Will these tires fit?

[Robert Troub]

Are 26x 1 3/8 and 26 x13/4 tire almost the same tire..im assuming wider?....I presently have the 26 x 1 3/4 off my 71 colligate but found these 26 x13/8 at a second hand store brand new...I checked the sheldon brown site and they both have a ISO of 597, whatever that means.
thanks

No......2 different sizes.....

 

[62typhoon]

Confirmed they are S5s and the tires that were mounted on them are 26x1.34..it sound from my responses that the 26 x1.38 won't fit

 

[62typhoon]

Couple pics of tires

 

[GTs58]

The old road bikes used the S-6 rims and the 1 1/4" tires. The S-5 rims use a 1 3/8" tire that's a little wider. The skinnier 1 1/4" will work if that's what you want. The S-5 is a little wider than the S-6 rim though. Here's a tire for the S-5's

Vintage Schwinn Bike Value Replacement Tire 26 x1-3/8 S5/S6 Kenda K23 597 ISO | eBay

THIS TIRE'S SPECIFIC USE IF FOR OLDER SCHWINN BIKES ONLY. EVEN THOUGH IT SAYS 26x1-3/8 THE ISO NUMBER IS DIFFERENT THAN OTHERS. CHECK YOUR EXISTING SIDEWALL FOR THE 590 OR 597 NUMBER BEFORE PURCHASING.

www.ebay.com

 

[Archie Sturmer]

The gum-walled tires in workshop pictures clearly read 1+1/4” width, and 597mm bead seat diameter.
Other posts suggested 1+3/4” which might cause confusion, (with a fairly significant 1/2” difference).
On the other hand, a mere 1/8” difference, or 1/16” on each side, is fairly minor, (perhaps except for racers looking to reduce ounces?).

If the 597mm BSD tires fit well, then one might look for 597mm replacements.

 

[Arnold Ziffel]

Assuming that the wheels on your '71 Collegiate are indeed the Schwinn originals (597mm) 26 x 1 3/8 37-597. :

The only tires available are KENDA K23 schwinn S5/S6 replacement (597mm) 26 x 1 3/8 (37-597) .

Both S5 and S6 rims were seen on Collegiates and other schwinn 597mm wheeled variants.
The S5 is the "westrick" style with the raised hump near where the spokes attach(SEEN ON COLLEGIATES into mid 1972)
The S6 is the "endrick" style which has a plain smooth flat area where the spokes attach(LATE 1972 onward on Collegiates...)
The wheels differ only in appearance, neither one is functionally superior to the other style.

WHEN DEALING WITH AN ANCIENT BICYCLE, ORIGINAL WHEELS COULD HAVE BEEN SWAPPED, OR THE BIKE COULD HAVE BEEN BUILT FROM A VARIED CONGLOMERATION OF USEABLE SPARE PARTS, SCAVENGED FROM MULTIPLE BICYCLES. Common (NON-SCHWINN) bicycles using 26 x 1 3/8 wheels are of the (590mm) size. (also known as 650a)
**There are MANY Tire manufacturers that make tires in the COMMON (non schwinn) 590mm 26 x 1 3/8 37-590 size, BUT THESE common 590mm 26 x 1 3/8 590mm Tires WILL NOT FIT A SCHWINN WHEEL.
---there is one exception and that is the GIANT manufactured 1983 - '84.... COLLEGIATE that was made in Taiwan by GIANT.
-----that '83 GIANT made Collegiate with 590mm wheels has a 3 piece crank and a lighter lugged frame---
***ALL Chicago Schwinn 26 x 1 3/8 are 597mm and currently only the KENDA k23 tire is available in that 37-597 schwinn size.

There were lots of HUFFY, COLUMBIA, MURRAY, AMF, ROSS, SEARS Free Spirits, JC PENNEYS, Kmart bicycles that were made in the COMMON 590mm 26 x 1 3/8 size, along with a huge number of other imported bicycles.

