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To S2 or not to S2 ; That is the question.

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Mack the fork

Look Ma, No Hands!
As I am nearly ready to assemble my hot rod ‘40 DX Bomber, I’ve now managed to
create another impediment to forward progress.

Although the wheel set is destined to be very cool : prewar Morrow, porkchop, double butted stainless spokes ….

I’m now balking on my choice if rims.
Currently I have some very nice , painted/striped S2 rims ; But S2’s are not
(to my knowledge) a prewar part.

And there is the rub.
My build parameters were to adhere to virtually everything being prewar Schwinn .
However, my wallet is of postwar vintage, and this is getting rather expensive.

I DO have a few sets of prewar drop center rims from some non Schwinn ballooners , but unlike the S2’s they’re not stamped “Schwinn”.

Question: Other than Lobdell, were most drop center rims unmarked and pretty much interchangeable between other bike brands? What is the history of prewar Schwinn ballooner rims vs the history of the S2 rims ?

Advice needed:

1) Should I go with unmarked, and possibly “non Schwinn”, drop center rims for a
“Prewar look”. ?

OR :

2) Should I just use the Painted S2’s
and “prewar authenticity be damned ?
 
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s-2's don't require a special tire.
they and drop centers take 559 bead diameter 26" tires

there are many shapes of drop centers, some are specific to brand, schwinn used a particular profile if i'm not mistaken.
so I can hop on down to the local bike shop and buy tires for S-2's? well, you can't to that for S-7's or S-6's unless you want poor quality Kenda's if they carry them. we still have an actual Schwinn shop here in Fremont and he does not carry tires for Schwinn Rims any more. I bought Kenda's there for my middleweight a few years ago. he did not have them for my lightweight. I ended up buying originals. my S-2 bikes have Typhoon Cords, original and 90's repops. I just put my modern mountain bike tires on some drop centers to get a bike rolling, are you saying those tires will fit on an S-2 as well? I don't think so.
 
Any standard 26” 559 tire will fit S-2 rims and drop center rims. That means any new 26" tire will fit. They still make replacement tires for the odd Schwinn S-6 S-7's.

As far as the S-2 VS Drop center rims, that's all your choice. Drop centers look great but so does S-2 and S-2 will be a stronger rim being double walled. Which ever you choose Im sure will look and ride great.
 
Your bike and your preference - whichever look best in your eyes. Personally I’d go S2s cause I think they look classic. Drop centers always looked chintzy to me, likely cause a lot of the later off brands (AMF/Murray?) used a similar looking rim later.
 
so I can hop on down to the local bike shop and buy tires for S-2's? well, you can't to that for S-7's or S-6's unless you want poor quality Kenda's if they carry them. we still have an actual Schwinn shop here in Fremont and he does not carry tires for Schwinn Rims any more. I bought Kenda's there for my middleweight a few years ago. he did not have them for my lightweight. I ended up buying originals. my S-2 bikes have Typhoon Cords, original and 90's repops. I just put my modern mountain bike tires on some drop centers to get a bike rolling, are you saying those tires will fit on an S-2 as well? I don't think so.
You can even buy the 26 x 2.125 tires at Wally World or off Amazon.
 
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