700x23 coming off... what "could" go on?

Manc33

I am ditching the cheap tyres that came with my road bike (they are 700x23) and wanted to get a better tyre in this same size.

I ended up deciding on Marathon Plus tyres, but those start at 700x25 not 23.

So I thought "Oh well it will fit anyway" because two other bikes (both touring bikes) here have 700x28 on one and 700x32 on the other.

So my question is, 23's fit, 25's will probably fit, but what is generally as high as it can go?

Also... what will a tyre that is too wide rub on first anyway? The brake calipers?

I know it varies from bike to bike and how aggressive of a racing bike you have but this bike is just a B'Twin Triban 3 - it has sort of "semi-touring geometry", not as relaxed as the other 2 bikes here but not as scrunched up as a true racing bike would be.

I might just get 700x28's or something, but then I will need new inner tubes and I am too tight to buy them lol. Its gonna cost nearly £60 to get the tyres and I can't really afford that, but have to buy new tyres - the cheap tyres that came on the Triban 3 are about as bad as you'd expect on a £300 bike.

Manc33

Sorry, double post, but I found...

"In general 23mm should be expected, 25mm is likely, and 28mm is occasionally possible."

Well I think I will just get 25's to be honest.

rolf_f

Might be calipers or forks and stays. Doesn't really matter though - if it doesn't fit, it doesn't fit.

BTW, why Marathon Plus? What's so bad about the standard tyres? Much of what is crap about the crap tyres that come with bikes is also crap about Marathon Plus's (with the exception of the puncture protection).

For example, Marathon Plus's are really heavy, lack feel and are a git to get on and off the rim. The only reason to get them is that you really, really don't want a puncture. "Really, really" means eg all your bike rides are through inadequately fenced alligator farms.

There are far, far better choices than the Marathon Plus.

owenlars

If you look at the Schwalbe web site you will find a load of tyre technical data that includes a table showing which tyre sizes fit which rim sizes.

Manc33

owenlars wrote:

If you look at the Schwalbe web site you will find a load of tyre technical data that includes a table showing which tyre sizes fit which rim sizes.

The funny thing is my MTB rims are just as narrow as my road rims and they have whatever MM wide tyres a 1.85 ends up being.

I know Marathon Plus are heavy (I bet the cheap ones I have on now are heavier though ) and the only thing about them is the puncture protection, but what about the gashes on my current tyres where there isn't any puncture, but the tyre has literally been torn/ripped? Its only a matter of time before something not even that sharp sticks in and its right on the inner tube itself, those gashes continue to get bigger and you end up with a bubble there, thats even worse. As far as I can tell all tyres will do this, its just that in the case of the Marathon Plus tyre, that gash won't mean the inner tube pokes through.

Its not the punctures that worry me its those gashes that always appear, whether a puncture actually occurs or not, the rips in the tyre do occur. My other bike was worst, ended up putting three patches on the inside of the tyre where the tear was and it still had a bubble. So unsafe! At any moment the tear could become huge, after all it does have about 115lb per square inch of pressure on it.

Yes, I do ride where idiots smash bottles unfortunately. Always glass, always brown glass, for some reason. I used to ride up Snake Pass on my 32lb mountain bike... an extra 200g on each wheel on this road bike isn't going to matter to me much, its well under 25lb. :P

nathancom

Would back up what Rolf F said about the marathon plus. I had a sidewall blow out mid ride and a bike shop in the village I was in put on a marathon plus, talking up the puncture protection. I didn't think much of the tyre at all, no idea why a tyre needs that amount of tread, it led to very poor grip especially in wet conditions and was heavy. I didn't get any punctures with the tyre on but I have had much better performance tyres with no punctures as well.

I would go with something like a durano or conti 4 seasons. The ride will be so much better, you won't regret it. You will however regret the Marathon Plus and either replace them or hope they get slashed fast (which unfortunately they probably won't...). The ride is honking, honestly.

djm501

*looks at this thread for the first time*

*Looks at bike and realises the LBS put a Marathon Plus tyre on when he got a badly slashed tyre back in August.*

*Now understands why the back wheel flipped out from under him on one occasion nearly giving him a broken thumb and has threatened to do so on several occasions since*


Hmmm, these forums can be useful. Time to replace that damn tyre - I was going to complain to the council about an unsafe cycle path in Cardiff too. It hadn't previously occurred to me that it might be the tyre on the rear wheel of my bike that was the problem.