The Chainlink

I think I know the answer, but want to ask anyway. Are there any winter specific tires for my vintage Schwinn Suburban, or should I just convert one of my two Suburbans to 700 wheels if I want better handling in the crap that we've had for the last two weeks?

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Here's what the always grumpy Peter White has to say about that:

There are no 27" tires available with carbide studs. Don't confuse 700c with 27", they aren't the same. Please don't call or write asking for 27" studded tires. They don't exist and since there are virtually no bicycles in current production using 27" tires, I would be shocked if any company would start making a 27" studded tire. Also, there are no 16" or 12" or 18" studded tires. To my knowledge, no studded tires exist for penny farthings, Tonka Trucks, Formula 1 race cars or baby carriages, although I saw a report on Fox News that babies have entered a class action suit in federal court against tire manufacturers claiming discrimination. So, stay tuned.

http://www.peterwhitecycles.com/studdedtires.asp

All due respect to Peter White but they did make em' for F1 cars!  :)

That being said I'm running Armadillos on my Schwinn in that same 27 x 1 1/4 size. They've been doing well but I do wish for a bit more tread when riding through deeper stuff. 

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Kelvin Mulcky said:

Here's what the always grumpy Peter White has to say about that:

There are no 27" tires available with carbide studs. Don't confuse 700c with 27", they aren't the same. Please don't call or write asking for 27" studded tires. They don't exist and since there are virtually no bicycles in current production using 27" tires, I would be shocked if any company would start making a 27" studded tire. Also, there are no 16" or 12" or 18" studded tires. To my knowledge, no studded tires exist for penny farthings, Tonka Trucks, Formula 1 race cars or baby carriages, although I saw a report on Fox News that babies have entered a class action suit in federal court against tire manufacturers claiming discrimination. So, stay tuned.

http://www.peterwhitecycles.com/studdedtires.asp

That's awesome!

There's the Schwalbe Marathon that's pretty well regarded, and I think Panaracer or Kenda makes a cyclocross tire in 27"

There are 27 1 x 3/8 that have a "knobby", albeit a low profile one, that you can use.

There are just not many options for 27" old Schwinn's. The challenge is where the chain stays are welded to the bottom bracket. It is a tight fit right in that area. Especially if your wheel is not true.

One more thought on this..., You are going to have equal or more challenges putting 700c's on your Suburbans. Your brakes are not going to contact the rim in the right spot. You might have an old caliper that will allow you to position them correctly, probably not though. And your spacing at the critical bottom bracket/chain stay will only be exaggerated.

if you have fenders, they are only going to add to your headaches.

I can't comment on current offerings for 27" tires, but I just wanted to throw in my 2 cents because I was facing a similar dilemma with my 27" 1989 Schwinn Sprint.

I knew there wasn't good 27" tire selection, so not long after I got it I swapped the 27" wheels to 700C.  Didn't even have to switch the brakes because the reach was just barely long enough, but I did have to upgrade to modern pads to get them aligned perfectly with the rim.  I've ridden a bunch of different wheel/tire combos on it over the course of the last 6 years, but my favorite for winter and offroad riding was Panaracer CrossBlaster 700X32 knobbies.  I ran those 32mm block-pattern knobbies with full steel fenders from an English 26X1-3/8" 3 speed - no rubbing and (perhaps surprisingly) plenty of clearance.  The nice part was that when I finally upgraded my frame/fork this summer, the wheels/tires swapped right over.

Also, just a note about switching from 27" to 700C (if you do decide to do it): smaller diameter wheels and smaller tires lowers the center of gravity (good) but also lowers the bottom bracket quite a bit (bad).  I don't know how many times I skidded a pedal on the ground after I switched.  I had to adjust my riding style to either corner less aggressively while pedaling, or coast while aggressively cornering.

It lowers the BB 4mm, hardly enough to really increase pedal strike that much and you can easily compensate by running a big ass tire.

Nick G said:

I can't comment on current offerings for 27" tires, but I just wanted to throw in my 2 cents because I was facing a similar dilemma with my 27" 1989 Schwinn Sprint.

