Originally Posted by
Wonkadonk
Firstly, I’ve read up on Sheldon and have investigated with great effort before posting here. I have a wheel issue I have not come across before.
I acquired this bike and would like to get proper wheels and tires for it (and I know most of you will think it’s not worth it but I have my reasons).
The (original?) rear wheel is Belgium-made and is a 525x559 rim with a 26”x1.75” tire and fits the brake caliper.
The front wheel has been replaced with an Araya 26”x1.5” rim and 26”x1.9” tire and is too large for the brake caliper.
The rear wheel looks smaller in appearance, but both are 559 and sidewall height is not much different on the tire.
What is going on here?
I know there are several different sizes of 26” rims, but I cannot find replacements. And both are apparently 559.
So what’s up? Thanks in advance!
Chances are that they are both 559mm bead. I wouldn’t be too worried that they are marked differently. If you are worried about the size, just swap the tires from front to back and see if they work. (They probably will.)
Is there any other marking on the tires? Sometimes tires are marked with the metric dimensions as well as the imperial.
Although there may be supply chain issues, 26” tires are still fairly widely available. If you want a knobby tire or a smoother tire, you should be able to find them through your local bike shop. QBP seems to have a number of different ones in stock in both 1.6 to 1.9” size and 2.0 to 2.2 sizes. You may be able to find them on-line as well. I did a quick search and found a fair number of different brands and models.