bikemig 

I've managed for a long time to avoid bikes with 27 inch tires but my luck has run out and I accidently picked up a small collection of good quality 27 inch wheels.

I need one good set of 27 inch tires for a bike that I'm going to turn into a rider (a really neat and pristine mid 70s Sekine SHS 271) and cheapie set for a bike that I need to sell (a mid 70s Peugeot UE 8).

Is there a place to buy decent quality 27 inch tires inexpensively? Panaracer, Schwalbe, and Continental all make decent looking 27 inch tires. Do you have a favorite and where do you buy them?

What about cheap 27 inch tires? Is there any cheapy 27 inch tires (hopefully $10 or less) you like and where do you buy them?

nlerner

I've bought 27" tires at the usual online places: biketiresdirect, niagara, nashbar, performance. Way back when, I bought a set of Continental Sport 27" tires at my local REI, and they're still on that particular bike. Otherwise, Paselas in 1/8" or 1/4" widths have worked well for me.

bikemig 

Yeah I like paselas as well but I was hoping to do better than app. $30 per tire for the good ones. But it's tough to beat how a tan wall tire looks on an old bike.

canklecat

A local bike flipper I've bought from uses Vittoria Zaffiros for bikes that take 700c and 27". Decent tires for around $10-$15 each. I rode a set for a month back in June before switching to Schwalbe One V-Guards. But I may put the Zaffiros back on this winter since they grip a bit better on wet roads than the Schwalbe slicks. Looking back on my Strava times over the summer, some of my fastest segments were on the Zaffiros, although that was at 120 psi and the ride was harsh compared with the Schwalbes -- especially on chipseal; on smooth pavement it didn't matter. At lower pressure the Zaffiros felt sluggish and heavy. But not bad for the price, really.

Kenda makes some classic gumwall type 27" tires, the K35 and K40, for around $10-$15 each.

ThermionicScott 

Life is too short to ride crappy tires. I have a lightly-used but still very supple-feeling Pasela in 27x1-1/4" if you're interested.

bikemig 

But it's a heck of a bike ride from Des Moines to Cedar Rapids . . . .

khatfull

Pasela Tourguard...little more $$$ than cheapies but oh so worth it.

noglider 

If you want cheap, some Kenda tires are OK. I've seen a few too many defects with Cheng Shin tires. I've seen them with Kenda, but not as many.

Lazyass

If you're gonna flip it just buy some Bell tires at Walmart. Most every one I've been in has 27 inch tires in stock.

leftthread

Not $10 a tire, but I have had good luck with Conti Ultra Sports in 27 x 1-1/4 in.
No flats on a ton of mileage.
They measure 32mm wide.

That said, I've moved away from them in 700c x25mm because of more flats mid-life.

The Golden Boy 

Paselas and the Swift Tire Sand Canyon in 27 x 1 3/8".

tkamd73 

I don't do cheap when it comes to tires. Favorites, Panaracers or Continentals, usually from Universal. Tim

Aubergine 

A man (boy?) after my own heart. These are the only tires I buy for 27” wheels.

ryansu

+1 on the Kenda's which can be had cheaply on Amazon and you can get them in 3 sizes 1 1/8, 1 1/4 and 1 3/8 I have used all 3 with no complaints a very good bang for the buck

Pompiere

Walmart may have discontinued the 27 inch tires. I got some earlier this year for $5 each on clearance. I have not seen that size on the shelf since. Their MTB and Hybrid tires are $19.95 each.

dddd

Beware of the cheap Kenda tires with a pronounced center rib/ridge, as a bike will not handle normally until the ridge wears down and compresses to half of it's original height.


I've had to rotate tires back to front in order to accelerate this process. Besides being annoying, it is unsafe whenever there are fewer than two hands on the bar, as the steering tends to fall inward with even the slightest off-center movement of the wheel.


It's just poor design, long ago dismissed by riders as anything but the result of false advertising claims that a center rib would (somehow) reduce rolling resistance. The rib also increases rolling resistance btw.


The unusually tall, unsupported "chevron"-patterned side tread of these same Kenda tires further leads to much-increased slip angle upon cornering off of the center rib, further increasing the twitchy transition, so again these tire's treads epitomize poor tread design.


Cheng Shin tiress on the other hand do not use such pronounced features on such narrow 1-1/8" tires, and I have not found their quality to be lower than Kenda myself. I actually prefer this brand when looking for cheap (under $15) tires such as those sold by Nashbar under their own name, as their sensible tread is long-lasting.


Zaffiros and especially the newer Ultrasport II's come to mind as good tires that can be found for under $20.

rustystrings61 

Panaracer Pasela 27 x 1 1/4 on the 'bay works out to around $24 per tire. I have realized I actually enjoy the ride of these at 70 psi. As far as the cheapies go, I have had acceptable results with the basic Kendas, but I honestly don't have enough miles on those to say for sure that I like them or not.

amedias

Another vote for Paselas, they're good tyres regardless of size.

I'd rather ride a cheap bike with nice tyres than a nice bike with cheap tyres :-)

mstateglfr 

certainly not my favorite, but cheap!
https://www.biketiresdirect.com/prod...MaArd1EALw_wcB

$18 for a pair.
$24 for the 2 tires delivered right now. Or buy more and get free shipping over $50

non-fixie 

+1. The folding version, if rims and budget allow for it.

Crashola

My bike came from a flipper who put 27" Performance Forte Strada STs on it. I am happy with the ride and the zero punctures to date. But I dread the day I have to change one on the road. They are an absolute bear to change, requiring lots of liquid soap to slide on.

rshelton

Check out EBay. You can pick them up for less than $20/ea pretty much anytime.