27" x 1 1/4" Tyres on Narrow Rims?

Robbied196

Senior Retro Guru
I got a pair of wheels I could do with using on a rebuild, problem is they have very narrow alloy Rigida clincher rims. Outside distance is 20mm the inside distance is 13mm. They did have a pair of Michelin 27" x 1" tyres which still have the pips on them but they have dried out and the walls are beginning to perish.

According to Sheldon's tyre chart 1 1/4" (32mm) would go on a 15mm inside rim width. Is it possible to get away with say a Schwalbe 27 x 1 1/4" tyre on these rims?
 
I would be happier fitting 27x 1 1/8 tyres onto rims with 13mm internal width. When I used 27 inch rims a lot, back in the 60s and 70s, I used wider rims of about 16 to 18 mm internal width with 27 x 1 1/4 tyres, and I am planning to use 27 x 1 1/4 tyres on my Nisi HP rims (internal width 17mm with no retaining lip) on a retro build later this year.

The main thing to consider is if the Rigida rims do not have a lip to retain the tyre bead in place, tyres can only be inflated to 65 to 70 psi. Fitting a tyre and pumping it up to, say, 100 psi would risk the tyre coming off the rim.
 
Cefnbikie":1ixj65mq said:
I would be happier fitting 27x 1 1/8 tyres onto rims with 13mm internal width. When I used 27 inch rims a lot, back in the 60s and 70s, I used wider rims of about 16 to 18 mm internal width with 27 x 1 1/4 tyres, and I am planning to use 27 x 1 1/4 tyres on my Nisi HP rims (internal width 17mm with no retaining lip) on a retro build later this year.

The main thing to consider is if the Rigida rims do not have a lip to retain the tyre bead in place, tyres can only be inflated to 65 to 70 psi. Fitting a tyre and pumping it up to, say, 100 psi would risk the tyre coming off the rim.

On the plus side there is a good lip on the rims. I think 27 x 1 1/4 would need quite a high pressure or it could be like riding around on sponges :) I'd go for 27 x 1 1/8 if I could find any, especially with amber walls but I've had no luck. Plenty of 27 x 1 1/4 and oddly enough I found some 27 x 3/4 but don't really fancy something that thin for daily use.
 
On the plus side there is a good lip on the rims. I think 27 x 1 1/4 would need quite a high pressure or it could be like riding around on sponges

As the rims have a good lip, any of the 27 x 1 1/4 tyres suitable for high pressure inflation should be fine, and shouldn't feel spongy.

The rims look a very good design, too.
 
You can get 27 x 1 1/8 Continental tyres quite easily but they are horrible. Tan wall 27 x 1 1/8 are freely available in America but the postage is expensive, I wish somebody would import a job lot.
 
Back
Top