Schwinn Studded Balloon 1st year?

[koolbikes]

According to the specifications, it was Tire, part number 62-180, 24" x 1 3/8" Sports Touring Blackwall that was used on the 1968-1972 Town & country Model numbers AT1-6, AT1-2 and AT1-8.

The Manta-Ray Slik Blackwall was Tire, part number 62-173, also 24" x 1 3/8" as you note. (two-year wonder)

Talked with a couple of my retired Schwinn Service Repair workers and they told me that they used a lot of the Manta-ray Slik's for replacement tires on the Town & Country Tri, they were a more durable tire than the Sports Touring that wore out quite fast in the rear.

Found this photo of a 1974 Schwinn Sting-ray Knobby Tire ... Large letters ... No "C" ... (1-4). ... has a Dot after date? ... January 1974 ...
So, between this Carlisle ... UU (11-4) ... November 1974 ... Seems like somewhere in 1974?

Schwinn Sting-ray ... 20" x 2.125 ... (1-4) . Jan. 1974 ... Old Style Date Code.

Carlisle Balloon ... 16" x 2.125" ... UU (11-4) 402 November 1974 or 1984? ... New Style Date Code.

 

[AS-1]

they were a more durable tire than the Sports Touring that wore out quite fast in the rear.

"More durable" is an understatement. They'll last longer than the Pyramids.

That's a 20" tire, right? If so, that would have to be Tire, part number 62-170, 20" x 2.125". The whitewall counterpart was Tire, part number 62-154.

There are no mold lines through the dots at the ends of the long rows of studs. Do you have a 26" tire without mold lines like the 62-170 above?

 

[koolbikes]

"More durable" is an understatement. They'll last longer than the Pyramids.

That's a 20" tire, right? If so, that would have to be Tire, part number 62-170, 20" x 2.125". The whitewall counterpart was Tire, part number 62-154.

There are no mold lines through the dots at the ends of the long rows of studs. Do you have a 26" tire without mold lines like the 62-170 above?

Yes, 20" x 2.125" Schwinn Sting-ray Studded Tire and Schwinn Part #'s noted.

No, to the 26".
Here's a 1982 Schwinn Catalog Balloon Tires Page ... "Look at those Prices!"

 

[AS-1]

Yes, 20" x 2.125" Schwinn Sting-ray Studded Tire and Schwinn Part #'s noted.

No, to the 26".
Here's a 1982 Schwinn Catalog Balloon Tires Page ... "Look at those Prices!"

View attachment 1968430

But those rascals dropped Tire, part number 62-186 (THE GUMWALL) in this 1983 P&A Catalog and added a whole run of cruiser tires and a Japanese MTB tire.

And the gumwall was the part of choice on the Deluxe Cruiser, the King Sting and the Sidewinger. I need a beer.

 

[WillWork4Parts]

I come bearing more examples.
This pair of Carlisle Studs...they're stamped UU(1 4)529. Possible they're 84s? ...since Carlisle still had an American tire plant. Again with that T&RA HB 8 rim spec, I wish we had a T&RA spec chart or some more info to verify a decade for these little guys. I was really hoping these were 64 when I first purchased, they'll still get used just the same though.

Another set of Carlisle Balloon chain treads with the HB 8 Rim spec, stamped UU(10 5)402.

And another original Uniroyal Chain Tread pair, stamped UV., first quarter 67.

Notice the higher pressure on the later model tires. Would those have been used on something like the Moulton Fold up bikes? Nevermind, I googled and they seem to have Skinny tires.


I did find this Sold ad on here with a NOS 26" Uniroyal Nobby stamped C(11 7). Has to be 77, right?!? https://thecabe.com/forum/threads/nos-uniroyal-26-x-2-125-nobby-white-wall-tires.148158/

 

[AS-1]

I come bearing more examples.
This pair of Carlisle Studs...they're stamped UU(1 4)529. Possible they're 84s? ...since Carlisle still had an American tire plant. Again with that T&RA HB 8 rim spec, I wish we had a T&RA spec chart or some more info to verify a decade for these little guys. I was really hoping these were 64 when I first purchased, they'll still get used just the same though.
View attachment 1968525

View attachment 1968526

Another set of Carlisle Balloon chain treads with the HB 8 Rim spec, stamped UU(10 5)402.

View attachment 1968540
And another original Uniroyal Chain Tread pair, stamped UV., first quarter 67.

View attachment 1968541
Notice the higher pressure on the later model tires. Would those have been used on something like the Moulton Fold up bikes? Nevermind, I googled and they seem to have Skinny tires.


I did find this Sold ad on here with a NOS 26" Uniroyal Nobby stamped C(11 7). Has to be 77, right?!? https://thecabe.com/forum/threads/nos-uniroyal-26-x-2-125-nobby-white-wall-tires.148158/

View attachment 1968543

And this last tire is the exact same tire Mark (post #79) has on his 1976 Cali Cruiser. Equilateral 6 sided studs on the side walls and elongated 6 sided studs in the tread. This must be the "Knobby" (as spelled in the catalogs) Nobby that was mounted on the OP's bike. Does that sound right? 1976,1977,1978, and 1979 for the entire pre-1980 Cruiser offering??????? And then in 1980, or so, they starting mounting "Schwinn Studded Balloon" tires on all the ballooners for 1980,1981,1982,1983, and then they went to the Maximizer????? Is that right?

 

[WillWork4Parts]

And this last tire is the exact same tire Mark (post #79) has on his 1976 Cali Cruiser. Equilateral 6 sided studs on the side walls and elongated 6 sided studs in the tread. This must be the "Knobby" (as spelled in the catalogs) Nobby that was mounted on the OP's bike. Does that sound right? 1976,1977,1978, and 1979 for the entire pre-1980 Cruiser offering??????? And then in 1980, or so, they starting mounting "Schwinn Studded Balloon" tires on all the ballooners for 1980,1981,1982,1983, and then they went to the Maximizer????? Is that right?

That appears correct. We just haven't collected a 78 and 79 Nobby yet. The Carlisle branded 26" studded tire fits in there somewhere too...or they were used the same run,76-79, like the Article said.

 

[AS-1]

That appears correct. We just haven't collected a 78 and 79 Nobby yet. The Carlisle branded 26" studded tire fits in there somewhere too...or they were used the same run,76-79, like the Article said.

So even though Uniroyal was supposed to be gone after 1971, they were still making Nobby tires in 1976 and by the look of it Carlisle was also making the same tire....which I think is realistic because I have been told by an authority that when the Westwind came out the demand was so high that it took two vendors to keep up with the volume of new middleweight bikes the tire was used on. Which also makes sense given the popularity and thus the high demand for the Cruisers and the fact that there had been no real demand for 26' x 2.125" "ballooner" tires sense the death of the WASP back in 1964. Is that reasonable?

 

[WillWork4Parts]

Yes, I think the only other true Ballooner in production after the Wasp was the Cycle Truck that ran production up in to 1967. Otherwise, Schwinn had to supply 2.125s to the Stingray rears, and replacement tires for older models, however long they chose to support them.

 

[AS-1]

Yes, I think the only other true Ballooner in production after the Wasp was the Cycle Truck that ran production up in to 1967. Otherwise, Schwinn had to supply 2.125s to the Stingray rears, and replacement tires for older models, however long they chose to support them.

I'm getting confused. Has anybody be able to prove the existence of a 26" x 2.125" "Schwinn Studded Balloon" tire prior to 1981?