You must be certain that your wheels on your bike are indeed the original Schwinn wheels.
As you can see, there is a convenience benefit of having a greater choice of NEW replacement tires if one does employ swapped out non-schwinn, common 590mm wheels from a different manufacturer. This is why when many folks are assembling scrap pile bicycles from the best of what exists in the pile, that non-Schwinn wheels sometimes get chosen over the factory Schwinn wheels. There is ample brake slot adjustment area for NON SCHWINN 590mm wheels to fit in place of the factory S5/S6 schwinn 597mm wheels. Many folks do this because they do wish to have tire choices, and they don't like that the 597mm schwinn tire has always been traditionally difficult for novices and newbies to get mounted & seated evenly on the rim.
The KENDA k-23 is no exception, as it is a bear to get mounted evenly unless you know what you are doing.
The KENDA k-23 BLACKWALL is a great tire IF mounted evenly. The k-23 GUMWALL will experience sidewall degradation much much sooner than the BLACKWALL. I cannot recommend the GUMWALL version! Go with the BLACKWALL k-23 KENDA 26 x 1 3/8 37-597 schwinn S5/S6 TIRE.

As you may have imagined, it makes NO DIFFERENCE about the 26 x 1 3/8 INNERTUBE.
Any 26 x 1 3/8 INNERTUBE will function. You'll likely see them at Walmart & Target where it says on the box for OLD CLASSIC 3 SPEED BICYCLES, because probably 99% of the ancient three speeds manufactured between 1945 and 1985 featured the 26 x 1 3/8 size.
***It may be a good idea to purchase THORN RESISTANT tubes (available various places online & Amazon).
Personally, I have found the recent (circa 2018, 2019 era) new, XLC brand thorn resistant (schrader valve 35mm valve stem length) 26 x 1 3/8 inner tubes to be as good as the best innertubes that I've seen and used in the past fifty years.
Bontragers are the lightest and thinest and most likely to get punctured, but Bontrager quality is uniform and if you don't have worries of thorns, they do work well enough and are excellent.
The UPC code for the XLC thorn resistant 35mm Schrader 26" x 1 3/8 Bicycle Tube is 4 032191777047.
BELL (walmart/target) 26" x 1 3/8 basic schrader valve inner tube has the UPC code of 0 35011 00073 2.
--------------You can employ PRESTA valve tubes in the old Schwinn rims IF YOU WANT TO, but why do that?
I do have PRESTA on one of my early seventies Collegiates because that is how it was when I obtained the bike.
The threaded lock ring on the Presta valve holds it perfectly in place on those ancient Schwinn rims.
Generally, I dislike PRESTA valves and favor the SCHRADER valve (the type like on your car tire and almost a ll American made bicycles), but I have racing bicycles with PRESTA and I have a pump that does both types, and I'm very familiar with how to inflate & deflate the weird PRESTA valves.

I recommend shopping online and getting your NEW tires and thorn resistant innertubes from whatever reputable online seller has the best overall pricing for the tire and tubes that you need. If different reputable suppliers have better pricing on innertubes and another has better overall pricing on tire, than split up the orders if it makes sense to do that, but don't cheap out by saving a dollar or two getting ordinary thin innertubes, get the thorn resistant thicker rubber tubes because though you might not need it, they might provide longer useage. Yes, the thorn resistant tubes are heavier but you aren't riding a racing bike where weight like that might matter.
Tubes only need to hold air, so at the end of the day, it doesn't matter if they have been patched, or are 15+ years old, because if they reliably keep your tire firmly inflated, you are okay. Now, the tire itself does matter because a severely aged, and hard as a rock dried rubber tire will not provide the same traction and grip or braking as a tire that is less than 20 years old will.
An old dried out cracked rubber tire will yield a rougher and more harsh ride, and can also be a serious safety hazard if you ever ride that bicycle at speeds of greater than 10 mph.
It is incredibly stupid in my opinion to ride as many on this site choose to do with original equipment tires that equal the age of the ancient bicycle. Yeah it might be okay at low speed (not exceeding 10 mph & avoiding any somewhat steep downhills) but anyone riding upon 50 year old bicycle tires is risking becoming acquainted with an orthopaedic surgeon on a first name basis.
I also highly recommend that all bicycle riders consider buying a bicycle helmet and wearing it at all times when riding, if they do not currently ride with a helmet on.

