ChrisAlbertson

Most shops don't have a good selection of 27 inch road bike tires. When I blew out a side wall, each LBS had only one 27" road tire to show me. So I bought the one REI had. It is not bad but they only had a 1 1/4 and I prefer 1 1/8. I'm going to have to order a pair of them on-line. So...

I am looking for a pair of 27 x 1 1/8th road slicks with good rubber compound and resistance to flats. I'm trying to put off the need for that $$$ carbon frame race bike for as long as I can. I value speed and rolling resistance more than comfort and there are some 1,800 foot hills and mostly nice pavement so these new tires will see some fast downhill speeds. I live in So. California and we rarely have rain. The tires get wet only when I wash the bike. I don't give a hoot how long they last I'll replace them if when they wear out. This is not a touring bike. I'll do up to 50 miles or less then back home before dark. Does anyone sell good high performance 27 inch tires anymore?

So I have ridable tires on the bike and time to research what's best.

kross57

I have been happy with the Continental Super Sport 1 1/8". I use them on several bikes.

However, there is a thread on 27 inch tres in the C&V forum and folks with more experience than I have,

55murray

My favorite as well, also on multiple bikes.

cb400bill

Thread moved form Appraisals to Classic & Vintage.

BikeWonder

Specialized Armadillo run 27 x tires, but are pricey.

top506

Not a slick, but Panaracer Pasalas can be had in 1", 1 1/8" and 1 1/4". I've run all three happily.

Top

desconhecido 

Continental Gatorskins come in 27". Some people don't like the way they ride. Schwalbe has several offerings and the Schwabe Marathons are really tough, but not slick and they are heavy. Panaracer Pro Tite tires are probably the lightest -- advertised at 270 g for folding 27 x 1 1/8. They look good too. My experience with Panaracer tires is that the sidewalls are somewhat fragile, but I don't have many miles on the Pro Tites that I have so can't say about them. They do give a "spritely" ride, though.

due ruote 

https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-v...ce-thread.html

There is the aforementioned thread.
I second the recommendation for Paselas. They are pretty decent.
Another idea would be to keep your eyes open on CL etc. for a nice set of 700c wheels (assuming they would fit your frame, and they usually do). You didn't say much about the frame or your current wheelset, but a good set of properly tensioned wheels with excellent tires makes a big improvement in ride quality. Probably bigger than anything else you could do to the bike. And while there are plenty of decent 27" tires, there don't seem to be any that are truly on par with the best that you can get in 700c.

Kabuki12

I have Panaracer Pasela tires 27x1” and 27x1 1/8” . They offer a TG version which has a bit more protection from road hazards . TG is Tour Guard. They are nice riding tires , but they do have tread. I don’t notice any roughness to the ride and I am running at 85lbs on the rear and 80lbs on the front. Joe. joesvintageroadbikes.wordpress

Road Fan

I don't see the necessary dichotomy of your good old bike with its 27" wheels versus the expensive carbon bike. There are many greades and price points in between, including seeking the best possible 27" wheel and seeing how it is when you make the best of it. Next stage would be to replace 27" with 700. Most brakes/frames should handle it without issue. And among 700, the price points will range from good used wheels needing your choice of tires, to the >$1k wheel set you'd get on the feared carbon bike.

The $700c conversion should be cash and carry at a good LBS - probably easier than 27" tire replacement.

HTupolev

If you want black sidewalls, Continental Ultra Sport III.

If you want tan sidewalls, Panaracer Pasela with the red-and-yellow label, NOT the PT version with the blue-and-white label. The red-and-yellow non-PT version is only available in wire bead, but it's suppler by omitting the sub-tread puncture-protection belt.

mplsbiker

I have run many 27" tires, for performance I would stay away from the puncture-resistant tires like the SuperSport, Gatorskin, or PTs. Look for Continental Ultra Sports (very cheap, same tread pattern as the Gatorskin and SuperSport) they offer 0 puncture protection but are lightish and offer a supple ride and my personal favorites are the plain Peslas red and yellow label, not the PT version. Not a slick as the Ultra sports but supple and will offer some nice grip in wet weather and light gravel.

SurferRosa

They still use the TG name on some road tires. But, with the Pasela, they have switched to the ProTite label for the more flat-resistant model.

https://www.panaracer.com/lineup/urban_touring.html

Wilfred Laurier

I don't have any bikes with 27" wheels - only 700C, so I have the option of using just about any tire on the market. and my preferred tire is Panaracer Pasela

squirtdad

what bike do you have? Post a pic....we like picss, You don;t have to go carbon....you can upgrade the bike especially if it is an nice steel frame...from 700c wheels to putting modern components....and it wold stll be lot less than a new bike...... see this thread https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-v...i-s-ergos.html

ChrisAlbertson

Here are some photos https://photos.app.goo.gl/fjcp7TgyGvBot3c27

The frame is mid-1970's vintage Italian with Columbus double-butted forks, tubes and stays, chromed then painted. It was a high-end frame at the time. I bought it new in the mid 70s. Every component has been replaced at least once over the years. Current upgrades are

• Modern Shimano dual-pivot brake, levers and cables.
• just two weeks ago a 90s vintage Shimano Deore XT derailer to replace a beat-up Huret.
• This week a new Shimano 6-speed freewheel with "hyperglide" shift ramps. This made a world of difference in shifting speed and precision vs the old non-ramped cogs.
• bar-end friction shifters with new polymer-coated shift cables.
• Sugino crank and BB with triple chain wheel
• new wheelset bought in the 1980s
• I just replaced the chain a few hundred miles ago with "bling" full nickel plated.
• The Look Delta pedals are actually new to this bike
• Shimano Dura-Ace 600 headset
• Saddle, Seatpost, and bars bought in the 80s back when Performance Bike was my LBS.

