>>1890317This is so common and all good that tube mfg now commonly sell ' 27" ' tubes which are 622, like pic rel. Some will even say 622/630/635. They'll also often say they're for 27.5 and 700c.
Think about the way they stretch when you blow them up outside the tire. Hell i've even put 559 (26") tubes in a 622 bike on a trail.
The problem was that you bought tubes which are too wide. That wasn't really their fault. 1 1/4" should be ~32mm. If you're on the fence between tube sizes, it's better to go under. Especially when you need to blow them up a little more outside the tire, to get the diameter.
I think you should just get some 700c tubes in a smaller size. He's kinda right about them buying hard to find and buying old stock tubes is retarded. Still, you would find them if you just browse around major websellers, or visit a few community-type shops.