# Confusing Tire Question for Schwinn Varsity:



## nath123 (Nov 17, 2021)

My bike has "S-6 tubular" rims.  The tires are very old and say 27 x 1-1/4 Schwinn Breeze Sports on them.  The local shops tried and can't help get tires. I notice there are Kenda 26 x 1-1/4 tires available online and the ad says "Fits old Schwinn S-6 rim."
Does anyone know if these 26 tires will fit my rims, even though the original tires say 27?
I think the bike was made around 1970.
Thanks much in advance for any advice!


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## 3-speeder (Nov 17, 2021)

Can you post pictures of the rim and tire markings


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## 49autocycledeluxe (Nov 17, 2021)

26" tires will not fit 27" rims.

how bad are the tires you have? I figure if they do not pop overnight at full pressure they are good to go. maybe add some heavy duty "thorn proof" tubes.

I don't know if anyone is making Schwinn specific 27'' tires, but I have never looked.

when I need tires for my Schwinn specific rims I find original Schwinn tires.


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## 3-speeder (Nov 17, 2021)

Here is a chart I use as a cheat-sheet





Would the #4 also have an S-6 stamping?  The chart seems to suggest that.  Also the first two 27 x 1 1/4" rims have the #3 in the square to the left of the description suggesting they are S-6


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## GTs58 (Nov 17, 2021)

No 26" tire is going fit a 27" S-6 rim. There are 26" S-6 rims and they take the hard to find tires. Sounds like your LBS is not involved very deep into bikes. They sell lawnmowers and do bikes as a sideline?

Here's the ebay page. Sunlite is a distributor and not a tire manufacture so they sell different brands. If you opt for the cheaper China brands, I prefer the CST tires over Kenda's.








						27 x 1-1/4 bicycle tires for sale | eBay
					

Get the best deals for 27 x 1-1/4 bicycle tires at eBay.com. We have a great online selection at the lowest prices with Fast & Free shipping on many items!



					www.ebay.com


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## SirMike1983 (Nov 17, 2021)

For 27 x 1 1/4, I recommend the Panaracer Pasela as an affordable but decent quality tire.


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## nath123 (Nov 17, 2021)

Wow, you guys are great, thanks for the tips. Yep, the two local bike shops I went to,..neither one could figure out where to get the tires I needed. I'm in Vegas. I think they just want to make quick bucks selling electric bicycles these days.


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## vincev (Nov 17, 2021)

Did you try Amazon ?


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## GTs58 (Nov 17, 2021)

Make sure you shop the prices when you decide what tires to get. There has been a bike tire shortage for quite a few months now and some people are jacking the prices up considerably to take advantage of the situation. If you can find what you want locally it may save you a few bucks or the price of shipping.


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## Arnold Ziffel (Nov 17, 2021)

Many local bike shops will not have any 27" (630mm) tires and further more, many of their bumbling moron idiots working there will not have a clue as to where and how to obtain 27" (630mm) tires since 27" tires have not typically been seen on road bikes since about 1985.   Obviously, you can see these clueless twits are late teens or twenty somethings, so they cannot comprehend something that a bicycle from 35+ years ago would require  and  they simply do not care because typically so few of that local bike shop's clientele even owns a quality road-bike that is that old.

27" (630mm) tires are widely available HOWEVER YOU WILL NOT FIND THESE AT A LOCAL BIKE SHOP.
Check the bay for webstores of major US web bike stores such as Trailthis, Bikewagon, BikeSmiths  and others.
There are none of these players that are any better than any other competitors.  They all do a great job and ship you the tires untwisted in just a couple of days at an excellent competitive price.   Compare everybody's prices and offerings because it changes like the wind & weather as to which particular player has the best price at the moment and the particular tire in current inventory.

The international standard of  the bead seat diameter  is  (630mm)  for  27"  tires.
Given that you do have original equipment wheels that are from the bike-boom era, YOU WILL REQUIRE tires with a WIRE BEAD because they will be better situated and likely safer as far as the mounting under all conditions  with  the  rims of the seventies and earlier.

