Tyre widths

Aidanw

I am having a spate of fairy visits so I am going to treat myself to new tyres and inner tubes.

I currently run 700x23 on a Condor Agio. I was wondering what the difference I would feel if I got x25's.

I have a flat 6ish mile commute on good (for london!) roads. So glass protection is more important than comfort over rough ground. I do jump the odd curb but recent holes were caused by glass wiggling its way in over time rather than a impacts / snake bites.

Links to the threads I should have found using the search are acceptable answers!

Thanks

Edit:
Actualy asked a question

il_principe

What tyres do you have at the mo?

I'm getting bored of me saying it but for 23mm's in London - Vittoria Rubino Pro's are where it's at.

cjcp

I've just swapped from 23mm to 25mm Gatorskins. Comfort will depend on the psi you run each at, but they do feel different. I don't know how and can't pinpoint why. It might be comfort, but it might be pyschological. However, I certainly feel the difference between 23mm 4000Ss and Gatorskins, not that I'd recommend the former for London roads.

If you are having a spate of visits though, check your wheels/rims to make sure there are no edges which could be a cause of the deflation.

andrewc3142

23C Conti GP All Seasons. Work fine in London, at least for my route.

DonDaddyD

23mm GP 4 seasons are superb.

Its not always the width of the tyre its also the quality, how you've fitted the inner tube and how much you've pumped them up.

CiB

It's also the sidewalls. Mich Pro 3s can cope with most normal debris if you go over it, but I've had a couple of unscheduled deflations recently once by misjudging the radius of a kerb, and once being nudged onto the raised edge of a mini roundabout. Both snakebites were via the paper-thin sidewalls.

Aidanw

Decision made!

Conti GP 4000's only have a reflective strip on the 25mm ones so i got a set of them

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/p/cycle/7/Conti ... 360028015/

DonDaddyD

I hate to say this but Conti GP 4000s replaced GP 4000 - the ones you bought and are the ones that every raves about regards highly.

Not sure what the performance of GP 4000 are, they can't be that bad though.

bigmat

DonDaddyD wrote:

I hate to say this but Conti GP 4000s replaced GP 4000 - the ones you bought and are the ones that every raves about regards highly.

Not sure what the performance of GP 4000 are, they can't be that bad though.

They are light and fast but treacherous in the wet and prone to sidewall failures. I won't be buying them again.

Aguila

Aidanw wrote:

I . I do jump the odd curb but recent holes were caused by glass wiggling its way in over time rather than a impacts / snake bites.

Edit:
Actualy asked a question

This is a good point, whatever you buy make a point of inspecting your tyres esp the back from time to time. You'll be surprised at how many flints/glass shards you can lever out which if left could later cause a puncture. My pf rate seems to have dropped since doing this weekly.

Christophe3967

25s for me too, the rolling resistance difference is negligible, 15 grams extra weight neither here nor there and the extra comfort and versatility invaluable . A few weeks ago on the way to the SCR summer social we did some moderate off road riding - GF's bike has gatorskins mine has a PR3 and a Rubino Tech - and both bikes coped adequately with the canal paths and the general loose surfaces.

snig

MatHammond wrote:

DonDaddyD wrote:

I hate to say this but Conti GP 4000s replaced GP 4000 - the ones you bought and are the ones that every raves about regards highly.

Not sure what the performance of GP 4000 are, they can't be that bad though.

They are light and fast but treacherous in the wet and prone to sidewall failures. I won't be buying them again.

do you mean the conti 4000s are bad in the wet? as I thought they were ment to be one of the best all round tyre/

lost_in_thought

26C Kenda Kontenders here... I don't know that there's a real handling difference, as the only other tyres I've tried have been on other bikes! However, PF protection is good, unless I ride over very spiky things.

itboffin

Christophe3967 wrote:

25s for me too, the rolling resistance difference is negligible, 15 grams extra weight neither here nor there and the extra comfort and versatility invaluable . A few weeks ago on the way to the SCR summer social we did some moderate off road riding - GF's bike has gatorskins mine has a PR3 and a Rubino Tech - and both bikes coped adequately with the canal paths and the general loose surfaces.

15g EACH!!! are you crazy man :shock:

il_principe

GP4000's = Not really very good
GP4000S = Excellent but only available in black.

