Scratcher33

I recently picked up a late 60s/early 70s Raleigh Sports. The tires on it are in need of replacement relatively soon. I understand that these should be the English version of that tire size. That said, the rear tire on there now says "SPORT 26 X 1 3/8 SCHWINN" on it. I think these are the original rims because they're matching and have the Sturmey Archer hub. Did Schwinn ever make a version of the English 26 x 1 3/8? I don't think many of my LBSs would stock enough tire types for me to take it in to test it out.

curbtender

Should have the diameter on the sidewall. 590 Raleigh or 597 Schwinn(s6). May have gotten some donors at some point.

clubman 

Also, look for markings on the rim. Schwinn tire markings are inexcusably arcane.

stevel610 

https://sheldonbrown.com/tire-sizing.html

https://sheldonbrown.com/harris/tires/597.html

Scratcher33

Thanks, all. I went back with a bright light and managed to find these very faint markings on one of the tires...hopefully it's a consistent set.

cudak888 

Yep, English 590 size. The Westrick rims cinch the deal too - IIRC, Schwinn didn't have those. I stand corrected, they did. There goes one more quick-ID.

Just so happens the old tires are branded for Schwinn. It would have been nice had they printed the ISO number under the fractional one on the label.

-Kurt

JohnDThompson 

Looks like a "590" there, which is a good thing. 590mm bead seat diameter tires are still widely available. 597mm bead seat tires, less so.

Velo Mule

I currently like Schwalbe brand tires for 26" x 1-3/8" Delta Cruisers are nice tires for a fair price.

Here is a link to some of their etrto 37 x 590 tires. They have other widths as well. Think metric as in 20, 25, 28/32, 37 and 42mm wide. Unfortunately, it looks like with a mini bike boom they are all sold out of the 37mm widths. I don't see any listings for 20, 25 and 28/32mm. They do have a tire in 42mm. That is 1.650" A bit fatter than the standard 1-3/8" width. Fender clearance could be an issue.

Schwalbe 26 x 1-3/8 tires

Finding a particular tire on their website is difficult. I think the best way is to go to Search in the header and then pick tire search. Find 37 x 590 and apply the filter. I if you do buy from them, you might consider their tubes as well. I usually don't care about tubes, however, theirs have a threaded valve body and a knurled nut to keep the valve vertical on the rim.

ThermionicScott 

That old tire makes me think of the "Tommy" cover.

Vintage Schwinn

Schwinn did in fact produce a WESTRICK rim (S5) and these were standard on the COLLEGIATE until the 1973 model year, actually sometime around NOV 1972.
The ENDRICK rim (S-6) without the raised center hump became standard on the COLLEGIATE for 1973..........There are plenty NOV 1972 Collegiates that have the S-6 ENDRICK rim instead of the WESTRICK (S5) that the majority of 1972 COLLEGIATES came with. The pedal design also changed for 1973 to a smoother more "modern" appearance black rubber pedal tread instead of the updated carved in waffle design with reflectors.

This wheel change was sweeping and I don't think any other Schwinn "variants" such as Breeze, Speedster had S5 WESTRICK because once SCHWINN made the change, it didn't look back and I'm pretty sure that Schwinn didn't use the WESTRICK (S5) after 1972 once the existing supply was exhausted.

Yes, Schwinn did somewhat copy Raleigh's design and they(SCHWINN) did use that WESTRICK rim (S5) for a long time before it was phased out for the ENDRICK in 1973.

Millions of COLLEGIATES have the WESTRICK (S5) and you can easily see the difference as the WESTRICK has the raised center bump. I ride a KOOL LEMON Jan 1972 Collegiate that has the Westrick (S5). My neighbor has a Nov 1972 Collegiate that has the ENDRICK (S6) rim.

https://thecabe.com/forum/threads/s-...-tires.112721/

NOT EVERYTHING ON THAT CABE LINK ABOVE IS CORRECT, BUT IT HAS A SCHWINN CATALOG DEPICTION SHOWING THE TWO DIFFERENT STYLES.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westwood_rim

https://bikeshedva.blogspot.com/2016...26-x-1-38.html

Just something informative if you might be considering a wheel swap as the fellow did in the link above. The L.S. 2.8 side pull calipers are exactly the same as WEINMANN 810 side pull calipers..........................You see in 1969, Schwinn began having these calipers "marked" as such L.S. 2.8 instead of WEINMANN 810 as you would see on a 1968 COLLEGIATE or other Schwinn "variant" with the 597mm-26INCH wheels. The 1969 and later markings are code for Schwinn to denote that they go on "Lightweights" and that they are "Sidepulls" and the numbers are a funky calculation code that denotes the reach length, but its funky in that the first digit indicates Two Inches and then you've got to take Eight and multiply it by 3/32 ......then you add that to TWO INCHES and that tells you the distance from the center of brake arm slot to the center of the mounting bolt...................Sounds complicated but it is not. See each "tenth" for lack of a better word GETS multiplied times 3/32 and you ADD that to the TWO ......because that number to the left of the DOT (example L.S. 2.8) is TWO.......for two inches and then you take EIGHT (the "tenth" or number to the right of the DOT and you multiply 8 x 3/32...............................Isn't 8 x 3/32 = 24/32 ??? and Isn't 24/32 = 3/4 ???? so you essentially add 3/4 to TWO INCHES (because 2 is left of the dot)....................................................So the reach on those old WEINMANN 810 and L.S. 2.8 sidepull calipers is 2 3/4 "
****The VARSITY & SUBURBAN have L.S. 2.4 sidepull calipers (yes the 1968 Varsity and earlier just say WEINMANN with a model number that I can't remember now...seven hundred something... I think.) same calipers as the ones from 1969 onward that are marked L.S.2.4............................you can do the calculation on the VARSITY's L.S. 2.4--------------------------okay 4 x 3/32 = 12/32 isn't it..........that = 3/8 ------------------------------so the length on the VARSITY/SUBURBAN's L.S. 2.4 sidepull calipers is Two and 3/8 INCHES...........2 3/8"--------------------------------------------------------
****Now if you're looking at a CONTINENTAL with centerpulls..........it is gonna be marked something like L.C. as the first letter tells you it goes on a "lightweight" and the second letter (C) tells you it is a CENTERPULL.........................................
*******you never know when goofy but informative information such as this might assist you with whatever project bike that you might be working on*******