintage tires. It's a safety issue in my book.

But don't be afraid to buy and ride an old Schwinn three speed because of all of this. The Kenda tires are not bad, and are affordable. We all may wish something better was out there being made today, but it's still better than nothing at all.