I too will not be buying the 4000's again. The 4000S is miles better.

salsajake

DonDaddyD wrote:

23mm GP 4 seasons are superb.

Its not always the width of the tyre its also the quality, how you've fitted the inner tube and how much you've pumped them up.

I'm a convert too, currently running a 25 4 season on the front and intending to get a 28 for the rear. I had 32s (!) originally (it is a CX bike after all, but I opted for slicks) and the intention was to get a 25 for the back to give me a bit more cushioning for when I have the panniers on.

Do you reckon I should instead get a 23 for the front, and swap the 25 out from the front to the back? I'm only around 70kg myself, so don't put much strain on the rims as it is...

Oddjob62

Il Principe wrote:

I'm getting bored of me saying it but for 23mm's in London - Vittoria Rubino Pro's are where it's at.

Agree, although i also use the non-Pro ones.

jedster

Do you reckon I should instead get a 23 for the front, and swap the 25 out from the front to the back? I'm only around 70kg myself, so don't put much strain on the rims as it is...

I wouldn't bother. I run 28 front and back (conti ultragators) and in the real world I don't see what the upside is of running a narrower tyre:

weight? hardly an issue on a commuter if you are carrying any kind of luggage
aero? might be of some issue on a TT bike but on a commuter???
rolling resistance? a wider tyre has LOWER rolling resistance at the same pressure. I can run my 28s upto 120 psi and I definitely dont need to go any higher than that.

So what is the real world advantage of 23s or 25s?

J

crosstowncommuter

I think for commuting you are better off with 25's or larger. I'm running conti ultra gatorskins (25s) which have been pretty good so far.

However you do have to check them regularly to pull out flints and glass shards before they work their way into the tyre. Also invest in a track pump and make sure you keep the tyres well pumped up (I usually gor around the 110psi mark).

Anyone know which conti tyre in 23-25 700cc sizing is supposed to offer the best puncture protection? I thought it was the ultra gatorskins over the GP4000S's, but its difficult to get a definitive answer on that one....

fatherted

Aidanw wrote:

Decision made!

Conti GP 4000's only have a reflective strip on the 25mm ones so i got a set of them

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/p/cycle/7/Conti ... 360028015/

jeez , £63.90 for a set of commuting tyres and inners

vorsprung

jedster wrote:

Do you reckon I should instead get a 23 for the front, and swap the 25 out from the front to the back? I'm only around 70kg myself, so don't put much strain on the rims as it is...

I wouldn't bother. I run 28 front and back (conti ultragators) and in the real world I don't see what the upside is of running a narrower tyre:

weight? hardly an issue on a commuter if you are carrying any kind of luggage
aero? might be of some issue on a TT bike but on a commuter???
rolling resistance? a wider tyre has LOWER rolling resistance at the same pressure. I can run my 28s upto 120 psi and I definitely dont need to go any higher than that.

So what is the real world advantage of 23s or 25s?

J

I am a fan of 28mm tyres as well. To such an extent that when I got a new super bling bike for riding a "big event" in France I went for a custom Ti frame to get clearance for 28mm tyres

The reason that 23s are popular is that they will operate at higher pressure with thinner (and therefore more flexible) sidewalls and this gives the tyre less rolling resisitance and the weight/aero aspect. Both of which are only important to racing cyclists

Aidanw

RAGE!
After yesterday’s visit I got new inner tubes and swapped my front and back tyre...

Today I had a visit in EXACTLY the same place (around Parliament square)

I would assume from that it was the wheel digging in somewhere, but yesterdays was caused by a cm long glass shard right through the tyre, today’s I am not sure of the cause.

very depressing, hopefully the new tyres will drive off the badness!

Aidanw

3 in 3 days

and whilst fitting my new tyres I managed to break the valve on one of the inner tubes (HOW!?) and I have no spare inner...

Time to give up cycling and admit the gods are against it!

(If you hear of a tube train stuck in a tunnel... that is the one i am getting home!)

cjcp

The 4000s have a softer compound I think - more a sportive tyre than a commuter tyre. If I were you, I'd invest in a pair of non-folding Gatorskins. £32 a pair on Wiggle. Well worth it.