Dawes Scorpion 1980s road bike

[Plax]

Any comments about this bike? I can't find much bumf on the net about it.
Apparently it is a 12 speed, Reynolds 500 frame with Shimano Exage brakes and Shimano Biospace crank. Quick release 28"X3/4 wheels. Seems a funny size - are tyres this size easy to get hold of?

 

[PpPete]

700c is sometimes referred to as 28"
- confusingly becasue they is slightly smaller than 27"

Have a look for the ETRTO size on side wall? 622 = 700c
630 = 27"

I'm not aware of any Dawes road bikes from the 80's that used anything different.

 

[RecordAceFromNew]

You'll find a few more references if you search for "Dawes Scorpio".

 

[knockforest]

Hello i just bought a dawes scorpio and i need new tires and tubes but i am unable to find size,it looks like it says 16-622 on sidewall of tire,i found tire for sale on micheline website 700c x 28'' ,does anyone know if this is the correct size,fingers crossed someone can help me as this bike brings back memories of growing up in Ireland and these bikes were top of the line back then and i was always jelous i could never afford it lol

 

[Rickshaw Phil]

Hello i just bought a dawes scorpio and i need new tires and tubes but i am unable to find size,it looks like it says 16-622 on sidewall of tire,i found tire for sale on micheline website 700c x 28'' ,does anyone know if this is the correct size,fingers crossed someone can help me as this bike brings back memories of growing up in Ireland and these bikes were top of the line back then and i was always jelous i could never afford it lol

Hi and @knockforest

16-622 is narrow for a tyre these days. 622 is the rim diameter in mm which is also known as 700c so you are okay with that part of it. 16 is the width in mm which is very narrow by modern standards. This catalogue from 1990 shows the tyre size as 700 x 20c so it's not unlikely that the tyre really is that skinny.

The key thing is whether you have the clearance for a wider tyre. 28mm might fit but clearances were often very tight on older racing bikes so you could well find that something like a 23mm or 25mm width is all it will take.

 

[Pale Rider]

shows the tyre size as 700 x 20c so it's not unlikely that the tyre really is that narrow.

If I read that correctly, the bike was supplied with 700 x 20c.

That size is still available, although a quick Google suggests not widely.

Many more sellers of 700 X 23c, which surely ought to fit.

Roadie tyres aren't my thing, but a Schwalbe Lugano, available in either size at about tenner each, looks a good bet to me.

Amazon product ASIN B004XVPNX6View: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Schwalbe-Lugano-700X20C-Wired-20-622/dp/B004XVPNX6


https://www.halfords.com/cycling/bike-parts/bike-tyres/schwalbe-lugano-bike-tyre-700x23c-368347.html

 

[SkipdiverJohn]

Fit the widest ones that will both go on the rim and clear the frame. You need a good track pump to be able to achieve the PSI figures required to inflate ultra-narrow racing tyres, and they give a horribly harsh ride if inflated very hard and are very susceptible to getting pinch punctures if run too soft. The only benefit I see to them is low weight, which doesn't matter to non-racers anyway.