commuting on 28c tyres

clarkey cat

I currently ride on 23c but am considering moving to 28c as getting some 36h wheels (28c minimum) for taking the wee man out on the Hamax.

Will I see a significant decrease in speed? I commute 20 miles each way so don't want to feel like I'm trudging.

Also, any suggestions on good 28c tyres?

Thanks!

mudcow007

i use 28c marathons

the_fuggler

I wouldn't expect you'll see much difference in speed.

I use Conti Contact Sports on my Roadrat. They've been faultless so far.

Gussio

28c Conti Gatorskins, which are comfy, tough and fast enough.

unixnerd

i use 28c marathons

Yeah they're great, I have a set on my tourer. They're heavy but you'll only notice on the hills.

essex-commuter

mudcow007 wrote:

i use 28c marathons

+1 (on the back), Durano on the front.

clarkey cat

Marathons?

unixnerd

Schwalbe Marathons. A range of tyres well suited to touring and commuting:
http://www.schwalbe.co.uk/c1-1315-tour.html

I run Marathon Comforts, discontinued now I think. They have superb grip even in the wet and are a very comfortable nice handling tyre. They also have a high-vis reflective strip at the sides which is nice at night.

Kieran_Burns

28c Conti Top contacts on my Tricross for a 12 mile commute. Only ever had 2 punctures and both of them on my drive if I don't clean it properly after trimming the hedges.

Very smooth tyres, they can be run up 110psi if you really don't want to soften the ride at all

(I don't change them when running on bridleways / tracks either)

ride_whenever

You don't need 36 spoke wheels. Well built 32h will be more than adequate.

mudcow007

try here

or here

clarkey cat

Thanks all - that has been really helpful.

wgwarburton

ride_whenever wrote:

You don't need 36 spoke wheels. Well built 32h will be more than adequate.

See previous discussion where the OP was looking for a stronger (rear) wheel than his current set. He was advised (by myself & others) that if he was looking for a strong rear wheel (and didn't need to compromise since he already had a lightweight alternative for weekends) then the extra few spokes would probably be worth the small weight penalty.
Bear in mind that he claimed to be well-built and is also using the bike to carry a child seat & contents...

I'm sure you're correct to say that a good 32-spoke is more than adequate in most cases but for this situation the extra redundancy seems worthwhile. It's not like he's looking at a 40-spoke...

On tyres- the puncture-protection makes more difference to the weight than the size does, though that does have some effect. Unless you specifically need the best puncture protection that you can find then a lighter tyre than the Marathon+ will give you a sportier ride. Have a search for other recommendations- Continental GP 4-seasons are often rated highly and there are lots of other alternatives.
I'd say the 28c size is a very good idea, given that you'll have a load on the rear wheel. The extra sidewall height is a big help in avoiding "snakebite" punctures, where the tube is pinched between the rim & and an edge (pothole, kerb, debris etc). If your usual routes are not prone to have flints, glass, thorns etc then you may not need the most puncture-proof tyres available.

Cheers,
W.

clarkey cat

Thanks WGW. I've managed to locate a forumite with some 36h campy-hub handbuilt wheels to sell so just figuring out what to dress them in. 28c is the maximum clearance on my fratello so if it won't make a vast difference to my speed then I'll just use those for most of my riding and put on the askiums when I feel the need for speed.

Or build a new bike around the askiums and a spare stem I have laying around.

wgwarburton

clarkey cat wrote:

Thanks WGW. I've managed to locate a forumite with some 36h campy-hub handbuilt wheels to sell so just figuring out what to dress them in. 28c is the maximum clearance on my fratello so if it won't make a vast difference to my speed then I'll just use those for most of my riding and put on the askiums when I feel the need for speed.

Or build a new bike around the askiums and a spare stem I have laying around.

Yeah, that's pretty much what I end up doing in these situations... If you have a set of wheels and/or a frame it always seems like you're only a few parts away from a useable bike! :-)

Cheers,
W.

mudcovered

WGWarburton wrote:

Continental GP 4-seasons are often rated highly and there are lots of other alternatives.

I've just switch to the 28c version of these on my CX bike for the 'summer'. This gives me a nice slick tyre on the road but not a completely bone jarring ride when I venture off road. As long as things aren't too muddy you can get away without the extra tread provided by a true CX tyre. So far the they have performed well in both wet and dry conditions on and off road although it is a little bit easier to spin up the back wheel when the conditions are greasy (mud or manhole covers) than a CX tyre would be.

I''d be surprised if I could spot a huge performance difference between a 23c & 28c tyre of the same type.

Mike

unixnerd

I''d be surprised if I could spot a huge performance difference between a 23c & 28c tyre of the same type.

Fair comment. But a lot of 28s are built to a much sturdier specification than 23/25 tyres.

roger_merriman

unixnerd wrote:

I''d be surprised if I could spot a huge performance difference between a 23c & 28c tyre of the same type.

Fair comment. But a lot of 28s are built to a much sturdier specification than 23/25 tyres.

true, and also tyres are sometimes rather vague with their sizing. The marathon plus 25mm seem to be equal to some 28's...

Moodyman

No difference at all between 25 on my weekend bike and 28 on my commuter.

28 are far more comfortable and reassuring on wet winter roads

mudcovered

unixnerd wrote:

I''d be surprised if I could spot a huge performance difference between a 23c & 28c tyre of the same type.

Fair comment. But a lot of 28s are built to a much sturdier specification than 23/25 tyres.

Agreed. Ive seen a lot of really chunky 700x28c tyres in bike shops. If you put one of those on then you will really notice the difference.;) The Conti 4Seasons is a nice tyre in this respect as even in its 28c incarnation it isn't ridiculously heavy. Seems to sit perfectly in the middle between performance and practicality from my perspective.

Mike

squeeler

I was very pleasantly surprised at how fast my 28c Conti Gatorskins seemed compared to 23s. However, pumping them upto the recommended 75 psi they actually felt much harder and less comfortable than my previous tyres (rubinos) at 100psi?

prj45

I'm switching to 25 for the summer, if I can get the f*****rs on me rims, spent half an hour trying last night!

joelsim

I've got Conti Gatorskin Hardshell 28s on mine, really feel good. Pressure 100psi and rock hard compared to my old bike which ran 35 Bontrager Hardcase at lower pressure.

bobinski

squeeler wrote:

I was very pleasantly surprised at how fast my 28c Conti Gatorskins seemed compared to 23s. However, pumping them upto the recommended 75 psi they actually felt much harder and less comfortable than my previous tyres (rubinos) at 100psi?

I find Rubino's to be the most comfortable tyres i have owned. They cut up badly on london roads and anywhere there is flint or small sharp stones and you have to check the tyres and tease out any bits and pieces stuck in them but a really lovely supple tyre.

jedster

Oh you'll never get anywhere on 28s. It's like dragging an anchor behind you...

(I run 28 ultra gators aiming for 90-100 psi, seems to work well. not meaningfully harder work than 23s)

bobinski

i will be sticking with 28s on my versa pro if it ever arrives from Planet X