Widest rear tires on horizontal dropout road bikes

On May 28, 7:02 pm, meb <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

I was needing to get some new tires for some new wider wheelsets and
replacements on worn tires and was wondering how wide of 700C tires
would fit on 70s and 80s vintage road bikes having horizontal dropouts.
i.e. 35 or 37 or 38 or 40.

--
meb

The only way to tell is to note your current tire size (and measure it
as sizes can be misleading), and note the clearance at various places
and adjust from there.

Joseph

On May 28, 10:02 am, meb <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

I was needing to get some new tires for some new wider wheelsets and
replacements on worn tires and was wondering how wide of 700C tires
would fit on 70s and 80s vintage road bikes having horizontal dropouts.
i.e. 35 or 37 or 38 or 40.

--
meb

For what it's worth, the widest I can fit on my '75 Peugeot PX-10 is a
32, and then just barely. I maybe could have done a 35 in the rear,
but the 32 had no additional clearance under the fork crown.

Remember also that if you slide the wheel back all the way in the
dropout, your shifting may suffer as well. Unless you're one of those
freaks who defile classic frames by riding a fixed gear trying to look
like a hipster. That only gains you the BikeSnobNYC Seal Of
Disapproval.

http://bikesnobnyc.blogspot.com/

"Hank" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

On May 28, 10:02 am, meb <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

I was needing to get some new tires for some new wider wheelsets and
replacements on worn tires and was wondering how wide of 700C tires
would fit on 70s and 80s vintage road bikes having horizontal dropouts.
i.e. 35 or 37 or 38 or 40.

--
meb

For what it's worth, the widest I can fit on my '75 Peugeot PX-10 is a
32, and then just barely. I maybe could have done a 35 in the rear,
but the 32 had no additional clearance under the fork crown.

Remember also that if you slide the wheel back all the way in the
dropout, your shifting may suffer as well. Unless you're one of those
freaks who defile classic frames by riding a fixed gear trying to look
like a hipster. That only gains you the BikeSnobNYC Seal Of
Disapproval.

http://bikesnobnyc.blogspot.com/

I tried a 35 cyclocross tire in my 76 Centurian and had couldn't get it to
clear my fenders. Went to a 32mm Panasonic road tire and the narrower tire
with finer tread worked. Still have to deflate the tire to get it out.
Usually not a problem cause the only reason to get it out is when it's
already flat. Kind of irritating to pump it up, attempt to reinstall,
deflate, install, then fully inflate after it's back in the bike.

Are you a BikeSnobNYC if you use a single-speed freewheel? It's really flat
around here and I never used the extra gears.

BRM

Bruce Morrical said:

Are you a BikeSnobNYC if you use a single-speed freewheel? It's really flat
around here and I never used the extra gears.

There's only one BSNYC, and he definitely doesn't do a single-speed
anything. Read his blog, it's awesome.

On May 28, 12:02 pm, meb <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

I was needing to get some new tires for some new wider wheelsets and
replacements on worn tires and was wondering how wide of 700C tires
would fit on 70s and 80s vintage road bikes having horizontal dropouts.
i.e. 35 or 37 or 38 or 40.

Depends on the bike, really. Cool thing is that the clearances are far
more reasonable than modern road bikes, mainly due to the sane brake
calipers. My Redline has such "normal" reach brakes like the old bikes
and 32mm tires look "just right" as do 28s, but even 40s will just
clear them. The limits are like Joseph mentioned, things like the fork
crown for one, with my old Viscount it was the uncrimped chainstays in
the rear limiting things a bit. Being able to run 28-32s on a road
bike with fenders is plenty to be thankful for.

***

Speaking of "normal reach brakes"....Nashbar's got a fancy Redline R77
roadie frame with carbon bits and room for normal brakes and 32s right
now if anyone needs such a thing. Would be a sweet thing to build for
a clyde wanting a modern looking steed without silly skinny tires.
Yes, it has eyelets.

http://www.nashbar.com/nashbar_photos/500/RL-R77-NCL-SIDE-FORK.jpg

Hank said:

For what it's worth, the widest I can fit on my '75 Peugeot PX-10 is a
32, and then just barely. I maybe could have done a 35 in the rear,
but the 32 had no additional clearance under the fork crown.

Remember also that if you slide the wheel back all the way in the
dropout, your shifting may suffer as well. Unless you're one of those
freaks who defile classic frames by riding a fixed gear trying to look
like a hipster. That only gains you the BikeSnobNYC Seal Of
Disapproval.

http://bikesnobnyc.blogspot.com/

In my opinion, you only defile a classic frame
if you're one of those tweaks who files off the
braze-ons. Otherwise, bikes are for riding,
not idolizing.

I didn't realize that people riding fixed gears
were trying to _look_ like hipsters rather than
just be hipsters. That makes it sound like there
are genuine hipsters, and fake hipsters riding
fixed gears. I've never heard of the concept of
a genuine hipster before.

Ben
I'm posing as a poseur.

Hank said:

On May 28, 10:02 am, meb <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

I was needing to get some new tires for some new wider wheelsets and
replacements on worn tires and was wondering how wide of 700C tires
would fit on 70s and 80s vintage road bikes having horizontal dropouts.
i.e. 35 or 37 or 38 or 40.

--
meb

For what it's worth, the widest I can fit on my '75 Peugeot PX-10 is a
32, and then just barely. I maybe could have done a 35 in the rear,
but the 32 had no additional clearance under the fork crown.

Remember also that if you slide the wheel back all the way in the
dropout, your shifting may suffer as well. Unless you're one of those
freaks who defile classic frames by riding a fixed gear trying to look
like a hipster. That only gains you the BikeSnobNYC Seal Of
Disapproval.

http://bikesnobnyc.blogspot.com/

My wide 700c wheels are unused Nexus 4 (it is a set and has my only wide 700 front) and Nexus 8 hubbed wheels.

I have a 700x28 on a Raleigh Grand Prix, it looks as if that frame should handle a 35, maybe a 37/38, doubtful on a 40. I'm defiling this one by switching to ape handlebars, bannana seat, and sissy bar into a tall Stingray/Spyder genre bike. The Nexus 4 is one of the microprocessor automatics so I have wide bounds to my defiling.

My Peugot originally had 27x1, now has a 27x 1 1/4, and briefly had 27x1 3/8. Looks like it would handle 700x40.

The first two mentioned are rotated with a mountain bike and recumbent for my commute, I'll probably rotate in an ebike when temps approach 90.

My Schwinn Super Sport currently has 27x 1 1/8, looks like it's close on getting a 27x 1 3/8.

My Technium currently has 27x1, my Varsity has 27x 1/8, my Nishiki Linear has a 700x23 tubular disc (650C front)-no thoughts on widening rear selections for the Varsity or Nishiki.

I think I'll buy 1 set in a 700x37/38 and see if they fit-if not, I have more room to play up front so I could mount the wide tires up front. I also have been intending to try a Shockster on a road bike, so that would also give large clearance-although I viewed the Shockster as an alternative to wide tires rather than a wide tire enabler. The wide rears have hub brakes so they would work on my mountain bikes or possibly a 26 inch sized rear recumbent.

I have a fixie tandem monkey bike (factory that way), and I have a couple of 3/32 track cogs, but am not a regular fixie.