Now,  I'm not an expert on the current variances from all the different manufacturers as to how accurate & how much they may do in fact cheat on  the  published-stated  Tread Width of their current tire.
No joke,   some tire manufacturers  32 - 630   tire     (32mm tread width - 630mm (27") tire)  is actually closer to 28mm tread width.      Very  few  are  actually  32mm  in tread width.    Some are.  You'll have to do your own COLUMBO detective work on thr particular  tire model & brand,  because there seems like there are variances within  different models of a  manufacturer's 630mm(27") tire line.
I have no explanation as to how or why this came about.

The tires made by PANASONIC,  the various PANARACERS  have long been among the best  for  those wanting the best overall performance of speed, traction, durability and quality control.    PANASONIC (Matsupoopa) ceased bicycle production after the death of the company's founder in 1989 but they did continue producing perhaps the best bicycle tires of their kind in the industry.   Panasonic was known for producing very good bicycles from economy models to top grade models during the 1970's and 1980's.  You can say that their tires, like their trailblazing electronics' quality,   well you can say is Just Slightly Ahead of Their Time.   

Just as you don't need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows,   one  does not necessarily need the lightweight, speedy tires.     It would probably be a waste on any bicycle that weighs in excess of 30 pounds,  and would not do you any good unless your aim is to compete is some simple ordinary "sprint" triathlon or wish to maintain a 19 mph average group riding pace with the "A group"  on the local bike shops' weekly rides.

Inexpensive basic (630mm) tire offerings like the 32-630   Kenda K35   is  really most all that anyone with a 30+ pound bike boom ten speed  would ever need.
Now,  I mentioned  the  width cheating that some manufacturers' model tires engage in....
Here is yet another important consideration:
Some tires like the MICHELIN Protek  32-630  tires have a considerably thicker, and thus taller tread...thus slightly larger outer tire circumference such that with many bicycles with fenders,  you could perhaps have a clearance issue depending on how close the fenders are.    I have one bike,  a  1971 Schwinn Suburban 5 speed with the MICHELIN Protek 32-630 tires.  YOU COULD NOT RUN THE FACTORY FENDERS WITH THESE MICHELIN Protek 32-630 tires.   They are great tires for what they are (extremely durable, puncture resistant, highly visible with reflective stripe...but extremely heavy tires).
The MICHELIN Protek 32-630 tires are among the widest of all the existing 32-630 tires, as there is no cheating on these models.    I knew that the Protek 32-630 tires were also among the tallest, and would likely not allow the use of the factory fenders.  Probably a dozen other brands' models 32-630 tires would easily clear the 1971 Suburban's factory fenders.   From 1971 until  2016,  that Suburban rolled about ten thousand miles with its fenders.  If  I  want to  reinstall the fenders,  I would have to swap the Michelin Proteks  with   something like the Kenda K-35' s from  another bike in my collection, or get new K35's or Panasellas or whatever that aren't so tall with such thick tread etc.

Do not let anyone tell you that you don't have a decent selection from which to choose from in 27" (630mm) tires.
You have easily more than a dozen different tires to choose from.
NO,  Your Local Bike Shop Is Not Gonna Carry  27" (630mm) tires,  BECAUSE THEY WOULD RATHER THAT YOU WOULD BUY A NEW BICYCLE FROM THEM,  RATHER THAN  RIDE  A  STEEL  CLASSIC ROAD-BIKE  FROM THE Early80's, Seventies,Sixties,or Late Fifties.
Many local bike shops won't even order 27"(630mm) tires if you ask them to.   
Just let your fingers do the walkin on your keyboard to the web and go on the bay or amazon or see what Google brings up as vendors offering 27" (630mm) tires.    No joke,  the  huge web bike shops' on Ebay will likely have better pricing and inventory than Amazon.   THIS IS FOR BRAND NEW, FRESH PRODUCTION INVENTORY!!   NEVER PURCHASE AGED NOS  or USED BICYCLE TIRES AS THAT IS ALWAYS A TERRIBLE IDEA  !!!    Some cabers routinely do that to match the year of their Bluebird or whatever  but  doing that for any bicycle that you will ride at above 5 mph is incredibly stupid!   You need fresh enough tires and fresh enough caliper brake pads on any multispeed bicycle.   Original equipment tires and brake pads are just beyond stupid and can be hazardous to your health if you ride said bicycle at above walking speed!

