Am I being unreasonable bikenet stylee?
 

I’m not a newbie to cycling but I am to this forums and I just want to check if I’m being ridiculous. I bought 28 x 1.25 wheels from @tredzBikes. At no point on the webpage did they identify them as being 700b tyres which aren’t compatible with my 700c wheels. I am now liable for the £20 return postage as I bought the wrong size tyres. am I being unreasonable to think that’s a bit cheeky or should the shear fact it was sold in inches be enough to alert me to the fact they were 700b tyres.
The breadth of ways of describing tyre sizes left me confused but I’ve seem them referred to as obsolete on this forum...

This is a lose lose situation for all involved. This has happened to all of us at one time or another.

The simplest way to avoid such mismatch in the future is in this article.

the key phrase is "The ISO system to the rescue"

You bought the wrong size tires. Why should the seller pay for return shipping?

Thanks for your helpful input. I bought 28 x 1.25 inch tyres which is what it says both on my wheels and on the website for the tyres I bought.

Your wheels state both a tire diameter AND width? That would be very unusual. Are you sure about this?

This part is confusing, too. You mention two different wheelset sizes.

Best solution might be to pay the return charge, get your money back, and then take your wheels to a good bike shop in order to ensure that you get the correct size.

My tyres that need replaced say 32-622 (28x1.25x1.75) which I know is a 700c. The sellers website’s only measurement for the tyres I bought was 28x1.25 which was the measurement quoted on the manufacturers website when I looked for the ones that would fit my wheels. I can accept that as Reynolds 531 mentioned that it’s a lose lose situation for everyone involved… and maybe I am being unreasonable but I’d have thought that a slightly non standard size would be highlighted on a sellers website when there’s two measurements to take into account… I have found the correct tyres elsewhere and can fit them myself. Thanks again for your help

You are not being "ridiculous", just a bit cheeky.

Can you link to that webpage? I'm just curious to see this 700b wheelset.

Bikenet stylee? Who/what is that?

I think it's this guy:

​​​​​​https://c8.alamy.com/zooms/9/e9bdd89...72b/dpcn2j.jpg

I think the answer to the question posed is, "yes". I've taken a flyer on a number of poorly listed advertisements in hopes of getting a diamond in the rough deal. Sometimes I do (poor advertisement leads to lack of sales leads to dropped prices) other times, that poorly documented listing leads to getting something that's not what I want (or in the shape I'd hoped). That's on me when I Take that gamble.

700B is an extremely oddball size. I would actually blame the seller for not adequately describing the tires, if the listing doesn't specifically say they are 700B or give some other indication that these are oddballs.

Is this the tire?

XLC Urban X 28 inch Tyre (VT-C03) | Tredz Bikes

Because that one DOES list the size as 37-635, which indicates a size other than the standard 622mm BSD.

There's a FAQ on that page about tire sizing that says "Is a 28 inch tire the same as 700c?
700c wheels have a diameter of 622mm. While most 28 inch tyres are for a 622mm wheel, some are not. Check the ETRO number on the sidewall to confirm."

not allowed to link to it as I’ve not posted enough.

it is a Schwalbe Marathon Plus SmartGuard Endurance Compound Wired 28" Tyre still available I the website. But if you want them I have a fresh set that I’m not needing?!?😜. They have 28 x 1.25 and 28 x 1.75 currently.

I just went to the Schwalbe website:
https://www.schwalbetires.com/Marathon-Plus-11100756

The 28x1.25 tire is iso 622. If this is what you bought then it is the correct size for 700c.
The 28X 1 1/2 tire is iso 635. This one is 700b. This is the only 700b tire in their line-up.
Which tire did you buy?

Sadly the sellers are not responsible for return shipping. Even in some cases of warranty where it is a manufacturer defect and not a customer error some companies don't send return labels. However in this case the incorrect tire was purchased.

When I searched Tredz this is what came up under the website description on the googles:
Performance Cycling Limited trading as Tredzacts as a credit broker and offers credit products from Clydesdale Financial Services Limited trading as Barclays ...

I just laughed at that as that is not what I would want to see from a bike shop when I search but it doesn't necessarily mean much it was just funny.

In this case it was an issue of not checking the ISO diameter which maybe could have been better listed but also it is on the buyer in this case to confirm since you aren't dealing with humans and showing them your tire. If I went into a brick and mortar bike shop and they sold me the incorrect sized tire with me having brought in the wheel with tire attached, then that would be a problem and they should take it back with no strings attached and get me the correct ones but buying online not so much.

I have a few bikes I have built with ERTO 635 rims and use these tires.
They are more of a cruiser type of bike
https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...5acb521b3f.jpg
https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...71190b22a8.jpg
https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...11e4d40e1c.jpg

I went to Tredzbiked and also found the Marathon Plus in a 28” and I couldn’t find any ERTRO/ISO size for the tire.

It was listed under Hybrid Bike Tyres.

They also have the same tire in a 700c listed in that category. However, if someone just searches by 28”, you never see the 700c.

The OP has a valid complaint if the seller doesn’t provide the ERTRO/ISO size. This doesn’t change anything, but I understand the frustration.

John

I found the tire in question on their website.

Nowhere in the listing does it give an ERTO, or that the two sizes available are for different rim sizes, or that the 28x1.75 is actually a rare obsolete size. There is a 'what is my tire size' button, but this opens a chart of different tire construction and features - not a size guide or chart.

This mistake is on the seller, IMO. They should pay return shipping.

What we think matters not, Caveat Emptor. Accept that you made the mistake, regardless of the seller's description, deal with it the best way you can, and move on.

The 28" thing has been a problem for decades, and is still an issue. Schwalbe still lists their 700c tubes with the '28" designation.
As in a prior post, 28" is both ETRTO 622 AND 635 (ISO)
622 is the most common for many bikes, currently... but was not always that way.
BUT 635 was quite overwhelmingly common in Europe and UK, when most City/Tour/Everyday bikes were built with this larger wheel size. Gosh, I don;t even know how far back it goes when this 635 wheel size was dominant... But certainly still in use today.
as recommended, move on - you can try to sell the tires on whatever local online sales/listing site (like Craigslist) and prolly they will sell at some point.
... I'd buy them, except the shipping cost isn't worth it....
... My Opa's Rad - 1939 Phenomenon - I'm still using it a lot - a comfy ride in my home town which is still entirely 'paved' with 'Sett' (Belgian Block). The local bike shop still sells a bunch of 28/ETRTO 635... LOL!
https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...b08f81dfb4.jpg
1939 Phenomenon

Ride On
Yuri

Were I in the UK, one of the ways I would deal with this is to make sure I never bought anything from them again.

This is on the page for the tire in question: "Please note: View 'Tyres Guide' below for ETRTO Sizing"

There is no "Tyres Guide" on that page. There's something titled similarly, but no ETRTO sizing or any sizing info under that tab whatsoever.

28" is the most ambiguous tire size after 26" in the bicycle universe. NEVER buy a bicycle tire unlesss they provide the ETRTO size and it corresponds the the ETRTO size on the tire on your bike
Fractional sizes(eg 26 x 1 1/2) and decimal sizes(eg 26 x 1.50) are almost never the same thing