Another item that I believe is extremely worthwhile on a bicycle is a REARVIEW mirror mounted on the left side handlebars. You want to be completely aware, as there are too many distracted drivers, and e-bicyclists out there.
DECENT TIRES (they can be old but not too old...) & DECENT BRAKE PADS (that are still fresh enough & okay, and not rock hard rubber that won't stop the bike ) are very important. Brake pads are extremely inexpensive. IF YOU EVER RIDE ON WET ROADS OR PATHS, or even in the lightest misty rain, YOU SHOULD CONSIDER Kool Stop replacement pads IF YOUR BICYCLE HAS STEEL WHEELS. If you don't ride in the rain or wet, or extremely hilly areas, then most any new fresh brake pads will be okay.

 

[Arnold Ziffel]

Hey, I just again looked at 62Typhoon's tire picture in (post #13 above)

62Typhoon's tire is the ancient tire that old early 1950's british racing bicycles sometimes used BEFORE the 27" tire became common towards the late 1950's.

It is this obscure ancient tire and Schwinn twenty six inch "Lightweights" that use this.
Typically in the old days, the tires would say something like for EA-1 and Schwinn bicycles only.
If you go see SHELDON BROWN's site, he does detail this.
62 Typhoon's bicycle obviously has a latter day(probably late 1970's replacement tire) in this 26 x 1 1/4 tire SIZE.
*****see '62 Typhoon's picture (post#13 seen above , previously)
The reason that I believe that '62 Typhoon's tire seen there hails from the late Seventies is because it has the international agreed upon convention of using the BEAD SEAT DIAMETER of the rim ........that 597mm.
You see that didn't exist in the early seventies. I seem to remember it came about in the late seventies.

ANYWAY, YOU CAN CLEARLY SEE THAT ON 62Typhoon's bike that the tire says 26 x 1 1/4 (32-597).
THAT WOULD BE THE Exact Tire size that the ancient obscure British racing bikes of circa 1950 would have used.
To my knowledge, that particular size 26 x 1 1/4 (32-597) has not been produced in over 40+ years.

IT IS THE SAME SIZE IN FACT (597mm) as what went on SCHWINN, the only difference is that the tire tread patch is roughly 5mm narrower, hence the 26 x 1 1/4 versus 26 x 1 3/8 designation.
So basically that 26 x 1 1/4 (32-597) tire is about the same width as the ten speed Varsity tire on 27" wheel 27 x 1 1/4 (32-630) EXCEPT IN THE 26" (597mm) wheel size.