The SCHWINN 26" (597mm)  S5 / S6  TIRES  are labeled 26 x 1 3/8    597mm  or something like EA-1 for Schwinn S5 / S6 wheels  if  the tires are 45+ years old.      The international 597mm designation didn't yet exist then but as you can see the BEAD SEAT DIAMETER international designation clarifies what actually fits what.
There is the  COMMON  non-schwinn   26 x 1 3/8  tire  WHICH IS  590mm.     The 590mm 26 x 1 3/8 will not fit any Chicago SCHWINN.       The  597mm  26 x 1 3/8  Schwinn tire is only manufactured by Kenda,  called the k23 SCHWINN 597mm tire.
The 597mm 26 x 1 3/8 Schwinn tire  WILL ONLY FIT Chicago Schwinns and some ancient rare English bikes from about 70 years ago that require EA-1 tires.
There are at least a half dozen manufacturers of the COMMON non-schwinn 590mm 26 x 1 3/8 tires.
Kenda's  k23  597mm  26 x 1 3/8  Schwinn only tire is the only  tire being manufactured today that fits Chicago Schwinns requiring the (26") 597mm size.


YOU  CANNOT   SUBSTITUTE    A    26"  TIRE    for   A  27"  TIRE  !!
YOU CANNOT SUBSTITUTE  A   700C TIRE  for   A   27"  TIRE  !!!!

Depending on the  specified width,  generally  you  can  sometimes  use   a   700C innertube  in  a  27" tire.
Well,  this is because   700C  has a bead seat diameter of 622mm,  and you know that the 27" has a bead seat diameter of 630mm,    so   they  are close enough that the overall stretch of the rubber tube MAY work FINE,  IF, and it is A BIG IF, if the innertube is for a similar wide enough tread width range.

Okay, we established earlier that the 590mm  COMMON    -and-  the  597mm SCHWINN   26 x 1 3/8  tires  ARE NOT INTERCHANGEABLE!!!!       The  26 x  1 3/8  innertubes  ARE interchangeable because the stretch of the innertube rubber!
IF YOU WERE TO TRY AND ATTEMPT TO INSTALL THE COMMON 590mm TIRE  ON  TO  A SCHWINN RIM,  YOU WILL FIND THAT IT IS IMPOSSIBLE AS THE BEAD SEAT DIAMETER of 590mm Common Tire IS WAY TOO SMALL TO FIT ON TO A SCHWINN RIM.      Vice Versa,   if  you  try to Install the 597mm SCHWINN TIRE on to the COMMON 590mm Rim,  You will find that the 597mm Schwinn Tire is TOO BIG.
This applies to CHICAGO Schwinn bikes.
The Schwinn factory closed in 1982.
Schwinn did sell a  GIANT made, produced in Taiwan  bicycle which carried the COLLEGIATE badge in 1983 & 1984 which has a 3 piece crank and common 26" 590mm wheels,   but this was a 100% GIANT made bicycle that Schwinn imported when GIANT was not yet a known brand name in the western world.

