Tyre size

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KarenKaren

New Member
Location
Gold Coast
Hello I have recently changed my bike, I have always ridden a standard 26 inch mountain bike..
I now have a Avanti mountain bike style with road wheels/tyres.
The wheel size says Apt 2-18 700c x 28c.
The Tyre says 28-622 28x 1-5/8 x 1-1/8.
My question is if the wheels are 700 can I have different width tyres
eg:26 or 28 or 32...
How does this work as I'm having a drama finding 700c x 28c tyres.
I only ride as a hobby around the lake and cycle ways so I'm not looking for top line tyres, just general use...
Any help out here
 
You can probably get wider, 700x32 or 35 more easily. From what you say, you already have 700x28s, and if you want to go bigger, it's a question of whether or not the frame and forks have the space to accommodate them.
As the bike sounds like a hybrid style, I'm thinking 32 or 35 would probably be ok.
Pics will help, but a few more posts needed before you're able to post pics.
 

Donger

Convoi Exceptionnel
Location
Quedgeley, Glos.
Another little thing to bear in mind is that, if you increase your tyre size, you might well find that you have to either disconnect your brakes or deflate your tyre every time you take a wheel off. The clearance between the brake pads may not allow a wheel to be easily removed/replaced without doing that. Not complicated, but just an annoying little extra thing to think about. On my No 2 bike, which has rim brakes, once the brakes are set up perfectly and squeak-free I like to leave them alone entirely, so I go for deflating the tyre.
 

SkipdiverJohn

Deplorable Brexiteer
Location
London
. I have recently fitted 25s to a bike that was bought with 28s. The 25s take up more room in the frame than the 28s did.

The other thing to be aware of is gradual tyre expansion, which can occur over a period when new tyres are first inflated. I have some 700 x 35c Schwalbes which now measure almost 34mm across after being in service for a year, but when freshly fitted were only just over 32 mm wide. Don't run things so tight that you can't afford a small amount of tyre expansion over time, or a wheel going slightly out of true. I've had to limit my Dawes 531 racing frame to running 28's, because anything larger touch the frame between the rear chainstays if the wheels are not in perfect condition. I also have to deflate the rear tyre to get it out of the dropouts, because it fouls on the seat tube if I attempt to remove it whilst inflated. Hopefully, as I run on original Marathons, I won't need to remove it too often.
 

mcshroom

Bionic Subsonic
Should be easy enough to find tyres for that. Probably best looking at 700x28c or 700x32c, though you might be able to go wider.

Schwalbe Marathon tyres are good for a mixture of tarmac/light off road. Victoria Randonneurs are ok as well. Or the Land cruisers mentioned above if you want a bit more tread
 

12boy

Guru
Location
Casper WY USA
One of the difficulties many face with tires is exactly as YukonBoy says. Tires are sold as ERTO, 622 for example, as the French method i.e. 700 C or 650 B and as inches, as in 26 or 28 inch. They also come in widths, as in 28 mm or 1 3/8. The two major limitations on a tire are will the wheel fit in the frame with the inflated tire and how wide the rim is. Additionally, not all tires of the same width, 700C x 35 mm, for example, will be the same. It used to be thought that a narrow, hard tire was more lively and faster than a larger width tire run at a lower pressure, but current thinking can disagree with that, along with with the idea that knobby aggressive tires are always better for non-paved surfaces. Many gravel grinders, cyclo cross and fat bike tires are actually fairly smooth. Larger tires at a lower pressure with flexible sidewalls are are definitely more comfortable in terms of vibration and smoothing out the ride than hard smaller tires.
If all this is confusing, why not go to your lbs and ask what size tires will fit and what they recommend in that size. I think it is fair to say that tires can transform a bike radically. My wife has a hybrid bike which I've fitted with lightweight, slick 35 mm wide 26 inch tires and it is nimble and easy to ride. My son has an old steel Bridgestone mtn bike, used for city commting, and it, too , is quick and nimble with 35 mm road type tires. I live where there is snow and ice and when I put studded snow gires on my mtn bike I can ride safely on most days when knobbies would slip on the ice. Hopefully you can find some tires right for your conditions, perhaps even several pair you can change out to meet different types of riding.
 
28mm is probably the size with most variance in actual size.
They stand at the boundary between road race bikes, with close clearance frame and brakes, and light touring/ training style bikes with more generous frame clearance and long drop caliper brakes.
Some 28mm are close to 25mm and can fit on some race bikes. Many 28 mm are closer to 32mm and will not fit.
I used to use 28mm Shwalbe Marathon type tyre for commuting, day rides and tracks and trails. I found that 32 mm was better off road and OK on road.
 

CXRAndy

Guru
Location
Lincs
Your options are just about endless with 700C wheel size. 25,28,32,35,38,40,42mm etc etc from just about every manufacturer.
 

SkipdiverJohn

Deplorable Brexiteer
Location
London
28mm is probably the size with most variance in actual size......
Some 28mm are close to 25mm and can fit on some race bikes. Many 28 mm are closer to 32mm and will not fit.
I used to use 28mm Shwalbe Marathon type tyre for commuting, day rides and tracks and trails..

The 28 mm Marathons I fitted to my Dawes Jaguar, actually measure around 26 mm at normal inflation pressures. Schwalbe tyres do seem to measure up on the small side of their nominal size.
I've got 35 mm Delta Cruiser+ actually measuring 34 mm, and 38 mm Marathons measuring to 36 mm, on my Raleigh hybrids. The Marathon 38's are a big heavy tyre though, fine for utility/leisure use, but not very sporty!
I was pleasantly surprised how easy-rolling Marathons are though, far less draggy than some of the cheapo Chinese tyres that are often fitted to hybrids.
 
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