Tyres - 23 v 25 v 28mm
I currently run Schwalbe Lugano 700x23c on my road bike, which has Campagnolo Khamsin wheels. The miles are building up as I prepare for the Ridelondon in August so am thinking of going wider. The Luganos went through a spate of punctures but just as I was about to swap them for something more durable they have been ok...touch wood...
My bike doesn't have mudguards or a rack, so no clearance issues there. Obviously I need to see how much clearance around the frame and brakes there is, but is there anything else I should look out for? I'll check the wheel rims to see what there is there too.
Do 28mm offer much benefit over 25mm?
Reading the reviews and comments below on Bikeradar a lot of folk like the GP4000s. Any further comments? I understand it is a tradeoff between durability, grip, comfort, price etc etc.
My bike doesn't have mudguards or a rack, so no clearance issues there. Obviously I need to see how much clearance around the frame and brakes there is, but is there anything else I should look out for? I'll check the wheel rims to see what there is there too.
Do 28mm offer much benefit over 25mm?
Reading the reviews and comments below on Bikeradar a lot of folk like the GP4000s. Any further comments? I understand it is a tradeoff between durability, grip, comfort, price etc etc.
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Comments
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25 vs 28 is a tricky one, I've only used 28s on a steel bike winter bike with heavy wheels which was understandably a bit more sluggish than your average carbon bike but not sure how much of that feeling was the tyres (not much I'd guess). I'd always recommend 25's over 23's though if you have clearance. 28's probably aren't worth the additional weight penalty unless you're riding on very shoddy roads but as you say not many conventional frames have clearance for 28's so they're not an option for most people anyway.
GP4000s are nice but probably less durable than Luganos (although their puncture resistance is probably similar). If you want something a bit harder wearing but still offering decent grip then look at the Conti GP4Seasons (those are the ones I've ridden in 28mm - was very impressed by the grip levels in the wet).0 -
I think 25's are the best compromise.0
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The Continental article in the current edition of The Cyclist magazine reveals that their 25mm is in fact 25.8mm and their 23 is a 23.8. I've done Lands End to John O'Groats, Etape Caledonia, London Revolution and several thousand other miles on one pair of GP4000S 700x25 tyres without a single puncture and a bit more comfort than on 23s. I'll be doing Ride London on them.
I do mean GP4000S. I see some people using lower case "s" which could be confusing because there is a GP4000 and the lower case "s" could be mis-read as plural of those.
I recently flipped my commuter bike back to to its summer tyres - a pair of Michelin Krylion Carbons 700x25. i picked up 2 punctures in 2 days. I bought a pair of GP4000S 25s to replace them because of my good experience on my good road bike and I've been puncture free on exactly the same roads for the last 4 weeks.
All anecdotal but hopefully helpful."The Flying Scot"
Commute - Boardman CXR 9.4 Di2
Sunday Best - Canyon Ultimate SLX Disc w/ DuraAce Di20 -
28s on the commuter, 25s on the best bike.
28s are definitely slower but do have more comfort, grip, and maybe toughness.
Like all tyre related things, you can't have everything, so just weight your priorities and go with that. GP4Seasons are good.Facts are meaningless, you can use facts to prove anything that's remotely true! - Homer0 -
I run 28mm Conti-4 Seasons on the audax and fixed bikes - they do make a huge difference to comfort if you can fit them. Small weight penalty (20g per tyre over 25mm).
The roads aren't getting any better - I think we will see more and more frames with clearance for 28s hopefully.
I am experimenting 24mm Open Paves for the moment - I know it's not a like for like in terms of the same tyre. I've ridden a couple of 600s on them and they are pretty quick, but do beat me up a little more than the 28s.0 -
Exactly the same here - 28s on light tourer, 25s on my nice road bike, and GP4 Seasonsmaddog 2 wrote:28s on the commuter, 25s on the best bike.
28s are definitely slower but do have more comfort, grip, and maybe toughness.
Like all tyre related things, you can't have everything, so just weight your priorities and go with that. GP4Seasons are good.0 -
I have 28mm Continental four seasons on my road (CX/multipurpose) bike - not only are they comfortable on the roads, they're quite capable of handling off-road conditions too. Not particularly grippy on mud, but tough enough for rough tracks.Specialized Roubaix Elite 2015
XM-057 rigid 29er0 -
There's negligible weight penalty and provided you have clearance, then fit the highest volume tyres you can - the bigger volume improves comfort and grip, plus reduces the chance of pinch punctures and often with reduced rolling resistance. The reason why bike companies stick with 23mm is purely down to fashion and the perception that narrow tyres are faster. Just spent the weekend in Flanders racing and riding on cobbles/roads/cyclepaths and sometimes just muddy tracks - bigger tyres the better IMO.Make mine an Italian, with Campagnolo on the side..0
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I run 28mm Armadillos all year round on my road bike. Terrible roads where I live in S Wales, lots of ups and downs and two weekly Chaingangs. Haven't had a puncture in 3 yrs, and I don't feel any negative difference due to there size.
IMHO, unless your a pro, you will only notice the positives... and most of us aren't pro's0
