Anyone still using 23 C tyres?

[Webbo2]

I have 25’s on my winter bike and old best bike. My new best bike has 26’s on which it came with but apparently it will take 30 somethings. Given some of the roads round here in North Yorkshire make my teeth rattle in the car, I’m not sure anything other than a tractor tyre would improve comfort.

 

[Big John]

When i was racing i used what everyone else was using simply because they'd been doing it for years and knew what they were doing. Then I packed it in due to advancing years and discovered comfort riding i.e. 28mm and above. Only a few months ago I did my racing bikes up to get some use out of them again and used 23's as before. Went out on them, briefly, and decided I preferred the comfort of 28's/32's. Even the Tour lads are using 28's I believe.

 

[cyberknight]

If they are old tyres they could have lost their grip through hardening of the rubber compound over time , heck i used to ride 18 mm tyres in the past with no issues .Nowdays i ride 25s and 28s .

 

[N0bodyOfTheGoat]

3+ years ago, I was using a 23mm gp5000 up front (on 17mm internal rim Hunt Aero Light Disc) at ~ 92psi on my Cube Attain GTC Disc, when I was ~80Kg.

The rear was a 32mm gp5000 on a 19mm internal rim Fulcrum Racing Sport 77DB.

The 23mm gave a smooth transition to the wheel sidewall, it felt faster and didn't feel harsh (maybe the nicely flexy DHB carbon Primevera bars helped, plus my Cube is very upright with 610mm stack).

All became a mute benefit after my covid became long covid and not ridden a 23mm since, because I bought some Vel 50rl wheels while hoping my covid issues would resolve, which are just over 20mm internal rim and work better with tyres measuring real world 27mm. Plus I gained a lot of weight, meaning more psi required!

 

[HLaB]

I use a 23mm on the front of Kinesis T2 commuter/winterbike. The shop messed up the order (9 or 10 years ago) and the only thing they could get quickly at the time was the lighter Kinesis forks. The only draw back the lighter forks with full mudguards could only accept a 23mm tyre.

On my summer rim braked bike I'm running 28mm on the front and 32mm on the rear.

Lol, I remember when I had a 19mm and at the time 17mm was common

 

[Bristolian]

I'm set up with 28c on my Allez but would go bigger if there was room in the frame

 

[vickster]

I have 25s on two bikes. Think I need to go back to 25s on the Condor too as the 28s are rubbing 🙄
30s on the new Elan, 35 gravels on the AR1.
The Brompton...whatever is standard!

 

[raleighnut]

Mainly 25/28's but I do have one on 23 s and the spare wheelset for that bike has 18's on it (Continental Grand Prix Supersonic)
My Carlton has a rare tyre on the front 7/8ths x 27 which is around 22-23mm

 

[fossyant]

But we did, and thought nothing of it. Up till relatively recently riders still use 22 or 23mm tubulars in Paris - Roubaix.

I'm not saying bigger tyres aren't an improvement, but 23's are not the work of Satin they are made out to be.

I used to run 18c or 20c. Still got all my own teeth.

 

[Drago]

I used to run 18c or 20c. Still got all my own teeth...

...and he keeps them in an old tobacco tin.

 

[steverob]

I remember using 25mm back in the early 90's and being looked at by my fellow riders as though I had fitted monster truck tyres to my bike! They were all running 23's or less. I didn't care - I wanted a bit more comfort on my ride.

Then because I didn't change my bike for ages and 25's were the widest my bike would accept, I missed out that whole era where wider tyres became acceptable - it was only when I got round to buying a new bike that I suddenly saw 28's were now considered to be the lower end of standard. Came as a bit of a shock to me!

Currently running 32mm's on my road bike and it will accept up 36mm I think.

 

[Vapin' Joe]

Attitudes among the pro teams has changed completely in recent years. I read an article by Magnus Backstedt where has said he had to beg his DS to let him use a 27mm rear tyre for Paris - Roubaix.

He got one and won.

 

[Richard A Thackeray]

'23' on my old Ribble 'work-bike', that's the blue frames, that they sold as Winter/Training/Audax' frames, despite clearance for only '23' wih mudguards
My Dyna-Tech 755Ti (still hanging in the garage) took '20' & was a predictable/comfortable ride on those

 

[Yellow Saddle]

I have not used even 25 C tyres for nearly 7 years. I have only one proper gravel bike but Triban 520 easily accommodate 30 C.
I just repaired an old road bike which has 23 C on the front and 25 C on the rear. I just came back from a short ride. Road surface was bit wet and I found it slippery on road and when going through uneven, badly damaged road.
I can't understand how we managed with 23 C without any issues.

Tyre width has nothing to do with tyre grip, A 30mm tyre and a 23mm tyre made from the same rubber will have the same grip because the co-efficient of friction is the same.

You say you found them slippery? How did you ascertain that?

 

[midliferider]

I used to run 18c or 20c. Still got all my own teeth.

I don't! I lost two front teeth 😱