Bicycle Mechanics - Tire size wrong?!

As a newbie rejoining the ranks of bicyclists after many years I am taking baby steps. I am very puzzled though over one think. I bought a used Hercules 3 speed bike. I decided to buy new tire and tubes and I looked at the size of the tires that were already on the bike. The size noted was 26 1 3/8. I order the new tires in that size and when I tried to place them they looked way too big. what could have possibly gone wrong?? :eek:

26 X 1 3/8 is not the same as 26 X 1.375. See http://www.sheldonbrown.com/tire-sizing.html

There is the schwinn 26" 1 3/8 which is bigger then the huffy..... bikes that also took a 26" 1 3/8 tire. You may have bought somw schwinn sized tire's.

Look at the Metric sizing on the tires.
There are 2 different sized 26x1-3/8" tires.
590 MM & 597 MM.
If you confused 1-3/8" with 1.375", it's going to be WAY OFF. "Decimel" sized 26" tires are used on a 559 MM rim.
http://sheldonbrown.com/tire-sizing.html

The OP said that the replacement tyre was too big? MTB sized tyres in 559mm bead would actually be too small. Bigger than 26x1-3/8" would be something like 27x1-3/8" ??? What's the size printed on the side of the new tyre?

The OP said that the replacement tyre was too big? MTB sized tyres in 559mm bead would actually be too small. Bigger than 26x1-3/8" would be something like 27x1-3/8" ??? What's the size printed on the side of the new tyre?
This is probably Schwinn's fault.

The traditional 26 x 1 3/8" size, used on most English 3-speeds is 590 mm.

For reasons not clear, back in the '60s Schwinn started using the 597 mm size and _calling_ it 26 x 1 3/8"!

This idiocy has wasted uncountable person hours over the years. If the tire says "Schwinn" or "S-[digit]" on it, it will be the 597 mm size, properly known in the English system as 26 x 1 1/4".

My guess is that the O.P. got stuck with a 597 mm tire.

http://harriscyclery.com/590

O.P.: See also http://sheldonbrown.com/english for lotsa info about bikes like yours.

Sheldon "Anglophile" Brown

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