Did some 1970's Road bikes have 26 inch tyres ?

[BADGER.BRAD]

Hello all,

Am I cracking up ? I seem to remember Road Bikes ( Racers we called them) Had either 26 or 27 inch tyres , I have had a few with 27 inch tyres /wheels but am I just imaging the 26 inch wheels ?

 

[Vapin' Joe]

No, you're not. They were nearly all low end machines, known at the time as "Sports bikes".

 

[Sharky]

I had a Bates BAR, in 1964, which had 26" wheels

Mine probably dated from the 1950's

See spec .....
Thread 'Bates Nostalgia' https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/bates-nostalgia.209385/

 

[biggs682]

Yes they did and like @Sharky says they were even more common in the 50's

 

[Sharky]

Yes they did and like @Sharky says they were even more common in the 50's

Back in those days, measurements were all imperial.

Cranks were 6 1/2 ins
Stems were in inches, e.g. 6" stems
Frame sizes also e.g. 23"
Wheel nuts were 1/2 in front and 9/16 rear

I'm a bit surprised that we still have chains with 1/2 inch pitch.

 

[lenfield]

Hello all,

Am I cracking up ? I seem to remember Road Bikes ( Racers we called them) Had either 26 or 27 inch tyres , I have had a few with 27 inch tyres /wheels but am I just imaging the 26 inch wheels ?

26 inch wheels came in several sizes! The most common size on road bikes was 26 x 1 1/4
https://www.sheldonbrown.com/26.html

 

[Punkawallah]

26” is about 660mm, which would be a big wheel. The 630mm wheel on my Galaxy takes a 27” tyre - could it refer to the size of the tyre?

 

[midlife]

By the 70’s essentially all adult “racing bikes with gears and dropped bars had 27 x 1/14 high Pressure (presta) wheels. Smaller racing bikes such as Raleigh Hustjer had 26 “ wheels but that was to fit in the smaller frames

Roadsters had 26” wheels (Raleigh Watferer etc) shrader valves as woods valves went out a few years before.

 

[BADGER.BRAD]

So at least I'm not cracking up !

27 x 1/14 high Pressure (presta) wheels

Speaking of Presta Valves I can remember puncture kits having a short length of rubber tube in order to repair the valves !

 

[wakemalcolm]

So at least I'm not cracking up !


Speaking of Presta Valves I can remember puncture kits having a short length of rubber tube in order to repair the valves !

We're they not spares for a woods valve?

 

[Sharky]

So at least I'm not cracking up !


Speaking of Presta Valves I can remember puncture kits having a short length of rubber tube in order to repair the valves !

Yep, these were called "woods" valves. I remember them well ..

Dunlop valve - Wikipedia https://share.google/6yEFfAQlgDK0EiPCG

 

[BADGER.BRAD]

Sorry for the delay in replying I will look Woods valves up to jog the old memory !

 

[BADGER.BRAD]

Yes that them !

 

[mickle]

Back in those days, measurements were all imperial.

Cranks were 6 1/2 ins
Stems were in inches, e.g. 6" stems
Frame sizes also e.g. 23"
Wheel nuts were 1/2 in front and 9/16 rear

I'm a bit surprised that we still have chains with 1/2 inch pitch.

Most conventional round tubed diamond frame bikes still have imperial seat tube diameters - disguised as metric.. 28.6mm, 31.8mm and 34.9mm. Other imperial dimensions are hidden away elsewhere, your 22.2mm handlebars for instance.