katezila

My dear 1973 Schwinn Collegiate has been frustrating me. I purchased Kenda tires that were supposedly for s6 rims but I've never ever been able to get the tire to sit evenly in the rim. I end up with a bit of a flat spot on each wheel, sometimes it's pronounced enough that I feel a sort of whump go through the bike as I ride!

I don't have the money or knowledge to build up a new set of wheels and I was wondering if anyone new a tire alternative or solution to my problem? Do regular 26x1-3/8 tires fit? Because man that would open up a world of possibilities for me!

Thanks in advance guys!

okane

First, make sure your rim doesn't have a flat spot. Then check that the tire is marked for Schwinn s-6, size 597. The regular 590s will not fit properly. I just put a set of kendas on my collegiate and they fit perfectly. Having said that, I've found a wide variety of quality in kendas even among the same model. If everything checks out, I would return the tires for a different set and go out and mount the tire in my car before leaving the shop to see if the new ones are any better because it could be a bad "lot" john

NormanF

Yup. The poster should get a 590 mm wheelset. Its difficult to find tires for the oddball Schwinn size today. As the late Sheldon Brown wrote, if it doesn't fit, the wheelset and tires are NOT interchangeable.

nlerner

It's easy to find Kenda s-6/597mm/EA1 tires:

https://www.amazon.com/Kenda-K23-S6-B.../dp/B002DWZETK

Unfortunately, they're not very good.

Neal

sailorbenjamin

I had a set like that once. I inflated it to about 10 lbs, then went all the way round it to check the bead. Then I went to 20 lbs and checked all the way round, then 30....
Real pita but I finally got it.

schwinnderella

People frequently complain about difficulty seating these tires,but with a little care it is not difficult. Use a little warm water with dishwashing soap on the bead of the tire to facilitate the process.Pump up the tire just a bit and then knead the tire a bit to get the tire seated evenly.Then pump it up as high as is necessary to get the tire to seat evenly.I have installed lots of these tires with little problems.

katezila

Thanks for the tips everyone, they're definitely sitting better now and I'm looking into the costs of a new wheel set.