[rbig]

I'm an old guy, working on bikes for my grand kids. I worked on bikes when we had big old clunkers, as a kid.

The two I'm working on need new tires---regular old street tires. What's on there are totally weather rotted.

They are 26" x 2.125.

Do I just buy tires? Or do I need tubes to go inside them? Is there anything else I need to buy other than tires/tubes?

[bikebum1975]

More than likely tubes to Personally I wouldn't waste my time reusing old tubes like that they are cheap anyways. Besides safer getting new tubes if tires are as bad as you say then they need them

[photosbymark]

My opinion is you definitely need both for two reasons. One is safety. Though most of the time a bike with a sudden flat can be controlled, once in a while the stars will line up with a combination of speed, road surface and conditions, and the time it happens to go can put you in situation where you wind up on the ground. If that happens to put you down in the wrong place at the wrong time, it could be in front of on coming traffic and get ugly. Tires and tubes are cheap compared to the possibility of injury. Its just not worth the risk, even though it is unlikely. Even if you are not on the roads, crazy things can happen. Seemingly harmless falls if the stars line up can cause a big hurt.

The more likely reason to go ahead and change them both is that you greatly reduce the problems you are likely to have on the road. Sooner or later you will have a flat on the road. It can be a royal pain fixing a flat when you miles from home, need to get back to get somewhere, and of course you will always be late for whatever it is you need to be at when the tire decides to go flat. I have changed more than one tire along side of the road. IF you carry the right stuff its not the end of the world, but its not an evening of fine entertainment. For that you need a bug zapper and a six pack. Though you should always be prepared to deal with most any cause of a flat on the road, its not something you want to do if you can avoid it.

IF the situation permits, this would be a good time to teach your grandkids if they are old enough how to change the tire themselves. They will learn something, you will enjoy it and the tires get changed. I would do one more thing too. I'd make sure they thought of helmets as cool. Buy a helmet before you buy the tires and tubes if they don't have one already. The rule is simple. No helmet no ride and get mom and dad to back you or you back mom and dad. If they don't want to agree, then I would let the air out of the tires to make sure they stay flat till they do. I think I was less than 10 when my dad help me change my first tire.

[bikebum1975]

Forgot one other thing you should replace rimstrips. I had a 25 year old bike they were shot on mine those also are cheap to

[rbig]

Thanks folks. Good info.

[photosbymark]

Good catch bike bum