In this article I’m going to give you my top picks for 27 inch bicycle tires.
Now you might wonder why that would be such a big deal. Well it isn’t really, unless you’re trying to find 27 inch bicycle tires, because there are not that many.
I found that out the hard way because the pair of Continental Gator Skin tires I had laying around ready to go onto the rims of my Bridgestone Submariner, they didn’t fit.
As it turned out 27 inch wheels were quite common back in the day, but not so much anymore. And considering the fact that the Submariner is from 1978 you understand why it had a more exotic sized wheelset.
So I did some research into the big brand names of the tire industry and came up with these options for 27 inch bicycle tires.
Continental Gatorskin
Very similar to the Hardshell version the Continental Gatorskin is an incredible road bike tire with an exceptional level of puncture protection.
It offers a more supple 3-ply 180 TPI carcass with the same PolyX Breaker, a tightly woven polyester fabric sitting underneath the center tread, preventing foreign objects from reaching the air chamber.
It also has the Duraskin bead-to-bead protection, reinforcing its sidewalls and giving the tire its distinctive burgundy appearance, and adding an extra protective layer made from an incredibly strong polyamide fabric.
This tire is the pinnacle of perfection, offering the seemingly unattainable blend of maximum puncture-protection without sacrificing to much in the weight department, all in a road bike tire with a slick tread pattern. An absolute no-brainer for people who appreciate hard-wearing, fast-rolling tires.
Robin Wilmott | Contributor – Feb 8, 2023
There’s a reason the Gatorskin is so popular. It has a reputation for an enticing combination of ride quality, flat protection and durability – with a leaning towards the latter. My testing has shown this to be well-founded.
There are few tyres that give as much riding confidence while offering such strong protection against punctures as the Gatorskin.
- Maximum puncture protection, distinctive looks, and a slick tread pattern makes this one of the best road bike tires for mile-crunchers.
- None
Continental RIDE Tour
The Continental RIDE Tour is a fantastic all-round tire meant for urban commuting. It’s a 4-season option for those people who want to ride their bike year round, and be assured of riding with the most effective puncture-protection for a commuting tire.
As an allrounder it shows characteristics of durability and puncture-proofness. With both reinforced sidewalls and a puncture-resistant belt underneath the center tread. The belt differs from the more road-bike oriented, and lighter breaker, offering extremely effective protection against everything you might encounter on the road.
An unbroken center tread means it’s reasonably fast in a straight line, and it offers a tread pattern to support riding in the rain.
With all that added material and rubber, you should pick this tire for its long-lasting lifespan.
- Ultra-durable, great allround, 4-season option for urban riding and commuting. The best puncture-protection from Continental for a wider commuting tire.
- None
Continental Ultra Sport
The Continental Ultra Sport III is a budget-friendly slick tire for commuters and road bikes.
It offers a no-frills tire in an affordable package, and one of the cheapest big brand tires money can buy
It’s a solid option for people who understand they get what they pay for.
Vinay Rawat | Triathlete – May 22, 2017
I did more than 1500 km with stock tires on my Giant Defy 3 and that too on bumpy and rough roads of Delhi. I used these tires along with tire liners from RhinoDillos and had very few flats in the span of 9 months and the rolling resistance was very less.
After 200 km of ride I can say these tires are quite durable and cornering feels very comfortable. Though couldn’t say if these are faster than the previous ones but comfort wise these seem much compliance. I would recommend you to go for the foldable option of these tires.
- Extremely budget-friendly, no-frills commuter tire.
- None for its price-point
Kenda K35 Street
A fan-favorite for people who’re looking for an affordable and plush 27 inch bicycle tire, that’ll look great on a retro build.
Just as with its other brother, the Kenda K40, it barely has any thread to speak of, making it a great-looking slick tire. And one of the very few with tan walls.
It doesn’t have any puncture-resistant tech to speak, so you’ll get what you pay for.
- Plush tire, semi-slick, affordable, coming in a tan-wall package.
- Look elsewhere for the best puncture protection
Kenda K40 Street
The Kenda K40 Street is the wider version of the K35. The same tan-wall looks, for people who appreciate a more plush feel.
