HOOTs1980

Hi I just bought me a 1980 Schwinn Suburban 10 speed and it needs tires and tubes. What is a decent brand of tire and tubes to use? I'm not looking for the cheapest and certainly not the most expensive. Just a good reliable tube and tire set up for city riding.

Am I looking for a 27"x 1.25" tire tube size?

Also brake pads.. Are there brands to stay away from? Need info on these as well.
Been out of the bike game for many many years. Help me get back in it..
Thanks

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Murray Missile 

I used to use Kenda K35's on flip bikes but I recently had a brand new one twist and lump up like a snake that swallowed a bag of golf balls and it started to split in the tread grooves. Put on new last December and ridden less than 300 feet. I also have a pair of Continental Paselas with very low miles that are splitting between the gumwall and tread. I've had excellent luck with NASHBAR store brand tires and I had a pair of Vee Rubber 27 X 1-1/4" blackwalls I got off ebay I really liked. For tubes I've had good luck with NASHBAR brand, have had a few issues with valve stems leaking on Kendas, both Schrader and Presta. Lately I've used Bell tubes from WalMart and no issues "yet".

AZORCH

Panaracer Paselas are sort of a "go to" tire for many on this forum. You can often find good pricing on them, they look period correct, and they're a decent tire. I use whatever tubes I can get a good price on.

The Golden Boy 

IIRC, the Suburban had an alloy front rim and steel rear. So while Kool Stop pads in the front- I don't know who makes a good Steel Rim Pad.

I also suggest the tan wall Panaracer Paselas. I'd suggest getting the bigger tires 27 x 1 1/4. Loose Screws also has their "Sand Canyon" tires and they're 27 x 1 3/8". I like those as well.

Because the Suburban is a heavier bike- the more volume inside the tire will be appreciated.

I just use whatever tubes the LBS has.

eschlwc

convert the width tire you end up choosing to the metric size so you know what tube width to buy in 700c size.

for example, if you buy 1 1/4" tires, that's 1.25 x 2.54 = 32mm (roughly). so you will buy 700x32mm tubes or the next smaller (more narrow) size (like 28mm). it's ok to use somewhat smaller tubes than the tires.

i prefer presta valves. i hate schrader valves. but that's certainly individual preference and somewhat dependent on rims.

jiangshi

Do not get a 'folding bead' tire, get a wire bead tire. Those rims will not hold a high pressure, folding bead tire. They are not 'hooked' rims.

HOOTs1980

Thanks for the replies. I didn't want to buy something and then find out I shouldn't of. I'll be searching for the above mentioned stuff Sunday night. Going to be a rainy hot humid week here so it will give me time to go through this bike and hopefully the parts will be here while it gets PMed. My schedule this weekend is allowing very little time for this and it is killing me walking past it 2 dozen times a day.

So is Amazon a good place to source stuff? Or is there a go to business most people like as well ?

Thanks again.

Jeff Wills

I never, ever saw a Schwinn with one steel and one aluminum rim. These were always equipped with the Schwinn steel rims. Kool Stop pads work just fine on these.

SkyDog75

What's it matter whether the bead is steel wire or aramid fiber (Kevlar)? They're functionally equivalent once the tire's inflated and pressure pulls the bead into a circular shape.

That said, if using straight-sided rims, it would be wise to not inflate tires designed for hooked rims to their marked maximum pressure, regardless of bead material.

eschlwc

i use ebay for pretty much everything except rims, tires, tubes, and hoods.

Murray Missile 

I put the Kool Stop Salmon pads on 2 steel rim bikes and they greatly improved the braking. I used the threaded stem long pads for cantis on one of them with sidepulls and they worked great, maybe not quite the equivalent braking of switching to aluminum rims but close and a lot cheaper. The other had Weinmann center pulls so I used the "Continental" replacement pads on it. Kool Stops are worth the extra money.

The Golden Boy 

My old Suburban had a "Schwinn Approved" HF hub on an aluminum Belgian made Weinmann rim. I assumed it to be stock, as it made sense to have better braking in the front.

I didn't think anyone did any monkeying with it beyond replacing the derailleur.

Thanks!

Metacortex

If the hub had triangular cutouts then that front rim most likely had been taken from a Super Sport.

jiangshi

Okay, then.

SkyDog75

Sorry if I came across as argumentative; I was genuinely trying to ask if you had a concrete reason to avoid folding bead tires. (It wouldn't be the first time my intuition's been wrong.)

HOOTs1980

How about these? https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B01CYTV4OA?psc=1

and these,https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/...=ATVPDKIKX0DER

Jeff Wills

Those will work, but the tubes are Presta valve. You need Schraeder valve. Any bike shop will have them.

jiangshi

They have a tendency to blow off the rims, IME.

eschlwc

why not use prestas? and a rim adapter if necessary. or use that little nut to keep it in place we all usually toss in the bin.

Jeff Wills

A Suburban came with Schraeder valves originally. If the OP wants to switch, has the adapters, and has a pump that works with Presta valves then fine. I assume none of this is true since he (another assumption) is a newbie (yet another assumption).

eschlwc

prestas are so much easier to deal with, even when using a $1 pump nozzle adapter like i do.

but, as you say, it came with schraders..

HOOTs1980

Correct on both assumptions. I have ZERO bicycle stuff at all except this Suburban I bought.
I am trying to avoid making a mistake buying something for it that should of been something else or just flat out incorrect parts.
Looks like I need to check into the difference between the valves. I honestly just thought they were two different name brands.

Way back in the day when I was heavily into bikes we had a locally owned toy store that took great pride in their bikes and after service work. There was never no question that what they sold was great quality stuff and when we customized the bikes there was a fellow there that could steer you into what you were looking for and have it ordered in if not in stock. Sad to say they eventually lost the fight to the big box stores for toys and bikes. But they held on till the late 90's although the strain was showing bad by then.

So now I start over from scratch with the only knowledge of bikes I retained and that is start with a Chicago Schwinn.
As I see right now all it needs is new tires. I hate anything old rubber so the tubes ,rim protectors, brake pads and all old grease has to go.
I'll need a hand pump.. Any suggestions there?

I would like to keep this bike with all original or close to original as possible. Performance upgrades are not frowned on but this bike will probably never see more than 10 miles an hour and most of it will just be flat level city cruising within a few miles of home. I do live on a small hillside but that is only a block long.

So by all means keep any and all suggestions coming. I really do appreciate it.

ApolloSoyuz1975

Hello - assuming your 'Burban does use 27" * 1&1/4" tires, a California business called Loose Screws offers a slightly-wider replacement. Link: https://www.loosescrews.com/
Otherwise, Continental & Panaracer both offer a couple models that would fit. Best of luck to you.

bmthom.gis

I love my Suburban probably more than I should. I've been riding it around since I got it without doing any maintenance, but finally did the hubs (both were loose) and bottom bracket (bone dry). The headset feels great still, and the cables are still perfectly good. New brake pads (the old ones didn't stop the bike without needing about 100 yards). I left it rusty as can be. It's my pool cruiser/chinese food getter. I don't worry about leaving it locked up, I doubt anyone would ever steal it, and in it's current state of patina I doubt I'd find someone willing to spend $5 for it. The Wald basket on the front is the most expensive part on it, at $22. Bike was free, brake pads were in the parts bin, tires have been good since I got it. I might have had to buy a tube at one point, but I don't remember.

HOOTs1980

I like those tires. I also like the black walls over gum wall.