The SCHWINN twenty six inch "Lightweights" were reknown for their Rolls-Royce like ride quality probably mainly because of the fact that they did have wider tire tread patch touching the street (37-597) than did the mid sixties onward VARSITY-SUBURBAN-CONTINENTAL with (32-630) though the electroforged frames were essentially the same*.
* the Continental & the Suburban did employ a tubular front fork, while the Varsity did employ the same Ashtabula forged steel blade fork as the Collegiate and most other Schwinns. Certainly the twenty six (597mm) wheel versus the twenty seven(630mm) wheel may factor in somehow to that Rolls-Royce like ride quality, along with the tourist handlebars & spring saddle tourist seats. They are the same electroforged frames, but as you may have determined for yourself, those old Schwinn electroforged "lightweights" in both Diamond & Step through configuration are perhaps among the best upright tourist riding frames that the world has ever known. The wider rubber patch on the 597mm twentysixes gives it (Collegiate) an even more glorious Rolls Royce like quality than the Suburban, assuming that the tire is evenly mounted on the Collegiate and the wheel is true & round. Today though, you have quite a selection of tires available for the TWENTY SEVEN (630mm) wheeled SUBURBAN and you only have the one (KENDA k23 in 597mm) for the COLLEGIATE. The Suburban was supposedly thought to have been the best roadgoer with it having the Tubular front fork which was lighter than the Ashtabula forged blade fork of the Collegiate, but once the Collegiate came fitted with the comfortable black T-85 style Messinger spring saddle in 1971 instead of the previous, horrible but attractive, two-tone color, S saddle that it had from '64 through about 1970. That made a huge difference in ride quality, as did when Schwinn began using the 7881 handlebars that it introduced in 1967.
The Suburban is a fantastic riding bicycle too.
As I mentioned, the frames are essentially the same. TWENTY SIX(597mm) Collegiates & similar model variants use L.S. 2.8 sidepulls (also known as Weinmann 810 as they were marked on 1968 models and earlier) while the VARSITY-SUBURBAN twenty seven(630mm) wheeled bikes use L.S. 2.4 sidepulls (I think also known as Weinman 730 as they were marked on 1968 models and earlier).
As you guessed, the L.S. 2.8 (weinmann 810) as seen on Collegiates, Breezes, ...etc IS JUST A LONGER REACH SIDEPULL to account for the smaller 597mm twenty-six wheel size.



For those of you that encounter ancient bikes with ancient tires intact, you are likely to find the 26 x 1 3/8 tire that pre-dates the international sizing convention that cleared up any confusion of what fits what rim by giving the precise bead seat diameter of the rim in millimeters.

Heck, a tire from about 1972 will simply state 26 x 1 3/8 "FITS EA-1 English Racers & SCHWINN" or you might find another 1972 era 26 x 1 3/8 tire "FITS EA-3" or it might just say "FOR EA-3 rims" after 26 x 1 3/8, many did say "EA-3 Not For Schwinn" or "Does Not Fit Schwinn".................................some just said EA-3 26 x 1 3/8, and many ordinaryfolks who were replacing bicycle tires for the first time would assume that 26 x 1 3/8 meant that 26 x 1 3/8 tires would all be the same because they didn't have a clue what EA-3 or EA-1 was, or that it mattered. Yeah, the old SEARS ROEBUCK CATALOG would categorize their bike tire offerings as for Schwinns, and for bikes made by all other manufacturers because of their were differences in other Schwinn bike tire sizes.

