“Thoughts”
 

I have the opportunity to purchase a pair of 60s Schwinn utility bicycles One is a Racer and the other is a Breeze…both single speeds with coaster brakes. The use is going to be used as a grocery getter/errand/commuter bike (under a mile both ways) in a small rural town. The bikes will be fitted with Wald racks and baskets. The issues I’m having with purchasing this pair of bicycles are the Schwinn S6 rim size. The bikes are in need of new tires and tubes. From my research only Kenda makes a replacement tire for this rim size. Pretty limited on tread patterns ONE. My question is can an update 26” MTB rim be fitted to the Schwinn spools and would it be practical to do. The bikes are going to be in service year around for the next 10/20 years. My other thought is to get the early steel framed MTB and build the grocery getter/errand/commuter. I have no problem with the mechanical aspect of working on bicycles. I asked the seller the size of the tires and they emailed me back with 26 X 1 1/2 and not 26 X 1 3/8 …….Need help with that tire sizes too 

Pictures of the Pair!

Thanks for your time!

Bill
http://photos.cubfest.com/albums/use...b_bikes001.jpg

http://photos.cubfest.com/albums/use...5/bikes002.jpg

I run Kenda's on my Raleigh basket bike, they are a decent tire for the price and last well under normal use. You can go with a MTB sized rim as long as it is narrow enough to fit. The S-6 is a 597, the Raleigh uses a 590, the MTB is a 559, so they would be a bit small in diameter. I would consider using a 590, you can get a Sun CR-18 rim for ~$35, then you will need to spring for spokes ~$.75-$1 each.

I would probably just run the Kenda's and save my money.

Aaron :)

Aaron,


You're a wise person and yes the Kenda's will probably do fine...........They have been doing it longer then I have!

Bill

For the use you have for those bikes the Kenda's are more than fine. One thing to watch.....keep your tires pumped fairly hard to avoid pinch flats.

I think I understand a pinch flat...........Is it when you hit a sharp egde like a pothole and it cuts the inner tube..........Will curb jumping do this to a 1 3/8" tire?

Thanks!

Bill

It could if you have enough weight on the bike. The last pinch flat I got was hitting a pot hole while loaded coming home from the grocery store, kind of hard to hop a pot hole with a full load of groceries...but I consider that a road hazard and my fault for not paying more attention to where I was riding.

Aaron :)