I knew there wasn't good 27" tire selection, so not long after I got it I swapped the 27" wheels to 700C.  Didn't even have to switch the brakes because the reach was just barely long enough, but I did have to upgrade to modern pads to get them aligned perfectly with the rim.  I've ridden a bunch of different wheel/tire combos on it over the course of the last 6 years, but my favorite for winter and offroad riding was Panaracer CrossBlaster 700X32 knobbies.  I ran those 32mm block-pattern knobbies with full steel fenders from an English 26X1-3/8" 3 speed - no rubbing and (perhaps surprisingly) plenty of clearance.  The nice part was that when I finally upgraded my frame/fork this summer, the wheels/tires swapped right over.

Also, just a note about switching from 27" to 700C (if you do decide to do it): smaller diameter wheels and smaller tires lowers the center of gravity (good) but also lowers the bottom bracket quite a bit (bad).  I don't know how many times I skidded a pedal on the ground after I switched.  I had to adjust my riding style to either corner less aggressively while pedaling, or coast while aggressively cornering.

Assuming same tire width, wouldn't replacing 27 inch wheels with 700c lessen any spacing issues at the bottom bracket/chain stay? A smaller diameter wheel should leave more room between the wheel and seat tube and the chainstays on most bikes get a bit further apart the farther back you go. 

I'm considering converting my Schwinn to 700c in the spring and haven't yet done much research on what the conversion entails. My brakes should be good since I have almost a full centimeter of extra space for the pads. We'll see what happens with pedal strike while cornering. I would likely use 32 or 35 mm tires. 

Lee Roy Carrier said:

One more thought on this..., You are going to have equal or more challenges putting 700c's on your Suburbans. Your brakes are not going to contact the rim in the right spot. You might have an old caliper that will allow you to position them correctly, probably not though. And your spacing at the critical bottom bracket/chain stay will only be exaggerated.

if you have fenders, they are only going to add to your headaches.

I've had good luck with the 27 x 1 1/4 marathons in the winter.  Run them at lower pressure when it gets slick out.  

They aren't studded but you really only need studded tires a handful of days a winter in chicago thanks to CDOT salting.  Last year I ran my 700c Marathon Winter's from december to march and just felt silly to be running them and working so much harder when I needed them only 3 days!

You'll have better tire clearance at the chainstays with 700C wheels/tires. The brakes are the only issue, and it's not a big one. Long reach calipers are easy to obtain and inexpensive, generally. 

Typically studded tires only enhance your cycling experience if you're not likely to encounter _any_ pavement.  


Lee Roy Carrier said:

One more thought on this..., You are going to have equal or more challenges putting 700c's on your Suburbans. Your brakes are not going to contact the rim in the right spot. You might have an old caliper that will allow you to position them correctly, probably not though. And your spacing at the critical bottom bracket/chain stay will only be exaggerated.

if you have fenders, they are only going to add to your headaches.

I haven't taken the time to read all the responses, but I've been using 27's on my winter bikes for the last twenty years. Back in '98 I discovered the Club Roost Cross Terra. It's 27 by 1 3/8 and a knobbie. But it has a smooth center tread for fast rolling most of the time. I just got a flat on the front tire yesterday (sheet metal), but haven't had a flat in over a year otherwise. I ride these tires on my daily commuter year 'round and love them. They also come in 26 by 1.5, 26 by 2.0 and 700 by 38. We sell all sizes at Boulevard Bikes. I think you can click our ad here to find our contact info. I also really like Schwalbe Marathons. They are heavy duty and have a better winter tread than the armadillos. And they are reflective.

What he said! Nice tires, them Cross Terras. Go get 'em!

kevin womac said:

I haven't taken the time to read all the responses, but I've been using 27's on my winter bikes for the last twenty years. Back in '98 I discovered the Club Roost Cross Terra. It's 27 by 1 3/8 and a knobbie. But it has a smooth center tread for fast rolling most of the time. I just got a flat on the front tire yesterday (sheet metal), but haven't had a flat in over a year otherwise. I ride these tires on my daily commuter year 'round and love them. They also come in 26 by 1.5, 26 by 2.0 and 700 by 38. We sell all sizes at Boulevard Bikes. I think you can click our ad here to find our contact info. I also really like Schwalbe Marathons. They are heavy duty and have a better winter tread than the armadillos. And they are reflective.

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