27" tire replacement (offroad)

I would look at puncture resistant tires first...those with kevlar in the tire.

When commuting you don't want to be fixing punctures every day or two.

Whatever fits your 27" rims and is puncture-proof is best. If you can choose a tread, then choose!

Treads are less important because you're not racing on the road or off. I think slicks are better all round except if there is lots of mud or snow.

You can use 1 3/8" tires on your 630x17 rims.

crocobar said:

Hi!

I am going to replace both tires on my Spalding Blade Re12. I would love some advice about fitting. The rims are 27" 1 1/4, 630x17, 317 Alloy Alesa (made in Belgium). I use the bike for commute to work, 12 miles roundtrip. I am trying ot get an offroad tires, and I found Kenda KrossCyklo tires on the web, they look ok and are affordable. However, they are 1 3/8 while my rims are 1 1/4. Is there a chance that they will fit the rims? The brakes and rest should be fine, I am mainly concerned if I am going to be able to put these tires on my rims.

I am interested in these tires because 2/3 of my commute, the road is not paved. I get gravel, sand, construction debris. The way is mostly flat though. I am still using the road tires that came with the bike, they are road tires without any thread, not great for offroad. I have to replace them anyway because they are mostly desintegrated by now, the rear one has cracks in it so that the tube can be seen.

So, any comments on whether I am going to be able to fit Kenda KrossCyklo or not? Any other suggestions?

Thanks!

P.S. I realize that a popular answer is to get to the local bike shop and go from there. The shops around are not very close, and I run a better chance of ordering stuff on the web than getting around to going to a bike shop.

All tires have a bead seat diameter. match those numbers to new tires.

If 630mm, then any 630mm will fit those rims whether they are marked 1 3/8 or 1 1/4 or 1 1/8...

Akadat said:

I would look at puncture resistant tires first...those with kevlar in the tire.

When commuting you don't want to be fixing punctures every day or two.

Whatever fits your 27" rims and is puncture-proof is best. If you can choose a tread, then choose!

Treads are less important because you're not racing on the road or off. I think slicks are better all round except if there is lots of mud or snow.

Akadat, thanks for the suggestion. Punctures don't seem to be a problem: I am already commuting along this route for quite a while (probably went >1000 miles), using those old racing tires, and I never had a single puncture. It is the sand, gravel and mud that cause loss of control, poor traction etc. This is why I am looking at treaded tires.

alfeng said:

You can use 1 3/8" tires on your 630x17 rims.

Thanks! Exactly the confirmation I was hoping to get.

Peter@vecchios said:

All tires have a bead seat diameter. match those numbers to new tires.

If 630mm, then any 630mm will fit those rims whether they are marked 1 3/8 or 1 1/4 or 1 1/8...

Oh, thanks for the explanation. I was getting a bit lost in different numbers that are used to identify rims and tires.

I have 27X1-3/8 Tioga Bloodhounds on rims marked 27X1-1/4, which also take 27X1. Just look for the "630". The Tiogas are a black skin wall and roll pretty well on pavement but are not flat proof. They are from Niagaracycle.com.

Another tire I like is the 27X1-1/4 Bell Streetster from Wal-Mart. It is the largest 27X1-1/4 marked tire I have seen and there is a "27X1-3/8" molded backwards into the inside of the casing. It is a kevlar belted flatproof tire with a mild tread which should increase traction on fine gravel paths but has no knobs. It is a thick, fairly low tpi tire but is very durable. If you damage sidewalls that's the tire to buy.

garage sale GT said:

I have 27X1-3/8 Tioga Bloodhounds on rims marked 27X1-1/4, which also take 27X1. Just look for the "630". The Tiogas are a black skin wall and roll pretty well on pavement but are not flat proof. They are from Niagaracycle.com.

Another tire I like is the 27X1-1/4 Bell Streetster from Wal-Mart. It is the largest 27X1-1/4 marked tire I have seen and there is a "27X1-3/8" molded backwards into the inside of the casing. It is a kevlar belted flatproof tire with a mild tread which should increase traction on fine gravel paths but has no knobs. It is a thick, fairly low tpi tire but is very durable. If you damage sidewalls that's the tire to buy.

I don't see this tire either on walmart.com nor at the local Walmart. Where did you find it?

crocobar said:

I don't see this tire either on walmart.com nor at the local Walmart. Where did you find it?

I don't remember but all the Wal-Marts in the southwest Chicago suburbs seem to have it. Some have an old school ribbed tread but some have a sort of hybrid-style tread.

So, there seems to be a couple more options for my tire replacement. AS I said, I want an offroad tire for my 630 rims. My main choice so far is

Kenda Krosscyclo Tire 27" x 1 3/8" Wire Bead SW 118221

However, I also see these options below, they look similar to my eye but perhaps someone knowledgeable would comment on the differences of these tires, and which is a better choice.
Vittoria Zaffiro Tire 27 x 1-1/4"
Pyramid Tire 27 x 1-3/8 Black Tread / Gum Wall Hybrid K161
Tire Pan Pasela 27 x 1-1/4 Wire
Bell Road Bike Tire with KEVLAR
Club Roost Cross Terra Tire 27 x 1-3/8" Blackwall
TIRE 27X1.3/8 ACTION HYBRID KNOBBY BLK K-161

Thanks!

