hauk

Not sure if I should be posting this in Classic & Vintage, but I recently did a 650a conversion (little cheaper than 650b) on my wife's old Nishiki Modulus. All looked good until I installed the Kenda k40 Street tires. The back tire is a little too fat and is rubbing against the frame. The tires are 37mm wide, so I figure something like a 32mm tire in the same size would work. Only problem is I cannot find any 26 x 1 3/8 tires in that width. Can anyone recommend any? Thanks.

sillygolem

AFAIK, that's as narrow as you can get. 26 x 1 3/8 is used on 99% of wheels ever built, so it's good you didn't go for the 650B which is extremely rare. I once had to fight a bear for a 650B tire: The battle was difficult because he was wearing 650A tires as body armor, sort of like a growling, angry Bibendum. I think it would be funny if the quotes below this post change to reflect my editing, but maybe I should have put a disclaimer next to my obsolete claim. At the time I thought this might result in someone refuting my claim because some English bike-obsessed builder cranks out a new 26 x 1 3/8 bike once every couple years. I still don't understand hauk's choice as the last time I priced wheels there was maybe a $1-$2 dollar difference in price between ISO-threaded 650A and 650B Wheelmaster wheels, and he's going to end up spending more on tires to make up the difference.

So, let's start this again:

650A is about an inch larger in diameter than a 650B wheel because a lot of bicycle things make no sense. You'll save yourself a lot of trouble getting 650B wheels which will move your tires further away from the frame, but at this point it's probably too late to return your wheelset.

I'm assuming you live in America. People here pretty much quit buying 650A here when 3-speeds and cheap 10 speeds were phased out, and the new wheels and tires are normally intended for fixing these old bikes. Since the ubiquitous Japanese Mamachari uses 650A as do mountains of 3-speeds still rolling around England, you can get any sort of tire you like in that size...in those countries.

BTW - Bell = Cheng Shin (CST.) House brand = Cheng Shin, most of the time. If you see a Bell or a house brand tire listed you think might work, you can probably find the equivalent Cheng Shin a little easier. Also, there are 650B tires in every size, which also line up with old 650B wheel sizes, i.e. 26 x 1".

Did I mention I fought a bear?

Velognome 

No it's not. I have a set of 35mm, I know Schwable's Delta Cruiser is wider. I'd check the UK site on ebay, usually have a large # of sellers for that size tire. Get the tire name and see if you can source it state side or pay the shipping across the pond.

Here is a pair of 28mm on sale now

https://cgi.ebay.co.uk/RARE-VINTAGE-6...item2a10dadc73

sillygolem

It's not obsolete...how? Bikes with 26 1 3/8" wheels went out of production almost a decade before this Nishiki was made.

What brand/make are your 35mm tires? The Kendas are the slimmest I've seen state-side.

Velognome 

Rims are still in production ,Sun Cr's, and you can still spec. bicycles with this rim size, tires are still mfg. in this size blah, blah blah. It's not as popular in the USA as it was in the 50 & 60's but it is not obsolete.

rhm

Is 23 mm narrow enough for you?

Kenda makes a "Kontender K196" they call 26 x 1.

hauk

Did not think of checking UK ebay or sites like Wiggle, thanks for the tip!

hauk

I switched to 650a as I could only fit 23mm with 700c wheels. Probably looking for something like a 32mm tire.

rhm

Ah, yes! I guess I missed that all-important "(ish)" in the thread title!

Velognome 

ish=adjective; not more than 2mm +or -

Shesh rhm, watsup which uzs taday?

sillygolem

That fits narrow 650B rims, not 650A.

rhm

You might want to click that link, there, and check. If the tire is as described (23 x 590) it should fit a 650A rim just fine.

tcs

Bikes using this tires size continue in current large volume production in Japan.

tcs

The Schwalbe Marathon Plus is available in a 25mm width.

ColonelJLloyd 

For an ISO 690 rim?


I realize it's after the fact, but to serve as advice to those who come later, if you're changing your wheelset, choose a rim to fit the tire you want. Hauk, you really would've been better served by going 650B as their are many more quality tires (in more widths) from which to choose. The best 650A tire, the Panaracer Col de la Vie is 38mm wide.

tcs

Uh, the link I posted (click on the blue text) shows an ISO590mm size, as this thread has been discussing. ???

Here are the ISO590mm tires I've found in LBSs, big box stores, hardware stores or on line at some point in the past two years:
Bell Sports Streetster (folding)
Chengshin C638
Continental City Ride
Hutchinson Junior
Innova Cloud Nine
IRC Super Gold
IRC Super Seed
IRC City POPS
Kenda gumwall
Kenda Cross (knobby)
Kenda K40 Street
Michelin World Tour
Nutrak Traditional
Nu-teck (airless)
Panaracer Col de Vie
Panaracer Passhunter (light knobby)
Panaracer ST Daily Commuting
Pyramid gumwall
Pyramid Sunlite Hybrid Nimbus
Raleigh Record
Rubena Flash V66
Schwalbe Delta Cruiser (available in cream color)
Schwalbe Marathon
Schwalbe Marathon Plus
Schwalbe Speedway Pro (knobby)
Specialized TriSport
Vittoria Randonneur
Vredestein Perfect Tour
Vredestein Dynamic Tour
Vredestein Classic

tcs

...and I got home and measured them for the first time and my Bell Sports Streeters inflated to 65psi measure 33.1 mm across.

No experience with 'em, but both Michelin and Hutchinson list 650x28A (28mm wide nominal) tires.

PolishGuy

26 X 1 1/4" 597BSD tires/rims would work but those ARE discontinued. Kenda still makes the tires, as does Schwalbe but only for the Euro market....cost to ship to the US is a little high. PG.

hauk

650B would have been my preferred choice, but all the 650b wheelset's were too much money for me and I could not even find one a freewheel set so was looking at having to get wheels hand build off the existing hubs.

hauk

Thanks for the list! I will dig around and am sure to find something. Thanks again.

NightShift

590mm is also a common size for wheelchair wheels. Any good medical supply store should have some, and a catalog of others.

And you can find the Bells at Walmart. I use them on my beater, not bad, very durable.

David Newton

650A obsolete? Opinion, not fact.
I'd say they are a great choice for a kazillion bikes.

When choosing wheels, especially for a conversion, size them for brake reach, not tires.
Everything about 650B is more expensive, rims, wheelsets, tires. Tires come in fatter sizes though, which may be the primary objective.

tcs

The bead seat diameter of a 650B is 584mm. The bead seat diameter of a 26 x 1 3/8 - EA3 - 650A is 590mm. That's about a quarter of an inch American on the diameter, or, trying to do a conversion and fit a tire up between the chainstays, about an eighth of an inch (0.118") on the radius.

hauk

I'm not particularly pro or anti 650a or 650b, I just went with what was cheapest. If you can point me toward a 650b rear wheel which takes a freewheel for around $50 I might switch out the 650a back wheel, as I would rather go with a thicker tire at the back than a 28mm. If not then I will probably pick up a Schwalbe HS180 Rigid Tyre from a UK dealer and have it shipped to over to me in the US. Looks to be about 32mm, which should suffice.

Amesja

I've got 4 Kenda K40's mounted on CR18 rims right next to me. They vary from 26mm wide in the all-blacks to nearly 36mm in gumwall. I've noticed that the ones I've been getting lately have been fatter while the ones I were getting last fall were much narrower (too narrow if you ask me as they looked a bit goofy on a 3-speed.)