26x1 3/8 tires Question??

[chaddilac]

Can you put a 26 x 1.75 tire on a sears bike that has 26 x 1 3/8s already on it. The bike has the smaller fenders so i want to stay smaller or I'd just run some 2.125 tires on it.

Also... I've got a 10 speed rear wheel I would like to change to a single speed sprocket, is that possible??

Thanks for the help fellas!!!

 

[RatRodDad]

From what the bike parts places say in their ads, you can't swap fractional tires (1 3/8) for decimal tires (1.75). I guess they all have a metric size in addition to the inch size and I think those have to have the same diameter size to fit the rim correctly.

Changing hubs on rims can apparently be a challenge too - since different hubs are different sizes in diameter - and therefore you would need different length spokes for them to fit correctly.

Uncle Stretch tried swapping a narrow tire 3 speed SA hub with wider single speed hub rim and he never found any spokes that would work. Everything he tried was too long or too short. So he was going to have to have some cut to the correct length or special order a correct length set and so he decided to just pass on the whole idea.

 

[chaddilac]

I just assumed, that a 1.75 was a 1 3/4" and the 2.125 was a 2 1/8"??

I was hoping the 1.75 tire would fit the 1 3/8" rim??

 

[RatRodDad]

Here is the info from the Niagara Cycle web site for a 26 x 1 3/8" tire

26" x 1-3/8"
Wire Bead
Black Wall (white walls are pictured)
ISO diameter 590mm
*Note: This is NOT the same diameter as a decimal tire size, such as 26" x 1.25, or a Schwinn S-6 1 3/8" tire*

I think it's the 590mm wheel diameter size that's important.

And here is the information on a 26 x 1.75 tire

26" x 1.75"
Wire Bead
Black Wall
ISO diameter 559mm
*Note: This is NOT the same diameter as a fractional tire size, such as 26" x 1-3/4" *

It looks like a rim that would work for the 1.75 tire is quite a bit smaller in diameter than one that would work with a 1 3/8. 590mm vs. 559mm.

 

[RatRodDad]

I didn't mention it in that last post, but I think if you look on the tire itself, where it says the size - 26 x 1 3/8, you will also see the mm equivalent of each size.

So next to the 26 you will see 590 or 559 or whatever. So that may help too - if you know the narrow rim is 590mm - since only a 590mm tire will fit it.

 

[chaddilac]

Thanks Dad... I looked and I found the problem..... "made in korea" some of that Kim Jong Ill crap! hahahaha

I found a pair of 1 3/8 whitewalls on ebay I guess I'll stick with them.

do you know anything about converting a 10 speed rear wheel to a single speed? I might just call steve tomorrow while he's at work.

 

[stephen]

The simple fact about fractional and decimal wheels is they are measured in different ways so they will never be the same.
Converting to single speed: you can buy kits that have a single cog and spacers.

 

[RatRodDad]

Chad, I misread your question before. I thought you were wanting to swap hubs on a wheel - to swap it from a multi speed hub to a single speed coaster brake hub.

I see now that you are just talking about getting rid of the cassette or rear gears on a multi speed and going with a single speed gear instead.

Steve said he tried that once and he just took his rear wheel to the LBS and they pulled off the cassette for free and then sold him the single speed cog for something like $12. The problem he ran into was that the single gear didn't line up with his front sprocket and so the chain kept jumping off.

And I know from reading a few things that in some cases you can just get a single speed cog and screw that one on where the cassette screwed off, but on other multi speed wheels where the gears don't screw off (not a cassette - but a freewheel type) you have to use a single rear gear and some spacers to fill up the place where all of the other gears used to be - and to also allow you to put the one gear in alignment with the front sprocket.

So your best bet may be to take your wheel down to the LBS, tell them what you want to do on it, and then let them tell you what's involved.