28c rear / 23c front - any advantage?

OldSeagul

I've just read on an Australian cycle forum about a woman's racing team which had 700x28c tyres on the rear and 700x23c tyres on the front. The reason given was that there is more weight on the rear tyre and it would therefore be more comfortable & grip better, and it didn't matter what size the front tyre was as you only used it for steering.

I thought this sounded like a good idea as I have never read anything that says both front & rear tyres have to be the same width (on my motorcycle the rear is wider than the front). It would also make my front wheel easier to take off without deflating it - presently it is 28c and if I pull it out without deflating it, I pull the brake blocks out too.

Does anyone have any arguments for or against having different sized tyres and what the benefits would be either way?

meagain

I really can't remember ever having seen any reasons why one SHOULDN'T mix in this way. OTOH nor have I ever (until now!) seen any recommendation so to do!

Lagavulin

I noticed a couple of the display bikes in the shop I was in at the weekend had 23C Vittorias on the front, 25Cs on the rear.
Conti's GP Attack/GP Force setup uses a 22mm front with a 24mm rear though they are specifically designed for front and rear applications.

It would also make my front wheel easier to take off without deflating it...

Even with the QR open I struggle to get 25C at 90-100psi in/out so I can imagine 28C's would be a nightmare.

richardjallen

Sounds like a good idea. I did this on my commuting bike a while ago and may do so again. Narrower tyres have better aerodynamics, although it can't be much if the difference is 2 - 5 mm. But I would have thought the front tyre is going to have most effect on this as the rear is already in turbulent air so no problem with making it wider.

meagain

Or....a wider one at the front would provide a wind shield for the rear....

Ken Night

OldSeagul wrote:

Does anyone have any arguments for or against having different sized tyres and what the benefits would be either way?

A very good compromise between weight and comfort-for the reasons you've suggested
Keeps the steering light
Nice to have the extra grip on the rear for fast cornering
Because I can

I've done it for a couple of years now with Gatorskins, love it for long audaxes- including PBP

nick hanson

Ken Night wrote:

OldSeagul wrote:

Does anyone have any arguments for or against having different sized tyres and what the benefits would be either way?

A very good compromise between weight and comfort-for the reasons you've suggested
Keeps the steering light
Nice to have the extra grip on the rear for fast cornering
Because I can

I've done it for a couple of years now with Gatorskins, love it for long audaxes- including PBP

wouldn't you prefer extra grip on the front?.if the rear end slips out a bit on a corner,you can catch it,if the front end slips out,it aint worth thinking about!

gavintc

Means carrying additional inner tubes.

I wonder if the Australian male team have different sized tyres or if it is only the women that that have more weight on the rear wheel.

nickcuk

I run with a 23c at the back and a 28c at the front as this combination feels better overall on wet, bumpy, ruttted, often greasy, dirty country lanes.

redddraggon

gavintc wrote:

Means carrying additional inner tubes.

Not if you've got 20-28 inner tubes.

cougie

28 seems a bit much. I used to use narrow tyres, but the 23 profile is better for cornering. Must admit I do use wider tyres on the hack bike, but that gets worse treatment than my road bike. And I'm not bothered about extra drag on it.

sps137

motorcycles have it this way for a specific reason. Modern bike outputs mean that you need a wide rear tyre just to get the power down without wheel spin, they then put a narrow tyre on the front as it speeds up the rate of turn. You are unlikely to be overpowering your rear tyre on a pushbike in the same way, however I can understand the benefit of the increased air cusion under your bum from a comfort point of view.

Jamey

Here's what Sheldon has to say on the matter:
http://sheldonbrown.com/tires.html

(About two thirds of the way down that page).

hambones

I've always run 23's front and back and found them very comfortable but have just ordered a Vittoria Corsa Evo 20mm for the front!!