I hope most of this makes sense and is helpful to anyone wondering about tires.
Remember that whatever you have, that the Bead Seat Diameter must match exactly......630mm for 27",   622mm for 700C,
597mm  for the old Schwinn 26 x 1 3/8  ,     and  590mm for  the old Common 26 x 1 3/8
559mm for the old 26" cruiser beach bikes and old mountain bikes

There are a few others too.
GOOGLE:  650 bike tire,   Google: 650a bike tire,  Google: 650b bike tire,   Google: 650c bike tire
YOU WILL SEE THAT SOME OF THE  584mm  TIRE SIZE HAS BEEN ESSENTIALLY RAISED FROM THE DEAD BY SOME OF THE HIGH-END BIKE SEGMENT,  PROBABLY ONLY TO DISTINGUISH THEM  FROM   WHAT MIGHT BE VIEWED TOO MUCH  AS ASSOCIATED WITH  Kmart, Sears, JC Penneys bikes of the 60's & 70's  -and- electroforged Schwinn Collegiates, Travelers, Co-Eds, Breeze, Speedsters, Racers, etc....and  OH,  THE HORROR OF BEING ASSOCIATED WITH SUCH BIKES THAT MILLIONS OF ORDINARY COMMON PEOPLE RODE.   THEY PROBABLY REVIVED 584 TO DISTINGUISH AS BEING UPSCALE EXCLUSIVE, INSTEAD OF HAVING THE PERCEPTION OF BEING LOW-RENT.
It is sort of sad that the bicycle industry doesn't consider reviving the 27" (630mm) wheel size  as  it does offer several practical advantages.   The problem is over coming the stigma of being considered by some know nothing young bike snobs as only being appropriate for "bum bikes" as any self respecting cyclist with means would simply upgrade to 700c rims.   Yes, this does sound ridiculous and it is in fact ridiculous but this is how many of these young idiots think.  One only has to spend some time over at bikeforums to see that probably 35% or more of the more vocal, young "serious cyclists" think like this.
Sure, you have more tire options today at 700C,  but  you also have plenty of 27" (630mm) options too,  you just can't get the 27" tires from your Local bike shop  because they don't want you to continue riding that old classic bike,  they want to sell you a new bike,  or  a new set of 700c wheels!


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## gkeep (Nov 17, 2021)

I just got a set of these for myself. My kids are both at college and have been riding on these for 21/2 years almost daily. Western Wheelworks in Portland has a great deal on them and they came to me here in the SF bay area in 2 days. https://www.westernbikeworks.com/product/schwalbe-hs159-puncture-protection-27-x-1-1-4-tire. They come in white wall and black.





I've also had friends speak highly of the Panaracer Paselas . https://www.westernbikeworks.com/product/panaracer-pasela-protite-27-tire.


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## sm2501 (Nov 18, 2021)

Here are some 27" tires that I sell on ebay. Contact me directly here if interested-

https://www.ebay.com/itm/293774796407?campid=5335809022https://www.ebay.com/itm/304075581903?campid=5335809022
Scott


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## Eric Amlie (Nov 18, 2021)

Another vote for the Panaracer Paselas.
I'm using them almost exclusively now.
They're affordable, and I think they're great.
I generally use the 1 1/8" width rather than the 1 1/4".


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## Rivnut (Nov 18, 2021)

It all boils down to the ISO number.


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## davek (Nov 18, 2021)

Must be odd bike shops, in Ft Collins we have a shop that stocks these tire all the time. I know another shop owner who will order in all you want to pay for


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## Rivnut (Nov 18, 2021)

For an in depth look at bicycle tires and sizes, Google “Sheldon Brown bicycle tire sizing system.” More info than you’d think would be available about bicycle tires.


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## SirMike1983 (Nov 18, 2021)

One other thing I should mention: the low-end 27 x 1-1/4 tires are particularly uncomfortable to ride on anything but the smoothest road. They roll slower than you think and they tend to allow for some harsh riding qualities if you hit a rut or hole. One of the best things you can do for yourself in the 27 x 1-1/4 size is to upgrade to mid-grade tire. The Panaracer Pasela is a good choice, but if you like the Schwalbe or another mid-range brand, that's fine too. The ride will be much-improved over cheap 27 x 1-1/4 tires. And it requires no permanent modification to your bike - just a swap of tires.