The frame will not fit 700c wheels. Also, it is a little too large for me by today's standards. Stand over is at least 35mm too high. Note the very low (by today's standard) seat hight. The frame geometry is not at all what we call "aggressive" or "aero" but I can get on the drops to duck the wind. Also, the head tube angle is very steep. I can NOT take hands off the handlebars.

I'm open to upgrading suggestions, other than swapping to 700c wheels.

All that said, the weak link now is the rider (me) I've been away from bikes for some years and just started training in December and still need to lose 17 pounds. I just came back from a local ride of about 21 miles and 1,500 feet climb. The new 28T cog helps. Years ago I got up the same hills with a 24T.

I'll upgrade when I'm able to do three laps of the above ride for a "metric century" and not be "dead" after. Maybe by the end of summer?

machinist42

(Pic Assist.)

Classtime 

Cool bike. FIRST THING: reposition your rear brake so that it faces the rear. Look at a few pictures and you will see. I like the idea to reward yourself with a second bike when you reach your preliminary weight and fitness goals. However, as already mentioned, a nice(r) vintage bike more your size might be the way to go.

Road Fan

I see no reason why your frame will not accept 700c wheels. The only difference between a 27 and a 700 is that the radius of the rim of a 700 is 4 millimeters less than for a 27".

Other problems are possible: One is whether the brake caliper can reach an extra 4 mm down. Looking at your pictures, there should be no such problem in the front. It's not obvious there is or isnt a problem in the rear. The other potential problem is the width between the rear dropouts. For a bike of your vintage, the spacing is either 120 mm (usually can only accept a 5-speed freewheel) or 126 mm (usually can accept a 6 or 7 speed freewheel). But neither one will readily fit a modern rear wheel, which would usually need a 130 mm spacing. The frame can be bent gently by an expert to open up the gap, this is called "cold-setting." I've had it work out very well, except for one time. For your bike and budget I would not do that. Rather I would buy a peir of 700c clincher rims and spokes sized for this build. Have the 27" rims removed from your existing hubs and lace new 700c rims onto those same hubs. That will give you access to and extremely wide range of tire products that are nearly all of higher quality than your old 27" tires.

I would upgrade your rims and tires on the old hubs. Have a skilled wheel-builder do this work.

thorstein

Great looking bike! I think skinwalls would be a nice look on your ItalVega.

I've been using the Panaracer Pasela PTs for the last 1,000+ miles on my '89 Voyageur with no problems. I ride mostly on paved trails around the Twin Cities, some road, dirt trails once in a while. I'm about 160-165 lbs and have been filling the 1 1/4" PTs to ~60psi. When I moved up from 1 1/8" to 1 1/4" I immediately noticed a comfier ride, but no loss in speed.

Some people like to push moving to 700C for more tire selection, but I've been quite happy on my 27" wheels.

ChrisAlbertson

The brake only fits the way it is installed. I tried both ways. These are already medium reach brakes. If I flipped the brake to be more conventional I'd need the long-reach type. The mounting hole is slanted so it is taller in the rear. So I have two "front" brakes. It seems to work well. I rode down a big hill today at about 35 MPH and brakes on the whole time.


To move to 700C wheels with freehubs I'd need to have the rear dropouts "cold set" for a wider axel. The other problem is clearance near the bottom bracket. There is now only a 5 or 7 mm. it is very tight with 1 1/4 tires. The frame was designed for 1 1/8 tires. Maybe a 700c x 25 could fit? I'd rather not invest hundreds of dollars into such an old bike. I can keep the 27" wheels.

The bike works better today than when it was new.

Lemond1985

I have 2 road bikes I run the rear brakes calipers facing forward. One is a Raleigh Competition that has braze-on guides on the right side of the top tube, so having the brake cable attach on that side gives much cable routing and smoother braking. The other is a Univega Gran Premio that will only clear 28 mm tires with the calipers facing that way.

I think mechanically, it works just fine having the brakes reversed like that, nothing bad is gonna happen I don't think. And some brakes actually look better when mounted that way, IMO.

mechanicmatt

Continentals or Paselas suggested will work great with 27's. If you are happy with those wheels and those brakes don't need to change anything. Many many many people on here ride all the various versions of Paselas. Wire bead is easier to mount.

700c would work too but that is a fairly decent investment.

Pretty bike btw. Love the chrome.

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dddd

I've worked on and ridden hundreds of road bikes, and can't recall even one where I could not ride no-handed unless 1) the road was too rough/undulating, 2) the headset was clogged with hardened grease, over-tight or severely detented (usually at least somewhat the result of over-tight adjustment), or 3) the frameset (usually the fork blades) was bent toward one side.

Bikes I've ridden no-handed include ones with 76 degree headtube angles like my 1952 E. Christophe and my 1973 PX10.

Does the bike consistently pull toward one side? Seems just as likely that the headset is not moving freely enough.

Have you measured the frame's angles?

desconhecido 

I can't tell from looking at the picture what the trail might be, but if the headtube angle is steep and the fork has "normal" offset, will the trail not be very low? Seems that with a high headtube angle the offset needs to be small. Do I have that right? Wouldn't very low trail result in a bike that would be hard to ride no hands?