# Road Bike Rim Questions



## wrongway (May 27, 2014)

I was going to change out the dry rotted tires on my '77 Sears Free Spirit freebie with some slightly used tires I had on hand. However, the front rim/tire that is on there is a 26x1.50 while the rear one is 26x1-3/8. Is this normal? Are road bikes this way? The 26x1-3/8 tire I had seemed WAY too big to go on the rim. I'm wondering now if the rim might be smaller in diameter, too?


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## vincev (May 27, 2014)

Sounds like someone changed your front wheel.The dont switch wheels from decimal to fraction sizes .


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## highwheel431 (May 27, 2014)

*Be careful of tire size markings*

​There are may different sized tire beads for tires that appear to be the same size.  There are 5 different diameters for 26" tires.

26 x 1.50 is 559mm

26 x 1 1/2 is 584mm

26 x 1 3/8 is 590mm

26 x 1 3/8 x 1 1/2 is 584mm

26 x 1 1/2 x 1 3/8 is 584mm

So read your. used tires very carefully.  But also remember that someone may have already put on the wrong tire.  If it doesn't seem to fit it probably doesn't


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## rhenning (May 27, 2014)

Highwheel431 there is also a Schwinn 26 x 1 3/8 that is 597 mm and a prewar Schwinn lightweight 26 x 1 3/8 that is 599 mm.  Roger


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## bulldog1935 (May 27, 2014)

found an owner's manual online, and believe the original tires and rims were 650A ISO 35-590
https://nuxx.net/gallery/v/acquired_stuff/sears_free_spirit_bicycle/owners_manual/

http://www.bikeforums.net/classic-vintage/534485-brittany-freespirit-wheel-questions.html

odds are along the way, the owner needed a tire and bought what the bike shop had...

Vince, your sig tag reminds me of my favorite King Crimson song
_the Seine alone at 4am in
sane alone at 4am_


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## highwheel431 (May 27, 2014)

*597mm*



rhenning said:


> Highwheel431 there is also a Schwinn 26 x 1 3/8 that is 597 mm and a prewar Schwinn lightweight 26 x 1 3/8 that is 599 mm.  Roger




There are two sizes that I did not list

 597mm   26 x 1 1/4 and Schwinn 26 x 1 3/8

571mm  Schwinn 26 x 1 3/4 


Check out this website for all the old obsolete sizes
http://www.bikecollectives.org/wiki/index.php?title=Rim


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## wrongway (May 28, 2014)

Thanks everyone. I do have a 26x1-3/8 rim....or at least the tire that was on it was that. Came off a 196? Ross lady's bike. I may try that on there. I would like to have them match and get this cracked mountain bike tire off of it.


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