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I have a super quick question here, my daughter (she's 5 years old) rides her bicycle extensively, to the point of the actual tire has worn clear through.

I didn't think it would be this difficult, but I can't seem to find a direct replacement for her tires anywhere (her tires are 14 x 1.95). I see plenty of 14 x 2.125 tires, would that work and be a direct replacement that'll fit?

I'm not sure what else to do at this point, but if we can't find new tires then we'd be forced to unnecessarily buy a whole new bicycle for her.

Any thoughts or ideas? I have searched common stores, as well as checked online and there just seems to be no 14 x 1.95 tires available.

Thank you in advance!

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    You do need to be careful about the wonderful tire sizing system. Your "14 inch" wheel, if you're measuring the actual rim diameter, is probably an 18 inch wheel. And, eg, a 2.125 inch tire is not the same as a 2-1/8 inch tire. To be sure, look for an ISO designation on the tire, such as 355-50.
    – Daniel R Hicks
    Nov 9, 2014 at 17:24
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    @DanielRHicks The question states nothing about measuring a wheel? It states tires are 14 x 1.95.
    – paparazzo
    Nov 9, 2014 at 19:00

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14" tires are actually quite common on department store bikes (Wal Mart, etc), but they are not found on "bike shop" brands. I think this is where some of the confusion on this issue has come in.

You will almost certainly be fine with the slightly wider tire. For one thing, there is no true standardization on tire widths. I.e., every company uses its own gauge for what it means to be 1.95", etc (I once had a 2.55" tire from brand X that was narrower than a 2.2" tire from brand Y).

To be on the safe side, make sure you have a little clearance wherever the tires pass the frame or fork; but I would bet money that the 2.125" tires will fit, and on top of that you probably won't be able to tell any difference between the old and new tires.

EDIT: Apparently I don't have enough points or something to comment on the answer that links to the Schwalbe website. I was going to say, "Those tires with fractional widths on the Schwalbe website will be entirely different from the tire with a decimal width mentioned by the O.P. If the O.P. gets a 14" tire with a decimal width he will be fine. In the USA I doubt there is anything else to be had."

Finally, if Wal Mart does not sell replacement tires for its own bikes (regardless of the marked width), any bike shop can order the correct tires for you and offer you a guarantee that they will fit.

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It all depends on if the bike frame has room. That is less than a 10% difference. If you can get the tip of your little finger between the tire and the frame with the 1.95 then most likely it will take a 2.125.

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  • Kids bikes are typically not built for a lot of miles. While you have the wheel off check the bearings and maybe pack them.
    – paparazzo
    Nov 10, 2014 at 14:19
  • Good point on checking the bearings, but I'm guessing this is a kids bike with coaster brakes and the rear tire has worn down due to skidding. This can happen surprisingly fast on cheap bikes with coaster brakes and small tires.
    – Kibbee
    Nov 10, 2014 at 21:09
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A few words of caution. As others have noted, 14" tires aren't terribly common, but they do exist. In fact, Schwalbe lists two different ISO sized 14" tires (288 and 298). Make you you get the proper ISO sized 14" tires.

http://www.schwalbetires.com/bike_tires/tubes

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    I 1+ this comment, and I would also agree with Daniel R Hicks. ETRTO is pretty definitive, I have yet to buy a wrong tire or tube thanks to it. This includes finding a very rare spare tire and spare tubes for a XXS Terry Tailwind with a 23-420 front tire. Shine a flashlight off the side of the sidewall to make the embossed lettering on the tires in question and find the ETRTO for that tire and search for that... should be in xx-xxx form.
    – Zeus A.
    Nov 10, 2014 at 18:54
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First, I want to "second the motion" by Daniel R Hicks to read Sheldon Brown's excellent page on tire sizes: http://sheldonbrown.com/tire-sizing.html

14-inch tires are not particularly common. In fact, Sheldon Brown's charts include 16" and 12-1/2" tires, but they don't mention 14" tires.

However, ebay lists some, including 1.75, 2.00 and 2.125, but, as you've found, no 14x1.95.

However, a "completed auctions" search finds that a couple of people have sold tubes for 14" x 1.75/1.95/2.125 tires, which suggests to me that those three tire sizes must be pretty close to one another:

Also, if you look at the "Width Considerations" chart on Sheldon Brown's page, you can see recommendations for how much variation is acceptable in tire widths. In general, it indicates that a 5-7 mm deviation from optimal is acceptable, and he says that the chart is conservative. 1.95 x 25.4 mm/inch = 49.53 mm, so you need a tire width between about 43 and 56 mm, which is 1.69 to 2.20 inches. 1.75, 2.00, and 2.125 are all in that range, so I think any of them will probably work.

There's an eBay seller selling a "New 14" Kenda black tire" for $5 plus shipping. You could get a pair for about $20, including shipping. They are 14x1.75.

As of today, someone on eBay is selling: "Kids Bicycle White Wall Tires and Tubes 14x1.75 Fits 1.95 2.125 BMX 14" Stroller" so maybe they would work. Here's a search which finds it (and some tubes):

https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=m570.l1313&_nkw=14+%281.95%2C1.75%29&_sacat=185023

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