- 1 3/8 width available, affordable, great-looking tire
- Look elsewhere for the best puncture protection
Panaracer Pasela ProTite
Panaracer makes very nice mid-level priced tires. And they also offer some of the best-looking ones for retro builds. I choose the Panaracer Pasela ProTite over the normal Pasela, because it’s lighter, comes in a folding version and has better puncture protection.
The ProTite bead-to-bead protection covers is a tightly woven fabric covering the entire width of the tire, and sits in a mid-tier casing, offering a great combination of puncture protection, and low weight.
In general the Pasela ProTite are lightweight and true skin walls, that’ll look great on your bike.
Shaun Audane | Technical writer – December 24, 2017
I still rate the Paselas and reckon they’re a good bet for training – especially on older bikes where preserving originality is welcome. The wide range of sizes also means they’re worth considering for cyclo-cross or gravel bikes that double as winter trainers. That said, I’d stick with the wire beads and save £30 a pair (at RRP); while likeable, the folding versions are outclassed on value by faster-rolling, higher-pressure contemporaries.
- Fantastic all-round tire, very light, true skin wall tires. Go-to option for retro commuter builds.
- None
Schwalbe Marathon
I’ve run multiple Schwalbe Marathons on various bikes in various sizes and I can’t remember ever running a flat.
To me, this original Schwalbe Marathon set the standard for a package of puncture-protection and durability. And it spawned an entire category of spin-offs for various other cycling disciplines.
I believe it’s one of the best-selling commuting tires because they do what they’re meant for, keep you riding. And they do so consistently.
Dan Joyce | Contributor – November 22, 2008
Today there seems to be a version of the Marathon to fill any of the numerous different niches, but the original still holds up well. The KevlarGuard belt offers good puncture resistance and the sidewalls are among the toughest around.
Good cornering grip and rolling performance belie the fact that it’s the heaviest of the touring tyres on test. In my experience this is a durable, good value touring tyre that does everything quite well.
- The go-to touring and commuting tire, mile-cruncher.
- None
Specifications 27 inch bicycle tires
Name | Size | ETRTO | Weight (gr) | Tread color | Sidewall color | Compound | Puncture protection | Tire bead | TPI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Continental Gatorskin | 27×1 1/4 | 32-630 | 395 | Black | Black | BlackChili | DuraSkin / PolyX Breaker | ||
Continental RIDE Tour | 27×1 1/4 | 32-630 | 660 | Black | Black | EXTRA PunctureBelt | wired | 3/180 | |
Continental Ultra Sport III | 27×1 1/4 | 32-630 | 415 | Black | Black | PureGrip | tlr | ||
Kenda K35 Street | 27×1 3/8 | 35-630 | Black | Tan | wired | ||||
Kenda K40 Street | 27×1 3/8 | 35-630 | Black | Tan | wired | ||||
Panaracer Pasela ProTite | 27×1 | 25-630 | 250 | Black | Amber | ZSG | ProTite Shield / 400D Lite Extra Cord | foldable | |
Panaracer Pasela ProTite | 27×1 1/8 | 28-630 | 270 | Black | Amber | ZSG | ProTite Shield / 400D Lite Extra Cord | foldable | |
Panaracer Pasela ProTite | 27×1 1/4 | 32-630 | 350 | Black | Amber | ZSG | ProTite Shield / 400D Lite Extra Cord | foldable | |
Schwalbe Marathon HS420 | 27×1 1/4 | 32-630 | 660 | Black | Black | ADDIX | wired |
Sources
Founder Restoration.bike
Johan van Seijen is the founder of restoration.bike. His cycling career has seen him at the starting line of classics such as the Amstel Gold Race and Liege Bastogne Liege. Realizing his racing capacity would fall short of what was needed he obtained a MS from the University of Amsterdam in engineering. His love for cycling changed into riding in an amateur capacity with his local cycling club TFC Weesp as a roadie and supporting MTB Noordwest as a mountain biker. He repairs, restores, and builds bicycles and shares his knowledge on YouTube, Facebook and this website.