Who’s still on 23mm?

[sevenfourate]

I've got some 23mm and 25mm on my older bikes. (I've got even narrower on one old racing bike.)

I've tested carefully and entirely scientifically, and proven that they are 100% as comfortable and fast as they were before the evidence came out favouring wider. On that basis, I am enjoying riding on them 100% as much as I did before, and have therefore seen 0% reason to change, especially on bikes that won't take wider.

It applies to other aspects of my bikes' designs. They are all every bit as good as they were on the days when I bought them. Which was pretty good, or I'd never have done so.

Time progresses on. Technology and science drive forward. Even if you’ve remained static. While your Tech has indeed become no worse: around you it has become (Real World) faster and more comfortable. Whether you choose to believe or participate in that or not……

 

[oldandslow]

Yes, and if I were a professional, or even a good amateur, that might be a concern. Except that my team would give me the latest tech.

But as someone who is mainly setting out to enjoy my riding, even when it's in a local club 10, marginal gains for massive cost are not really a benefit. And, if enjoyment is the measure, it's very hard to see how that can be increased by a wider tyre.

 

[Happy_Days]

if enjoyment is the measure, it's very hard to see how that can be increased by a wider tyre.

Wider tyres give me a little more enjoyment, though buying a new bike costs a lot.

Although I only upgraded to a wider-tyred bike after a driver wrote off my last bike, I wouldn’t go back to narrower tyres now. The low rolling resistance (allegedly) and high comfort (undeniably) are too hard for me to ignore. Wider tyres are comfier; did I mention that?

 

[SuperGalactian]

Two of my steel bikes have narrow clearances and currently sport Vredestein Fortezza Sensa All Weather 23s on Mavic Open Pro rims. They are quite fast but a bit too slick, and since I’m slowing down and feeling more fragile I shall be looking for something grippier when they need changing.

 

[HLaB]

I was glad of my grippy 23mm Michelin Lithion 2 and rim brakes tonight, and I was more glad that Pottyboro is reasonably flat!


View: https://youtu.be/ZDPOokU7NkU


ps at 80 odd seconds in it may be a little USFW!

 

[Sharky]

I still have one bike running on 23s . It an old blue Ribble winter bike running schwalbe Durano plus . I have looked at changing to 25s but the clearances just look too tight .

I too have the blue Ribble, winter/audax frame and running 28mm Rubinos on them, without mudguards.

Other bikes range from 23mm to 25mm, most of them Rubinos as well.

Only just ditched my 20mm's , conti's on my TT bike, as I started getting snakebite punctures on our poorly surfaced 10 course.

 

[Milzy]

I was glad of my grippy 23mm Michelin Lithion 2 and rim brakes tonight, and I was more glad that Pottyboro is reasonably flat!


View: https://youtu.be/ZDPOokU7NkU


ps at 80 odd seconds in it may be a little USFW!

This is hardcore stuff.

 

[rogerzilla]

Google and Ai disagree. And mirror my thoughts - before searching - in the most part…….

View attachment 825107

Google AI is just a BS generator that scrapes the Internet for myth and lore.

A 23mm tyre touches 1/3 less road per mile than a 35mm tyre - and is therefore around 1/3 less likely to encounter an object capable of puncturing the tyre. If you've ridden MTBs with 2.1" tyres, you've probably noticed they pick up a lot more punctures than road bikes, even if ridden only on the road.

Low tyre pressure isn't going to allow the tyre to deform around something small and sharp enough to cause a puncture.

The latest low-pressure, wide tubeless tyres suffer fewer punctures - or breakdowns due to punctures - but that's mostly because they have sealant in them.

Sealant aside, the biggest difference in puncture resistance is made by tyre construction. Some are good, some are terrible (they're not known as UltraHamsterSkins without good reason). A kevlar belt is no guarantee, and makes the tyre rather stiff and unpleasant to ride. All I know is that some manufacturers get it right, and others don't.

 

[Elybazza61]

Some articles on wider tyres;

https://www.renehersecycles.com/how-the-wide-tire-revolution-took-off/

https://www.renehersecycles.com/feedback-from-racers-tire-pressure-calculator-3-0/

https://www.renehersecycles.com/tdf-stats-one-flat-per-13000-km/

https://www.cyclingweekly.com/revie...el-or-all-road-bike-on-the-road-pay-attention

https://www.efprocycling.com/tips-recipes/faster-with-wider-tyres-rims/

https://www.bikeradar.com/features/tech/why-the-cycling-industry-is-moving-to-wider-tyres

A more light hearted view;

https://www.cyclingweekly.com/news/...r-we-refuted-this-because-they-looked-so-slow

 

[Milzy]

Interesting stuff here. I see many local TT guys are running 23mm TT tires like Michelin tt which is like a light power. Some just on the front wheel for aero and maybe 25/28 on the rear.

 

[Legs]

I use a 26mm tubular on the back and 22mm tubular on the front of my hillclimb bike, which is my concession to a middle ground between lightweight, wide and grippy. The other wheels I use on this bike (now relegated to spares) have got 23mm Vredestein Fortezza TriComp clinchers, which are a simply brilliant tyre.

My newish road bike has got 28mm tubeless.

 

[matticus]

Google and Ai disagree. And mirror my thoughts - before searching - in the most part…….

View attachment 825107

Oh mate. All you've done is find a GCN video that you've probably already watched.

As the Zilla says:

Google AI is just a BS generator that scrapes the Internet for myth and lore.

yup!

 

[super_davo]

I am going with my own experience, that of others I ride with and independent reviews like Bicyclerollingresistance.com.

I went through all the 'robust winter tyres' back in the day and it's a night and day difference Vs wide modern tubeless. You really noticed switching from GP4000s/Corsas to GP4s/Rubinos, you had to tiptoe round corners, your average speed dropped by 1-2mph etc.

Now, there is hardly any difference from summer to winter, can ride just the same year round. Summer tyres are also better although the difference is much smaller. You also don't need nonsense in the frame like zertz inserts, future shock or isocouplers because the tyres make a far bigger difference than any of them.

I get a lot of veteran cyclists default position is 'I used it for years and it always worked fine' but in this case, it really didn't.