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## Vicious Cycle (Nov 18, 2021)

I have gum-wall 27x1-1/4 tires by CST that look very close to the original Schwinn tires, I use them on Varsity, Continental, and Colegate, ride well and look right. $48 / pair delivered in USA

PM me if I can help.


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## vincev (Nov 19, 2021)

Amazon has all kinds of them at various prices. Maybe find an old lightweight Schwinn at a garage sale for the tires if they are any good


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## sbarner (Nov 20, 2021)

Vicious Cycle said:


> I have gum-wall 27x1-1/4 tires by CST that look very close to the original Schwinn tires, I use them on Varsity, Continental, and Colegate, ride well and look right. $48 / pair delivered in USA
> 
> PM me if I can help.



I would vote for the CST. While I love Paselas, a skinwall tire is just wrong for a Varsity. My first 10-speed was a '69 Varsity and I think it came with blackwalls, which would have been the Breeze. I wrenched for a Schwinn dealer through most of the '70s and, as I recall, Varsities came with gumwall Puffs for most of that time. I disliked the Puff at the time, as it was hard to seat properly, but Schwinn did a good job of matching it to the bike. The Suburban, Varsity and Continental were designed to be rugged, long-lasting, yet affordable bikes. There was nothing about them that I could see that was intended to make them exciting to ride. The CST is a well-made, affordable tire, and I've had some that had a layer of rubber over the sidewall, similar to the original Schwinn tires. The CSTs are definitely a cut above the Puff in performance. Unlike the Paselas, they won't cost more than the bike is worth.

Shops stock what sells and if there is little demand for a size or product, it's likely a poor investment for the shop to keep it on the shelf. I know of no advantage that the 27" has over the 700C. The difference in radius is only around 3/8".  On the other hand, with so few people still riding sewups (myself excluded), the previous advantage the 700C had in being the same diameter as a tubular rim is no longer applicable. Still, the 27" was always a relic of a bygone era, after the world more or less standardized on the French A, B, & C sizes. 

In 1977, I ordered a Paramount touring model, as I was planning on a cross-country ride that winter. I gave it a lot of thought, and finally decided to order it with 27" wheels instead of going with the "new" 700C size, thinking it might be difficult to find 700C replacements in some parts of the country. I have always regretted that decision, especially since I never needed to buy a replacement tire on the road. I don't ride that bike much these days, as it has other, more egregious flaws, but I have always wished I could go back in time and correct some of the mistakes I made in that Paramount order.


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## sbarner (Nov 20, 2021)

sbarner said:


> I would vote for the CST. While I love Paselas, a skinwall tire is just wrong for a Varsity. My first 10-speed was a '69 Varsity and I think it came with blackwalls, which would have been the Breeze. I wrenched for a Schwinn dealer through most of the '70s and, as I recall, Varsities came with gumwall Puffs for most of that time. I disliked the Puff at the time, as it was hard to seat properly, but Schwinn did a good job of matching it to the bike. The Suburban, Varsity and Continental were designed to be rugged, long-lasting, yet affordable bikes. There was nothing about them that I could see that was intended to make them exciting to ride. The CST is a well-made, affordable tire, and I've had some that had a layer of rubber over the sidewall, similar to the original Schwinn tires. The CSTs are definitely a cut above the Puff in performance. Unlike the Paselas, they won't cost more than the bike is worth.
> 
> Shops stock what sells and if there is little demand for a size or product, it's likely a poor investment for the shop to keep it on the shelf. I know of no advantage that the 27" has over the 700C. The difference in radius is only around 3/8".  On the other hand, with so few people still riding sewups (myself excluded), the previous advantage the 700C had in being the same diameter as a tubular rim is no longer applicable. Still, the 27" was always a relic of a bygone era, after the world more or less standardized on the French A, B, & C sizes.
> 
> In 1977, I ordered a Paramount touring model, as I was planning on a cross-country ride that winter. I gave it a lot of thought, and finally decided to order it with 27" wheels instead of going with the "new" 700C size, thinking it might be difficult to find 700C replacements in some parts of the country. I have always regretted that decision, especially since I never needed to buy a replacement tire on the road. I don't ride that bike much these days, as it has other, more egregious flaws, but I have always wished I could go back in time and correct some of the mistakes I made in that Paramount order.



