Bicycle Mechanics - 26x1 3/8

Will a tube for a 26x 1 3/8 english 3-speed work in a 26x1.5 mtb city tire?

I am pretty sure a 26x 1 3/8 tube is bigger than a mtb tube. Wont hurt to try though.

26 x 1 3/8 is to big for a mountian bike. If you have to it will work for a short distance. The tube will be folded over itself and a pinch flat will happen.

Come on guys. The LBS said they would expand and fit just fine. If I have to take them back and mention it here, The Reverend will yell at me and tell me its my fault. Maybe he can assure me they will work just fine.

Your LBS might have been thinking in the other direction. A 559 mm (MTB 26") tube can be made to fit a 26 x 1 3/8" rim, with some stretching (I know because I made this work for a couple of months), but I just don't know about putting outsized tubes on smaller rims. It might work, but then again, it might not inflate evenly or well, which could be problematic for a number of reasons. Why on earth did they give you a 590 mm tube anyway?

Said they didn't have 26x1.5 and these would work just fine. Didn't really think of it until I got home. Beginning to sound like good hard-nosed salesmanship.

Said they didn't have 26x1.5 and these would work just fine. Didn't really think of it until I got home. Beginning to sound like good hard-nosed salesmanship.

...or they (incorrectly) figured 1 3/8ths, that's close to 1 4/8ths which is equal to 1.5 therefore it will work. :P

It'll work. The tube is actually a bit bigger in circumference, but buytel tubes will stretch. It may even have "26 x 1.25" stamped on it with the "26 x 1 3/8". I've done it before with no ill effects. My 700c x 23 tubes have 27" x 1" stamped on them.

Typically you can stuff oversized tubes into a smaller tyre without any problems. Just be careful not to get it pinched between the tyre & rim, since they sometimes bunch up. GIve it a pump or two to round out the shape so there's no wrinkles. Installing smaller tubes into a larger tyre on the other hand can result in problems as teh tube will be stretched thinner.

Better of with a 584mm tube (650B). QBP carries them.

Said they didn't have 26x1.5 and these would work just fine. Didn't really think of it until I got home. Beginning to sound like good hard-nosed salesmanship.

I wouldn't use it. A local LBS tried to tell me the same thing. I took the tube out of the box and showed them how much bigger it really is. The difference is quite a bit. It will result in a fold somewhere.

Thanks for the input. I think I'll just put them on the shelf, then the next time I feel guilty about buying online, I can look at them and feel better about myself.