The Zaffiro is a minimally treaded, fairly thin road tire.

The Pasela is a skinwall. Whether you like it will depend on how narrow your rims are. Mine are 17mm between the beads. The treaded part is not wide enough to protect the sidewalls and riding through gravel causes the bulging part of the tire to get abraded. I cut three but never wore one out. The 27x1-1/4's run very narrow. It's great for centuries on smooth pavement but is no trail tire. The 27's come with an old school, road style tread with the central rib and a diamond pattern on the sides, and run too narrow.

I think Kenda and Pyramid come from the same molds. I tried the Kenda 27-1/3/8 street Kenda and it is quite wide but is also not flatproof. It and the bell both have thick rubbery sidewalls with thick, low tpi cords. They should be very durable against abrasion. The drawback is higher rolling resistance but for a 12 mile round trip it's no big deal. I just got back from wally world and the tires are no longer called streetster but it looks the same.

I had those Pyramid hybrid knobbys on a bike I had for a short time. They are kind of on the narrow side and not flatproof.

I like a wider tire for path use like the bell. I don't think knobs are necessary but my Tiogas still roll pretty well on pavement. Harriscyclery.net used to have some other unusual 27" offroad tires.

garage sale GT said:

The Zaffiro is a minimally treaded, fairly thin road tire.

The Pasela is a skinwall. Whether you like it will depend on how narrow your rims are. Mine are 17mm between the beads. The treaded part is not wide enough to protect the sidewalls and riding through gravel causes the bulging part of the tire to get abraded. I cut three but never wore one out. The 27x1-1/4's run very narrow. It's great for centuries on smooth pavement but is no trail tire. The 27's come with an old school, road style tread with the central rib and a diamond pattern on the sides, and run too narrow.

I think Kenda and Pyramid come from the same molds. I tried the Kenda 27-1/3/8 street Kenda and it is quite wide but is also not flatproof. It and the bell both have thick rubbery sidewalls with thick, low tpi cords. They should be very durable against abrasion. The drawback is higher rolling resistance but for a 12 mile round trip it's no big deal. I just got back from wally world and the tires are no longer called streetster but it looks the same.

I had those Pyramid hybrid knobbys on a bike I had for a short time. They are kind of on the narrow side and not flatproof.

I like a wider tire for path use like the bell. I don't think knobs are necessary but my Tiogas still roll pretty well on pavement. Harriscyclery.net used to have some other unusual 27" offroad tires.

Great overview, thanks a lot! So, 1 1/4s are out, and it looks like I'd better get the flatproof tires. So, what does that leave me? Looks like

Bell Road Bike Tire with KEVLAR ($12.99)

I will look at the site that you quoted now....

What's the deal with the skin wall, is this an issue for me? Also, how big a difference does "flatproof" do?

I mean the Vittoria and Panaracer brands tend to run narrow in 27x1-1/4, and the K161 is only 1-3/8 by virtue of its knobs, but still falls a bit short.

Kevlar flat belts work, but I find that if you don't pick out glass shards from the tread from time to time it is possible for them to work through eventually.

Wiki skinwall or look at sheldonbrown.com's glossary which is linked to the Harris cyclery site.

Why am I on seemingly 24/7? I'm laid off and it's raining!

garage sale GT said:

I mean the Vittoria and Panaracer brands tend to run narrow in 27x1-1/4, and the K161 is only 1-3/8 by virtue of its knobs, but still falls a bit short.

Kevlar flat belts work, but I find that if you don't pick out glass shards from the tread from time to time it is possible for them to work through eventually.

I am actually surprised by the behaviour of my current tires. They just don't get punctured, and they are old and were old already when I bought the bike, before I ran 1-2K miles on it, mostly offroad. They have now spent two Illinois winters outside, the last one immersed in frozen mud and snow. They are cracked, so that the tube is showing through. I am fairly heavy, 215lbs. During this time I did break a spoke but not tires. They run fine and do not get punctured, gravel and all. I am not sure which model they are, I believe they have Kenda written on them.

Quoted post said:

Wiki skinwall or look at sheldonbrown.com's glossary which is linked to the Harris cyclery site.

Already did. 🙂

Quoted post said:

Why am I on seemingly 24/7? I'm laid off and it's raining!

Hey, who am I to complain?

It depends a great deal on where you ride. Paths don't require flatproof tires. A lot of roadies ride to the left of the white line where cars keep the road well swept. If you ride a lot of sidewalks or road shoulders you'll eventually flat. Also, knobbies keep the casing and tube away from the small shards of glass.