Peugeot 3-speed with buckled 650b rims.... what next?

[barry2017]

Re:

It will have a very different nature now it has alloy rims. The braking will be much improved. Switch to some Kool Stop pads while you're spending money on it, the performance will change out of all recognition.

 

[GrahamJohnWallace]

Re:

Anyway... the wheels are described as 26 inch, the original tyres as 26 x 1 1/2 x 1 5/8. That strikes me as having been translated from French dimensions into English. I've just been trying to teach myself the metric language of 650B etc etc as I reckon that's more useful to track down the right thing these days. Can anyone help me translate the above info back into that?

The exact tyre width when fitted depends on the width of the rim, in your case 25mm.
However to confuse things further, apart from the 584mm rim diameter which should be accurate, the other dimensions are often approximate.

However 26 x 1 1/2 x 1 5/8 is the same as ETRTO 44-584 and so the tyre should be roughly 44mm wide when fitted.

LIGHTER RIMS?
Lighter rims and tyres will result in less rotational inertia and so faster acceleration.

The other factor to consider is tyre 'rolling resistance' or how efficiently the tyre will roll. Some manufacturers publish comparative 'rolling resistance' figures for their tyres.
In general, heavy duty durable tyres and reinforced puncture resistant tyres usually have a higher rolling resistance than thin lightweight ones.

 

[DrewSavage]

There are several different sizes of 26" rim. Here are the three you will come across if you don't start collecting really old bikes.

First, 26x1.5 (559). This is the size of mountain bike wheels, the 26" tyres you can buy in Tesco.
Then, 650a, 26 x 1 3/8" (590), which was used in the size of British bike wheels, very long distance old-fashioned world touring bikes (it was the one rim you could buy anywhere, once), and cycle speedway wheels. Becoming a bit of a rarity, but there are still lots around.
Finally, 650b, 26 x 1 1/2x 1 5/8" (584), which is what you have. It is starting to come back into fashion and there are a wide selection of rims available.

A tyre that says 650a will be too big and may jump off the rim. A tyre that says 26 x any decimal instead of a fraction will be too small. You need 650b.

There are plenty of 650b tyres here:

http://www.sjscycles.co.uk/tyres-26-275 ... pt348_pg1/

I would suggest the Schwalbe HS159. A good medium quality tyre, ideal for a bike you don't want to think about much. Michelin World Tours are not what they were in the past, it is worth spending a little more for fewer punctures.

Thanks for all the advice! It seems the original tyres were 44-584s, so I've gone for these Continental Tour Rides at £16 each. They're 42-584s so there shouldn't be much difference. I'm only doing 6 miles a day to commute to work with a single pannier, so I couldn't really justify the Grand Bois ones. Although I'm seriously considering them for my tourer project.

The tyres from the old rims didn't fit - the 37-590 that was on the old front wheel was simply too big (so maybe that had been a different size?), and while the Schwalbe 44-584 that had been on the back did fit on, it popped off the rim when I pumped it up.

Hence giving Schwalbe a miss this time around. The ones I had weren't that great for punctures to be honest, or else it's simply quite bad around my bit of Manchester. The Continentals are a similar price, so hopefully they'll be ok.

 

[barry2017]

The Schwalbe tyres were 590, or 650a for British bikes. The rims were 584, or 650b, for French bikes. A 590 tyre has a bigger bead. They should never have gone on the rim.

Continentals are fine too, of course. Glad your old friend is back on the road.

 

[GrahamJohnWallace]

... and while the Schwalbe 44-584 that had been on the back did fit on, it popped off the rim when I pumped it up.

I have had some experience of old 650b tyres popping off the Mavic module4 rims. The solution is to use thick enough rim tape to make the tyre seat correctly. One way is to make your own rim tape by cutting loops out of old inner tubes. Another technique is to wrap electrical tape round and round the rim until the tyre fits properly.

However, I find that modern 650b tyres used with ordinary rim tape fit well. So maybe modern 584mm tyres are made slightly smaller than the old school ones?

 

[DrewSavage]

The Schwalbe tyres were 590, or 650a for British bikes. The rims were 584, or 650b, for French bikes. A 590 tyre has a bigger bead. They should never have gone on the rim.

Continentals are fine too, of course. Glad your old friend is back on the road.

He will be once the Contis arrive!

 

[DrewSavage]

... and while the Schwalbe 44-584 that had been on the back did fit on, it popped off the rim when I pumped it up.

I have had some experience of old 650b tyres popping off the Mavic module4 rims. The solution is to use thick enough rim tape to make the tyre seat correctly. One way is to make your own rim tape by cutting loops out of old inner tubes. Another technique is to wrap electrical tape round and round the rim until the tyre fits properly.

However, I find that modern 650b tyres used with ordinary rim tape fit well. So maybe modern 584mm tyres are made slightly smaller than the old school ones?

Cheers - Popup Bikes, who built the wheels for me, recommended that I went for solid nylon rim tape (I think they said something about a possibility the spokes may pop through if I went for rubber) so I got a pair of Ritchey ones that seem to fit pretty snugly. I'm hoping a new tyre will be ok once it arrives, the old ones had seen a lot of use and maybe had been pulled out of shape, especially as I carried on using them for a bit after the old wheels buckled.

So you'd recommend an extra layer on top of the tape if the new tyres don't seat?

 

[GrahamJohnWallace]

So you'd recommend an extra layer on top of the tape if the new tyres don't seat?

Yes! The electrical tape option may be best as you can add more or take it some off, until you get a perfect fit. The fact that its adhesive should also mean that you will get a watertight seal between the electrical tape and the rim tape.

It will also be worthwhile to put some Waxoyl on the the spoke nipples and then leave it to dry before wiping off any excess. Take care to not contaminate the brake surfaces but if you do, it can be wiped off with a rag soaked in white spirit.

This should seal any gaps and stop water from getting between the spoke nipples and the rim eyelets. Had I done this years ago, the eyelets would never have corroded in the first place.

 

[DrewSavage]

By the way, should anyone be searching for info on 650b wheels / tyres / rims at a later date, here are the cheapest branded suitable inner tubes I could find on the Internet.

Four for £15.06 including postage.

Although you can get a pair of unbranded ones on eBay for £6.95 including postage, there probably isn't much difference.

Do you actually get what you pay for with inner tubes, or is it all much of a muchness?

 

[GrahamJohnWallace]

Do you actually get what you pay for with inner tubes, or is it all much of a muchness?

The quality of modern day inner-tubes is generally good and 26" mountain bike inner-tubes also fit 650b rims. Tubes also come in with different rubber thicknesses and generally speaking, the heavier the tube, the thicker the rubber.

There is an old magic trick where you stick a pin into a balloon but it does not burst because a piece of sellotape has been stuck to the surface at the puncture point. And because the sellotape ensures that the hole is the same size as the pin that created it, no air can escape.

The same principle also applies to inner tubes. If the tube stretches to fit the tyre then any hole will be bigger than the nail etc, that created it. So using tubes that have the same diameter as the cross section of tyre will mean that air will escape from punctures more slowly and you are more likely to reach your destination before the tyre goes down.

Using fat inner-tubes in combination with puncture sealant is even better and you may not even be aware of minor punctures. This is perfect for rainy day commuting when puncture repair patches will not stick onto wet tubes anyway.