I've recently had an old steel 'racer' off Freecycle which I've been using for commuting on. The tyres on it were pretty much unridden but perished by age (it had been sat in a shed for years) and bulging in a couple of places.

So I treated it to a pair of new Michelin City 27" x 1 1/4". Problem is they are obviously slightly too big. The front one just catches on the top of the fork. The rear one just catches the chain stay.

I don't want to throw too much money at this bike but does anyone know of a 27" tyre that comes up small?

I have a Specialized Touring II 27 x 1 1/4 which comes up at 28mm wide nice and petite but it is on a narrow rim.

They're not very tall either.

Sounds like it may be a 700c frame?

Can't find the 'Touring II' on-line. In fact the UK Spesh site doesn't have any 27" tyres at all. The US site has a 'Trisport' tyre (tire?) that looks smallish.

I bought mine from Henry Burton in Stafford about 6 months ago. That's what an LBS is for.

Sounds like it may be a 700c frame?

I don't think it is. I was told that under the dodgy paint job it was an old Dawes. The wheels it came with are definitely 27". On the other hand though, the frame and fork have mudguard mounts and, even with the original tyres there was nowhere near enough clearance for guards.

Is there any way to tell by measuring what wheel it was originally intended for?

I do have a spare set of 700c wheels so I'll see if they fit. Not sure about axle spacing and/or brake alignment though.