I think I made an expensive mistake...

[olddude55]

Bought Continental Gator Hardshell tires for my '72 Super Sport. According to the info on the tire sidewall, these tires are supposed to be used on hooked rims only, something I didn't know when I ordered them.
Clearly, the rims on my old Schwinn are not hooked, yet the tire is made for older bikes and based on reviews, are being used on older bikes. Maybe not as old as the SS but from the 1980s at least.
I'm planning to run these at about 70 psi, if that means anything.
Very confused at this point.

 

[juvela]

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70PSI was the recommended inflation pressure for the stock tyres on the bicycle when new

the tyres you purchased are likely rated to a higher pressure

doubt you shall experience difficulty at that pressure


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[olddude55]

You learn something new every day. I've been working on bikes for most of my life and never heard of a hooked rim till today, but apparently I've got them. The "hook" is a subtle ridge on the inside of the rim.
My Contis can't be used on the smooth rims made for tubeless tires.

 

[ccdc.1]

As a general rule, if you have non-hooked bead rims, you will likely need to use wire-bead tires. Otherwise, you have a high risk of the tire popping off the rim, as non-wire bead/folding tires typically depend on the 'hook' in the rim to hold their place. I wouldn't recommend going by the informal 'well, it stays on at 70psi' approach, as you might be surprised by a rise in pressure on a sunny warm day after a decent ride...last thing you want is a tire unseating at speed! Unfortunately, there are not many quality wire-bead tires out there these days, especially if you need them for 27"/630 size rims. Paselas do come to mind as one option.

 

[olddude55]

The Contis I bought are wire bead.
I'll take your suggestion on the Paselas, if the Contis don't hold up.
BTW, my first "real" bike was a Schwinn (Panasonic) World Traveler. First night I got it home, over-inflated the tires and they both blew up about an hour later. We were watching TV when we heard two sharp bangs from the basement.

 

[kostnerave]

I just installed a set of Panaracer Paselas on my latest project, a '74 Schwinn Sports Tourer with Weinmann 27 x 1 1/4 rims. They're a really nice, quality tire with a vintage look I was searching for. I just wanted to pass on some info. Of course I'll post some pictures, when I'm done with it.

 

[olddude55]

Thanks. I'll try the Paselas if I have any issues with the Contis. Probably would have gone with the Paselas instead of the Contis but the Contis came up half off one day only at one of the online stores.

 

[Ernbar]

Olddude, I have a set of Continentals on my 80 Suburban and they fit and ride wonderfully. I don’t know if the rims are hooked or not. I did try a set of Duros and they would not properly seat on the rims no matter what I did but the Continentals went right on without an issue.