emsara

I have changed a few tires - not many, but a few. I am pulling my hair out trying to install a new tire tonight and decided to come here for some help.

My bike is a 1980's Fuji 450 SE. It is a Terry-style frame with a 24" front wheel and a 700c rear. I bought a new front tire from the Terry website - it is a Panaracer Pasela 24x1.

My first hint of trouble was when the tube seemed too big for the tire - it was buckled a bit. When I tried to actually get the tire on the rim, there was NO WAY I was going to get it on. I could barely get past half way before the wire bead was stretched tight across spokes and nowhere near the edge it needed to go around. I then compared the tire with the one I had taken off and it is substantially smaller (see pic below - the new tire is the front blackwall). So, is it possible to get this tire on - can it just be this tight and maybe the bike shop could do it for me - or is it the wrong size? I don't know what other size could be right. The rim and old tire do not give an ISO - the rim is a Ukai 24 x 1 1/4. The old tire is branded Mitusboshi 24 x 1 1/8. The new Panaracer does say 25-520 and 24 x 1.

Any thoughts?

Sturmcrow

https://sheldonbrown.com/tire-sizing.html

I suspect that you need a tire with ISO bead seat diameter of 547mm rather than the 520mm tire that you have

Jeff Wills

Does the old tire have an ISO size on it? Something like 28-540? That'll tell you if you have a size mismatch... but I agree with Sturmy- the Panaracer is a no-go.

I'd call Terry and ask them if this is the case. With luck, they have tires that fit. If not, Chuck's still has some: https://www.chucksbikes.com/store/ti017.htm . Get a couple- this is a very rare size.

emsara

There is no ISO on the old tire. It says "SCCR 450 24 x 1 1/8"

It is a narrow, high-pressure tire - I'm wondering if it could be 540 instead of 547 (those only seem to be wide, lower PSI).

How can I know the ISO for sure if it doesn't say it on the tire or rim? This is frustrating.

Jeff Wills

If it says 24 x 1 1/8" and it's not ISO 520 (like the Panaracer), it's almost certainly an ISO 540 tire, aka "600A". In theory, you could try to find a 24 x 1 3/8" tire at a department store and see if it fit, but I think the tires from Chucks will almost certainly fit.

emsara

Thank you! I'm going to give the tires from Chuck's a try. I never would have found that web site, so I greatly appreciate your help.

emsara

I got the tires today from Chuck's. No go. ISO 540 is also too small (though much closer). The bad news for me is that it looks like this rim is a 547. The only tire I can find to fit this rim is big and wide, like a cruiser tire (it's a Kenda).

Does anyone know of a source for a road tire in the 547 size? I have seen a few other people post about having this bike (Fuji 450 SE). I wonder if they have found tires???

If I can't get tires, the next question would be whether I can use a 540 rim instead. It is a heavy old steel rim, so that would probably be nice if it could work. I "think" it would depend on whether my brakes could reach a smaller wheel??? I don't know how you determine that.

I am so bummed. This is a great bike, and I have spent quite a bit setting it up as an awesome commuter. Last step - new tires. All along, I have been thinking this bike was just like a Terry, with a 24" front tire, and all I would have to do would be to get tires from the Terry website. Who knew there are actually FOUR different sizes of 24" tires?!?!? Obviously, not me.

DannoXYZ 

It's usually NOT on a label. It's usually moulded into the rubber sidewall itself. Look for a circumferential line just above where the rim-edge ends. Look at that line all the way around the tyre on both sides. The size is usually moulded right above that line.

emsara

I have looked and looked. There is something moulded just where you said, but there is no ISO. It says "24 x 1 1/8 To be used only with hooked rims"