I have a 1980s vintage raleigh usa road bike for a number of years that I've turned into a commuter bike, and I'm considering replacing the tires on it soon since they're getting cracked and worn out. It currently uses 27 x 1.25 size tires and I'm trying to figure out if I should get the same size tires, look for something that's a little more standard, etc. Also would happily take any brand recs you have. I'm currently using 700 x 35c inner tubes which seem to be working fine, but because this is an older bike I'm not as used to having to make all these sorts of mental conversions. Any help would be appreciated.
The inner tube sizing will have more room to play with than the tire sizing. The 700c tubes are interchangeable with 27 inch, but the tires are not.
I tried exactly what you are asking about several years ago on my early-80s Schwinn Le Tour. Eventually I bent a rim beyond repair and ended up converting it to 700c wheels anyway. That would be pretty involved just to open up more tire options, but you could go that route.