What you now see that most web bike shops refer to as ERTO sizing or BEAD SEAT DIAMETER is this international convention standard that REQUIRED every bicycle tire to have this.
It effectively ended all the confusion as to what tire would FIT on any wheel*.
* HOWEVER, THE STATED TREAD WIDTH AS SEEN ON MANY ROAD BIKE TIRES TODAY IS AT BEST ONLY BALLPARK ACCURATE AS MANY BRANDS cheat And Provide Something Slightly Less Wide Than Stated. This trend became rampant during the past twenty years. For example, in the worst case situations, you would see tires marked as 32-630 (27 x 1 1/4) would only be about 28-630 from certain manufacturers in certain tire models. Most other manufacturers would have actual 30-630 measurements. All of these manufacturers once previously delivered actual 32-630 sizing. As to why this became common is anybody's guess but it occurred about fifteen years after road bikes ceased to come equipped with 630mm twenty seven inch wheels. There are a few manufacturered models today that give accurate true sizing as stated on twentyseven 630mm tires, but many cheat on stated width by a considerable amount. There is no issue with bead seat diameter.
DO REMEMBER THAT FOR THE ANCIENT STRAIGHT WALL STEEL RIMS, YOU DO REQUIRE A WIRE BEAD TIRE!
As there are no worries with the Twenty Six (597mm) schwinn only, because you only have the KENDA k-23 597mm tire which is a wire bead. I think all of the NON SCHWINN (590mm) other bikes and 3 speed tires are wire bead, but in the case of clincher wheeled TWENTY SEVEN(630mm) on higher end Ten Speeds of the Seventies and Eighties featured hooked portion of the inner rim which does not require the tire to have a wire bead, thus lighter weight clincher tires could be employed as eliminating the wire significantly reduced the bike tire weight. Another thing that is noteworthy for those who may also own a twenty seven (630mm) VARSITY-CONTINENTAL-SUBURBAN-Huffy-AMF-sears Free Spirit--whatever ordinary common 27 inch wheeled ten speed of yesterday IS THAT YOU DO NOT WANT TO INFLATE YOUR TIRE PRESSURE TOO MUCH BEYOND ABOUT 75 PSI, NO MATTER WHAT THE TIRE SAYS ON ITS SIDEWALL AS MAXIMUM PSI. If you inflate the hell out of it and it is an old ten speed with straight side, hookless rims, you might experience the dang tire coming off of the wheel as you turn the bike into a corner. The tire will literally begin to work its way off of the rim. The innertube might explode as it escapes the now open space between where the tire bead came off of the wheel. At any rate this isn't ever a good thing and this typically happens at a fast speed, many times the result is a crash where the rider hits the pavement. Can you say Ouch.
.....Owww Oww Oww .... This isn't as likely to occur riding slow , below 14 mph since if it were to occur you'd have more feeling and sensation of it occuring and you can react and control it in most all cases, but if going fast, it happens exponentially quicker, the bike is moving that much faster, there is almost no time to react and save it before you crash. This is why that you don't listen to your dummy friend that says well my 2019 Bianchi has high pressure tires that run 105 psi or whatever your idiot friend says. Don't let your friend tell you that, oh come on, now, you've got to inflate your Varsity or whatever ancient bike to at least 90psi.....................the doofus might tell you, look see, it says 95 to 100 psi maximum, or 90psi maximum, so inflate it to at least 90psi..........................Just Don't!!!! If your thumb tells you that it is good at the 70....72.....75 psi area, then don't push it any further on the 27 x 1 1/4 (32-630) tires. ****AS YOU KNOW THE 26 x 1 3/8 (37-597mm) TIRES ARE EVEN MORE LOW PRESSURE THAN THE TEN SPEED TIRES, SO AS YOU CAN GUESS 65 PSI WILL GET THEM ABOUT ROCK HARD. Use common sense and the ol' Thumb Press test. Don't worry too much because you really have to overdo it to inflate them where they would come off but today as with yesterday's fillin' station pumps, todays 12volt and electric portable air compressors can do in less than 45 seconds what might take somebody strong and physically fit three minutes to pump up that high with a decent floor T handle hand pump. Just because your buddy's modern high tech road bike might run 100psi does not mean that your ancient bike does. It is like your buddy saying that he hit his 9 iron to the 153 yard par three 4th hole and he wonders why that you hit your 7 iron..........but he doesn't understand why when you tell him that your 1968 Wilson Staff Dyna-Power 7 iron has the same approximate amount of loft as measured in degrees as his 2020 Taylor made 9 iron. Then you mention that you don't require a gap wedge and a lob wedge after the pitching wedge in your set, because essentially the manufacturers re-numbered the clubs in a race to trick idiot consumers into thinking our irons hit the ball farther.....so they began de-lofting the clubs and then had to add clubs to take the place of what once was........ ...and sets typically begin with a 4 iron instead of a 2 iron as in the old days, but the lofts are essentially the same, only the numbering on the club isn't. Boneheads will believe anything and Madison Avenue loves that about American consumers with a lot of disposable income and a very large ego.

 

[razinhellcustomz]

ill check what is says on the rims but they are the original 71 colligate rims...is that a S-7?

S5...

 

[Rivnut]

Only 26 x 1-3/4” tires will fit S-7 rims.

 

[gkeep]

The tires, the tires!

Ohhhh the tires!...

He, he. On my 40s Rudge I have a Sturmey Archer front rim that is ISO 590 and the back is an old Schwinn ISO 597. Good luck to any clueless masochist that steals it and wants to replace the tires. Muahaha!