So you've decided to buy (or you already own) a vintage Schwinn three speed bike... But you've reached 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).
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.
So, i have a pair of 50s or likely 60s weinmann alloy 40/32 597s i will be using as a 26 x 1 1/4 597 on a late 30s lightweight...... Question: if these were yours would you ream out the presta holes to schreder? I am asking this near sacrilege thinking about future supplies. i have a large stock of 26 x 1 3/8 inner tubes and also have a supply of 590 tires and kenda 597s. I know schwalbe does make a fairly expensive presta 590/597 inner tube but these seem to be less common than schraeder in this size. All my other bikes (except clubman now with kinlin presta 700c) use 26 x 1 3/8 schrader tubes and tires (and these inner tubes should work on the 597 kendas also). Even the set of dunlop special lightweights i will use on my 57 pathfinder were drilled out to schraeder (not by me ). Thanks in advance for your advice. mark
ReplyDeleteI'd not be inclined to change them that way. I know it can be done with the correct drill bit but it's not something I usually try just because it's aluminum and a decent vintage part. I've heard of people using a stepped special bit to do it (or else you end up with a ragged edge), but I tend to keep them as original as I can. Changes I make are reversible ones, if possible. Schwalbe tubs are expensive, but I will admit I really like them. I've noticed they lose much less air than the common Kenda or Forte tubes. But you're right... it can get expensive.
Delete"Schwalbe tubes" - please forgive the misspelling.
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