Tyre widths & bike choice confusion

[defy-one]

i'm loving the look of the racers - but the 23mm tyres look so fragile for our poor roads. i'm scared my 15 stones and the roads will cause them to buckle within days.What tyre width do you use for everyday cycling - be it fitness,commuting,touring.

my bike currently has 26 x 38mm tyres (mountain bike with Schwalbe city jets) - which are great for road, jumping off kerbs and the odd light dirt path.

i'm unsure which would suit me on my new bike (c2w voucher on it's way) - fancy a drop bar but confused about the tyres.

should i consider a normal racer like an Allez, defy 2 etc, or go for a tri-cross??

 

[oldroadman]

A decent road bike will look after you without a problem. Look at Aluminium frames, more durable than carbon (they will dent, carbon cracks..). Well built wheels (nothing fancy required, 20 spoke minimum, no deep rims needed) and 25c width, pumped to about 7 - 8 bar will be fine. Just don't go for superlight ones, have a word with LBS for advice. Schwalbe have a good range. One thing that will help with a nice ride is latex tubes, much more supple, light, and yet seem to puncture less, provided you are aware of the need to top them up every couple of days, as natural latex is slightly porous.

 

[BSRU]

I use Mavic A319's with 28's on my main commuter bike no problems with negotiating the poor road surface all year round.
My road bike, a Sectuer, I commute on has 25's on and still not problems with the wheels.
From experience, using the same bike, generally the narrower the tyre the more you feel the road imperfections.

 

[defy-one]

i'll be spending £700-£900 + lid & lights, so it will be aluminium with a carbon front fork, so you think a 25mm tyre will be ok?

 

[BSRU]

i'll be spending £700-£900 + lid & lights, so it will be aluminium with a carbon front fork, so you think a 25mm tyre will be ok?

Yes, my road bike is aluminium with carbon forks and I cycle with 25mm tyres.

 

[ianrauk]

i'll be spending £700-£900 + lid & lights, so it will be aluminium with a carbon front fork, so you think a 25mm tyre will be ok?

Yes, for normal road riding 25's will be ok. 23's also.

 

[youngoldbloke]

i'll be spending £700-£900 + lid & lights, so it will be aluminium with a carbon front fork, so you think a 25mm tyre will be ok?

Another yes - I cycle all year round on 23mm tyres. (Gatorskins, 110 PSI). Some cycle paths and canal towpaths too. But no more jumping off kerbs, and just avoid the potholes!

 

[RhythMick]

i'm loving the look of the racers - but the 23mm tyres look so fragile for our poor roads. i'm scared my 15 stones and the roads will cause them to buckle within days.What tyre width do you use for everyday cycling - be it fitness,commuting,touring.

my bike currently has 26 x 38mm tyres (mountain bike with Schwalbe city jets) - which are great for road, jumping off kerbs and the odd light dirt path.

i'm unsure which would suit me on my new bike (c2w voucher on it's way) - fancy a drop bar but confused about the tyres.

should i consider a normal racer like an Allez, defy 2 etc, or go for a tri-cross??

First id consider the routes you're going to be riding on. My commutes for example are mostly road but with about a mile of trans pennine trail. So I needed a bike which could hack both.

Check the clearance on the bikes you consider. If there's enough clearance you can put bigger tyres on, but put 25mm on for pure road use (Sportives for example).

My needs were similar. I ended up with a Cyclocross bike, which seems to give the best of the road bike style while being a bit tougher and more flexible, also more ground clearance beneath the bottom bracket. Ok not ultralight but pretty good.

Several CX bikes to choose from. I went the Planet X Kaffenback.

Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk 2

 

[Andrew_P]

I have ridden a Carbon bike commuting with 20 spoke Mavic Asksium wheels on 25-23mm Tyres weighing 17st.

 

[RhythMick]

Oh and I'm 15 stone and regularly ride 25mm tyres over roughish roads no problem. Tyre choice a different matter - I went Schwalbe Marathon 25mm and 35mm for puncture resistance.

Make your dealer do a fitting for you and set the bike right for you as part of the deal.

Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk 2

 

[defy-one]

I have ridden a Carbon bike commuting with 20 spoke Mavic Asksium wheels on 25-23mm Tyres weighing 17st.

I was with a system manager on Tuesday (we started talking bikes :he he) he said he managed to buckle his wheels, so went back to a fast hybrid and he weighs 15.5 stone. it kind of got me thinking i was on the brink of being too heavy, and should wait until myfitnesspal and me had lost a few kg.
You good folk have allayed my fears :-)

 

[defy-one]

Oh and I'm 15 stone and regularly ride 25mm tyres over roughish roads no problem. Tyre choice a different matter - I went Schwalbe Marathon 25mm and 35mm for puncture resistance.

Make your dealer do a fitting for you and set the bike right for you as part of the deal.

25 & 35 on the same bike ???
good point about fitting and setting up. i have a Stows in Slough and Dedworth, and an Evans in Greenford ... and everyone in Central London :-)

 

[martint235]

I'd consider more spokes for commuting. I ride a mainly carbon bike with 32 spokes on the front and 36 on the rear and I weigh between 14 and 15 stones. 23mm tyres are fine although I've just switched to 25s as I've been having a few too many visits from the P fairy.

As for denting aluminium and cracking carbon, the only bike I've truly broken by commuting was an alu framed Giant and I completely snapped the seat-tube.

 

[GrasB]

There's a world of difference between a well built & badly built wheel. Even using the same components!

Interestingly this season the pros teams are riding more & more on 25-28mm tyres with the likes of ZIPP & HEAD designing rims to accommodate these wider tyres properly. You'd also be astonished at some of the pressures being put in the tyres, they're much lower than one expects.

 

[Michaelt]

I was in a similar situation before I bought my bike, alu frame, carbon fork Fuji Team 3.0, which came with 23mm wide slicks, I though it was a recipe for disaster but so far no punctures and great riding!! But definitely avoid the potholes!