Upgrading to slicker tyres

[plastic_cyclist]

Rather than go all out and purchase a second bike, I would like to invest in some proper thinner road tyres for my Tricross Sport.

How do you decipher which tyres to buy? Sizes and inner tunes etc..? Can you put them on the existing wheels?
Any recommendations on brand ?

Cheers
P_C

 

[vickster]

What width tyres currently?

 

[Spiderweb]

I have a Tricross, I think they originally came new with 700c x 32mm tyres?
Most of last year I was running 700c x 23mm continental Gatoskins, a slicker and definitely quicker tyre but less comfortable at 100 psi. I’m now using 700c x 38mm Vittoria Revolution, not so quick but with lower tyre pressure a far more comfortable ride.

In answer to your question, pretty much any 700c tyre will fit your rims.

 

[vickster]

Maybe try a GP5000 in a 28mm? Sporty tyre but carry a spare tube and pump

https://www.sigmasports.com/item/Continental/GP5000-Clincher-Tyre/KJ5Z

or rather cheaper https://www.sigmasports.com/item/Vittoria/Rubino-Pro-IV-G20-Clincher-Road-Tyre/M67U

tubes should be fine if you have 32s

 

[plastic_cyclist]

What width tyres currently?

700c x 32mm

 

[vickster]

See above

 

[plastic_cyclist]

I have these tubes, so I could use on a 25mm tyre ?

halfords-presta-inner-tube---700c-x-23-32c-525334.html

 

[DCLane]

A suggestion would be 25mm or 28mm road tyres, but on a different set of wheels. It can be a pain swapping tyres whereas a second set of wheels is much easier.

 

[vickster]

I have these tubes, so I could use on a 25mm tyre ?

halfords-presta-inner-tube---700c-x-23-32c-525334.html

Yes it says range 23-32

 

[vickster]

A suggestion would be 25mm or 28mm road tyres, but on a different set of wheels. It can be a pain swapping tyres whereas a second set of wheels is much easier.

He doesn’t mention a need to frequently switch tyres tho, just an ‘upgrade’

 

[plastic_cyclist]

Yes, I've been rolling on 100% road and no tow paths or off-road stuff, so they would be a permanent switch.

 

[si_c]

Moving to narrower tires will give you a noticeable drop in comfort without necessarily giving you any performance improvement. A higher quality tire (and I don't mean more expensive necessarily) will give you greater comfort and greater speed because of that. It's now widely recognised that wider tires don't slow you down.

I'd consider getting a higher quality tire at the same width if you want an upgrade.

 

[rogerzilla]

See if your rim is marked with its internal width (e.g. 17mm). There is an optimal range of tyre widths for a rim width. Go too narrow, and you can get a hard ride, a tyre that doesn't roll into corners well, and an increased chance of blowing off before the max psi is reached. Going too wide is less of a problem (look at MTBs, with 2.3" tyres on rims little wider than road bikes) but that's largely because wide tyres are run at much lower pressures, offsetting the increased force trying to prise the rim apart.

A rule of thumb is that 1.5 times the internal width is ideal, so a 17mm rim would work best with a 25mm tyre.

 

[Ajax Bay]

Commenting on above responses:
The wheels/rims will have an internal width which allows for 32mm tyres like the one the OP has - probably 19mm, or at minimum 17mm.
Pending @rogerzilla sharing the source of his 'rule of thumb', Sheldon suggests the range is 1.45 to 2 times the internal rim width with no indication of 'the ideal'.

Going on the OP's 'spec' I'd go for 32-622 Continental GP5000. Rollingresistance link comparing widths.
All the benefits of a top/supple 'road racing' tyre plus the width to provide pneumatic suspension. (As @vickster has said: those tubes are fine.) Depending on the rider weight tyres that width can be safely run at lower pressures - see attached BQ article/graph which has an excellent reputation.

 

[rogerzilla]

My mistake. 1.5x the EXTERNAL width (which will not be marked on the rim) is ideal. On my old-school Ron Cooper with Rigida rims, the external width is about 17mm so the nearest ideal tyre size would be 25mm (I actually run 23mm). The rims on the Raleigh Twenty (Exal BMX rims) are 24mm externally so the nearest ideal tyre size is 35mm (this is what's on there).