found an early '90s Schwinn Frontier in bright yellow, shimano group, 12 speed hybred. Everything works but i need a new back tire(26x1 3/8?) it blew up while i was trying to inflate it haha, my ears were ringing for a good minute, anyway, do LBS typically carry such odd ball tires?

26 x 1-3/8 is a pretty common size. Lots of old 3-speeds used them. Every shop I've worked for has had at least a few in stock. You might even get to choose between blackwall and skinwall!

There are at least 2 different tires that are both labeled 26 x 1 3/8. See Sheldon Brown's chart for more info.

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

thanks guys

worthless w/o pics ! (:

Niagara Cycle Works has them .... think Kenda @ $5.93 a piece.

https://www.niagaracycle.com/index.ph...er_id=&sort=3a

S&H is about $10, so find a few other things you will need now and in the future (tubes, more tires, cables, etc.) to add to your order to "spread out" the S&H cost.
It is easy to do, since these guys have the lowest prices around on the same stuff everybody else is selling. Look through their "Clearance" section, and do a "price ascending" sort if you are bargain hunting.

I think you have the tire size wrong. The Frontier is a mountain bike and will not have 26 x 1 3/8 tires on it. That size is the old Raleigh 3 speed and department store 10 speed size.

I would bet it is actually 26x1.75 -- It will be a decimal size and not a fractional size. What size is the other tires that is still on the bike?

Just realized it could be a 650b size -- . There were a few models and few years where Schwinn brought in bikes (I had a Mirada model) with that size tire to avoid the tariff on 'mountain bikes' which was defined by the tire size.

just checked it again and its 26 x 1 1/2 x 1 5/8, i was looking at the tube before, pics should be up later today

650b it is --

Here are some tire choices in that size:
https://www.sheldonbrown.com/harris/tires/584.html

Here is a low cost option
https://www.niagaracycle.com/product_...ducts_id=16103

and one more:
https://www.niagaracycle.com/product_...ducts_id=16217

Isn't the 26" Schwinn tire a proprietary size?

too bad it's got steel rims...legend has it that there are a few of these odd-duck Schwinns with 650B wheels that can be a cheap donor of alloy rims for people wanting to try a 650B conversion. I've never come across one, yet, but always take a couple looks at any Frontiers I come across...does this Mirada you speak of have 650B alloy rims? Any other models that do?