I just looked at the Uniroyals that Scott has on eBay and I have  to say they look exactly what I recall being on my '69 Varsity in terms of tread pattern and general appearance. The 1970 catalog shows the Varsity with blackwalls. Scott's tires look as close to the original as you are ever likely to find, and the price is quite good. The Silver Stars look like knock-offs of that same tire, and they might actually be better as Japanese rubber in the '70s and beyond was generally better than US manufacture.


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## detroitbike (Nov 20, 2021)

Yes lots of 27” tires to choose from as stated above. I carry all these brands in a 27” (630 iso) at my store in detroit .
 I personally like the panaracers and schwalbes for fit on the 27 Schwinn rims.


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## Tour De Luxe (Nov 21, 2021)

My ‘84 Le Tour Luxe with 27x1-1/4” Vittoria Zaffiro tires purchased from Biketiresdirect.com. Not gumwall like the original Schwinn Passage, but a better tire than the Kenda gumwalls that were on there for a while. BTD also sells the Panaracers and some Continentals in the 27” (630) size clinchers.


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## videoranger (Nov 29, 2021)

modernbike still has some 27" in stock








						27 inch Tires
					






					www.modernbike.com
				



I've used the whitewall Schwalbe Classic HS-159  and the Vittoria Zaffiro and both are nice tires.


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## flyingtaco (Jan 18, 2022)

Arnold Ziffel said:


> Many local bike shops will not have any 27" (630mm) tires and further more, many of their bumbling moron idiots working there will not have a clue as to where and how to obtain 27" (630mm) tires since 27" tires have not typically been seen on road bikes since about 1985.   Obviously, you can see these clueless twits are late teens or twenty somethings, so they cannot comprehend something that a bicycle from 35+ years ago would require  and  they simply do not care because typically so few of that local bike shop's clientele even owns a quality road-bike that is that old.
> 
> 27" (630mm) tires are widely available HOWEVER YOU WILL NOT FIND THESE AT A LOCAL BIKE SHOP.
> Check the bay for webstores of major US web bike stores such as Trailthis, Bikewagon, BikeSmiths  and others.
> ...



 So did somebody put the wrong tire on this 26” S-6 rim?  I’m guessing they ripped the tube trying to get it in, and then tried to use fix a flat to repair it. I’m having a hell of a time trying to get this tire off. Any ideas short of cutting it off?


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## 49autocycledeluxe (Jan 18, 2022)

flyingtaco said:


> So did somebody put the wrong tire on this 26” S-6 rim?  I’m guessing they ripped the tube trying to get it in, and then tried to use fix a flat to repair it. I’m having a hell of a time trying to get this tire off. Any ideas short of cutting it off?



 I had a tire like that once. may as well cut it off, I screwed up the bead on mine after trying to get it off in one piece. you will need a screwdriver or metal tire levers, the plastic levers will not do the trick.


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## J-wagon (Jan 18, 2022)

Schwinn specs can be confusing. Schwinn s6 rims came in 2 different sizes iso for 26" version 597mm and for 27" version 630mm


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## Archie Sturmer (Jan 18, 2022)

I purchased some Schwalbe *Marathons* for my 27” Murray-built Free Spirit all-steel (Sears) road-racing bike; but today’s modern tire companies seem to discontinue models fairly quickly; their 2nd replacement is likely discontinued by now.


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