Slightly weird tyre size

[dtd]

I bought an old bike – the frame had been custom built it had 27 1 1/4 wheels and tyres that needed replacing – the wheels I got when fitted wouldn't allow the brakes to fit properly on the back. Although the bike had had mudguards on, with the new wheels there was very little clearance and as I say the brakes wouldn't line up – thankfully by now the bike shop was trying to sort it out.

I took the old, original wheels and tyres in, and it seems that the tyres on them were very low profile – the man in the back shop said (if I've understood hime correctly) he thought they were something produced around the time 27" was being superseded by 700c and were made for racing. A 700c wheel will fit on the back, but the front fork definitely takes a 27" and it's the original fork.

So my question is, are such tires still available, or am I doomed to have odd front and rear wheels and odd tyres :-(

 

[BobToo]

The brakes should still line up, are you sure the originals weren't 26x1 1/4, or maybe a 700c on the back?

I believe you can get 27x1 tyres easily enough if that's what you need.

 

[Midlife]

maybe you have the old Weinman concave 27X1 rims which used Michellin Elan tyres............ the first attempt to make a "clincher" system to match the tubs / sprints of the time.

Shaun

 

[dtd]

They were Weinman Rims

The shop said it's definitely a 27" on the back – and it seems different size to the 700c I tried it against.

Think I may have explained my self badly (doesn't help that I haven't got a clue what I'm going on about!) It's the depth of the tyres not the width that seems veto narrow.
As I need the bike back soon – gone for putting a 700c wheel on the back and keeping the 27 on the front luckily they look fairly similar to the casual eye and hoping the Schwalbe gum wall on the front will look close enough to a Schwalbe Delta Cruiser on the back.

Bikes? Who'd 'ave 'em?

 

[jon w]

27 x 1 1/4 is still available. I believe that Swalbe and Kenda still do tyres this size.

 

[dtd]

They do indeed – I got a pair of Schwalbes, but it's the actual depth of the tyre that's the issue stopping the brake fitting at the back.
When i get the bike back I'll post some photos – it's very weird and I'm glad it's the bike shop sorting it – I wouldn't have even thought of such beasts exiting – who ever had the frame built (by Brian Rourke) must have had very definite ideas.

 

[BobToo]

I was about to say I still don't get it but the penny has dropped, the wheel fits fine but doesn't leave room for a tyre. It sounds as if a 700C wheel is the answer. A 27x1 tyre might have a low enough profile but you would be stuck with it if it didn't.

 

[dtd]

Yeah sorry – I explained myself badly. The 700c wheel is the way the bike shop are going and I'm going to keep an eye out for NOS of the tyres that were on it as I've now got a spare brand new 27" back wheel (I bought them as a set) so if I ever was able to get them both as 27" I would.

 

[GasPipeWarrior]

An ebay dealer in the US selling Duro 27 x 1" gumwall tyres.

And SJS offering two 27 x 1 1/8" tyres - Continental and Panaracer Pasela.

Good luck in your quest for the right fitting tyres.

 

[dtd]

Ta – So someone's got the beasts – And I have got friends in the USA who I go and see…

UPDATE: I've had another look at the original tyres and they're Michelin 27 7/8 – oh dear.