23mm to 25mm ????

Gazzetta67

Hi all. I dont know if its me, but this year having used 25c on my winter bike and then jumping onto my good bike with 23s on these feel lifeless maybe its the road surfaces or the general conditions of the roads but i feel every rut,bump,drain through the bike now...Has any of you guys went back to 25s and never looked back. Just get the feeling i had a more comfortable ride (ooh er vicar) on the 25s.

BBH

yep, 25mm more comfy than 23mm for me (found this out after buying some 23mm for a change!!)

Hoopdriver

25s are just plain more comfortable than 23s. Simple as that.

ct4oc

is there a loss in performance?

majormantra

ct4oc wrote:

is there a loss in performance?

Not a measurable one.

OP - are you sure it's the tyres? I wouldn't expect them to feel 'lifeless', just very slightly less comfortable. Wheels and frames make some difference too. Sometimes just swapping between geometries can make things feel different if your bikes aren't set up identically.

Graham1426

I don't think there is a vast difference in 23mm/25mm, stick with 23mm.

Mike39496

I went from 23's to 25's and it was the best thing i've done. The roads are so much smoother now and the grip is much better.

Gazzetta67

Decided i`m going to order some Conti`s in 25 after a run on the bike earlier. Just shows you how bad the roads surfaces are now than before. I thought it was just old age but 25s are much more suited to British roads i reckon.

luv2ride

Yup, 25's are comfier than 23's given the road surfaces where I ride. Only problem is then fitting Crud Racers if you dont have frame mounts - my guards only seem to fit properly when used with 23mm tyres as the clearance is so tight...bit of a pain given the recent weather conditions!

luv2ride

"...Only problem is then fitting Crud Racers if you dont have frame mounts..."
Meant to say if you have to use Crud Racers cos your frame doesn't have rack/guard mounts

maddog 2

I run a 25 on the front these days, for more grip.

smidsy

ct4oc wrote:

is there a loss in performance?

On the contrary - a 25mm tyre has less rolling resistance than a 23mm one. Honest!!

cougie

Just try your winter 25mm tyres on the summer bike ? See if you feel any difference ?

rainerhq

Graham1426 wrote:

I don't think there is a vast difference in 23mm/25mm, stick with 23mm.

Have you ever ridden 25mm tyres?

FransJacques

There are 25mm tyres and there are 25mm tyres:

A Ultremo ZX in 25 or even 28 is NOT the same tyre as a Bontrager Hardcase or Gatorskin which have sidewalls made out of 5mm plywood and ride like that.

To me, a 25mm PR3 or 4 rides as nicer than a 23c and you have better sidewall protection and a larger contact patch.

Plus, indeed, rolling resistance has been shown by a lab in Deutschland to be better than with the same 23mm tyre.

The days of 18c 140psi clinchers is over.

richh

FransJacques wrote:

Plus, indeed, rolling resistance has been shown by a lab in Deutschland to be better than with the same 23mm tyre.

Be careful though. Those tests showed that the rolling resistance for the wider tyres were indeed lower but only at the same pressure. That's not something that anyone ever does. Typically a 25mm tyre is run at a lower pressure than a 23mm one, which then introduces more resistance. At best I'd say that in the real world they were equal in terms or rolling resistance, and in most cases the 23mm has a lower rolling resistance.

lostboysaint

Another who's made the move from 23mm to 25mm. In my case I went, on the LBS recommendation, for 25mm Conti GP 4 Seasons and they've been fantastic. No punctures, roll well, very comfortable, a marked improvement in allround use over the 23mm (Conti Gatorskin). I do run them 10 psi lower.

slowondefy2

maddog 2 wrote:

I run a 25 on the front these days, for more grip.

What pressures are you using in each, out of interest? Theoretically you should be using drastically different pressure front and rear, especially so if you've got a wider tyre up front.

FransJacques

richh wrote:

FransJacques wrote:

Plus, indeed, rolling resistance has been shown by a lab in Deutschland to be better than with the same 23mm tyre.

Be careful though. Those tests showed that the rolling resistance for the wider tyres were indeed lower but only at the same pressure. That's not something that anyone ever does. Typically a 25mm tyre is run at a lower pressure than a 23mm one, which then introduces more resistance. At best I'd say that in the real world they were equal in terms or rolling resistance, and in most cases the 23mm has a lower rolling resistance.

Very good point sir, and I agree that peeps run the 25s lower. I do.

And when racing, esp on a smooth circuit like Gravesend or Hog Hill I run 23 ZXs but only pumped to 100 psi, never more, b/c even at 82kgs I'm not concerned about pinch flats but I am concerned about cornering grip.

In terms of PSI there are many variables - wider rims lowers pressure, heavy cyclist increases pressure, old skule thinking tends to increase pressure, coming from MTB background lowers pressure, etc. - but a lot of peeps are reducing pressure from the early 90 era of the original Conti Grand Prix or Michelin Hi Lite Pro HD which we put up to 120-130psi. From what I read, you'd be hard pressed to argue for much over 100psi, esp in the UK this spring when decent grip is more important than Crr.

thiscocks

Agree, I only go over 100psi on my 23 clinchers for time trials. I'm 83kg. Racing or training keep in and around 80-100 on continental Grand prix 24mm (which seem a really good all-round tyre).