Technical > Wheels, Tyres and Brakes

Are 26" tyres an endangered species?

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mickeg:
I am running a 135mm hub in a steel 130mm frame, also running a 126mm hub in a 120mm steel frame.  Depending on the frame materials, it may be possible.

Back in the 1980s, I was unable to buy the tires I needed for a bike.  Thus, that bike went into long term storage with a plan that someday I would put on different spokes and rims.  The bike was a heavy steel frame utility bike with three speed, drum brakes front and rear.  Years later once the internet arrived, I could find how to buy obscure stuff like the 650b tires that that bike requires.  But now I have so many other bikes in the fleet (bought another one last week), that the bike that lacked the 650b tire source is still hanging from a hook in storage. 

And of course, now you can buy 650b tires again.  But do not call then 26 inch like they were previously called, now they are 27.5.

I think that the existence of the internet will mean that even oddball stuff (like 650b tires in the 1980s) will be obtainable in the future.  Thus, I am not too concerned about my 26 inch bikes becoming unusable.

Manufacturers are always trying to figure out how to make everything obsolete.  If the major bike companies could force you to only put air in your tires that you bought from them, they would.  But, so far they have not figured out how to force you to buy their compressed air.  (But they did figure out how to convince some roadies to buy compressed gas in small expensive cylanders that is other than air.)

But if you really are concerned that you will have an obsolete unusable bike later, start putting ten or twenty USD or Euros or Pounds in savings each year, then if it happens you might have enough saved up by then to buy new.

***

When I worked in a bike shop in the early 70s, virtually all the bikes (other than three speed bikes) had a freewheel, which most of us called a cluster.  Quality freewheels are REALLY hard to find now.  I am glad I did not discard a few back in the 70s and 80s that still had some life left, but not sure if I will ever find a use for them.  I think quality freewheels might be harder to find than 27 inch tires now days.  But even those are still obtainable if you look hard enough.

martinf:

--- Quote from: Danneaux on April 23, 2018, 04:47:02 pm ---700C rims have a diameter 8mm smaller than 27in...which means the brakes much reach another 4mm (radius) downward to the rim. Doesn't sound like much until they...don't.

--- End quote ---

My old 700C derailleur tourer started out with 27" rims. When I moved to France I tried 700C wheels in it - I was lucky with the rear, where the cantilever studs would allow the brakes to reach either 700C or 27".

When I had used up my 27" tyres, instead of sourcing more from the UK, I got a local frame builder to rebraze the studs on the fork to suit the French standard of 700C. In those days (early 1980's), it was cheap, quick and easy to have a brazing repair done, with at least two component frame builders in the town where I lived.

I still have one lightly-used Mavic 3 rim in the 27" (630) size.
If it is any use to someone, it is available for the shipping cost.

Vintagetourer:
The one big benefit of my venerable 1979 tourer eventually becoming too difficult to keep shod with tyres and fitted with a cluster was that I ended up looking at new Thorn Bikes.
The rest is history as they say. I am pleased I had to get new bikes. Although venerable, my old bike was a far lesser standard than the Thorns.

I am fairly sure that I will be able to keep both my Thorn bikes rolling for many years yet, despite the conspiracy by the tyre and components industries to make me buy more stuff.

That's another advantage of having Thorn Bikes and SJSC so dedicated to touring bikes. They are good sources of harder to find bits and pieces.

energyman:
One wonders if the manufacturers periodically start a rumour to enhance static sales of certain products.
Or am I just paranoid ?

mickeg:

--- Quote from: energyman on April 24, 2018, 03:45:54 pm ---One wonders if the manufacturers periodically start a rumour to enhance static sales of certain products.
Or am I just paranoid ?

--- End quote ---

I heard a rumor that my favorite cycle shoe maker was going to stop making the cycle versions.  So, I quick bought a pair.  And a few weeks later the manufacturer announced that due to increased demand they were not going to stop making cycle shoes after all.

They are still making them a few years later.

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