Biggest tyres with SKS Chromoplastic p35's?

luv2ride

Hi. After getting a little fed up with the slippery mud covered lanes round here, I'd like to fit a pair of Schwalbe Marathon Racers (700x30mm) on my Tifosi CK7 which has SKS P35 Chromoplastic mudguard. These will replace a pair of Michelin Krylion 25's which have been great, but still struggled with the slippery stuff. I've tried the front (with a different wheel) and there seems to be some rub against the guards.

What's the biggest size tyre you managed to run with your P35s without rubbing?

cheers

marcusjb

Unlikely you'll get a 30mm tyre in without rubbing.

I run 28mm Continental GP 4 Seasons on a couple of my bikes with P35s - that's about as big as you'll fit.

mercia_man

I used to run Conti Top Touring 32 with p35s on my touring bike although the tyres measured more like 29mm. They just about fitted with careful adjustment of the mudguards. I am now running Vittoria Randonneurs in 28. Like the Contis, they are a bit undersized. They come out at about 26mm and there is plenty of room. My experience is that Schwalbe are if anything slightly oversized. I tried some Marathons in 32 but they rubbed. Panaracer Paselas in 32 also come out oversized - more like 33mm.

luv2ride

Thanks for the replies. My original plan was to replace the Krylion 25's with the Schwalbe Marathon Racer 30's on the Tifosi. The Marathon Racers are currently on my Singlecross, which can take much wider tyres (and has P45 SKS guards fitted). Measured the Krylions with vernier callipers and, yes, they come up at 26-27mm. The 30mm Marathons come up more like 28-29mm.

Wonder if I should leave the Marathons on the singlespeed and go for the Vittoria Randoneurs in a 28 for the Tifosi? Planet X have the folding Randoneur Pros really cheap at the moment but only in 32 and up :roll:

http://www.planet-x-bikes.co.uk/i/q/TYV ... lding_tyre

mercia_man

I recommend Vittoria Randonneurs for a winter or touring tyre. They are cheap, grippy and very tough although they give a harder ride than some tyres and can be tight to fit first time. I'm on my second set on my tourer and have never had a puncture in several thousand miles including loaded tours with camping gear over the Alps and Pyrenees. Mine are the cheapo wire beaded ones. The Pros have a higher thread count and should be even better. Judging by how my 28s are undersized, it may be that the 32s are as well and could well squeeze under your guards.

mercia_man

Have just checked Wiggle. They have the basic wire beaded Randonneurs in stock for £13.49 in both 28 and 32. I'm sure the 28s would fit fine under your guards because that's the same set-up as my tourer. So that is what I would suggest for your Tifosi.

I prefer them to Marathon Racers which my wife had on her bike - they are not as tough as the Randonneurs and she had regular punctures with them.

Obviously, Randonneurs are not a high performance tyre but they are lighter and nippier than your average touring tyre.

night_porter

The Randonneurs are super tough and grippy but you might as well run solid tyres for the amount of comfort they offer.

I bought a bike with them on (700x28) and took them off after a couple of hundred miles as all of my teeth had rattled out... horrible ride if you ask me.

stabilised

I've also used 32 size Continentals with P35s. Careful adjustment certainly necessary, but they do fit and have proven pretty much bullet proof - no p*%ctures at all. I have a friend who rode end to end on them, and also had not unexpected deflation problems and he and I both find them grippy enough and pretty forgiving.

Monty Dog

In terms of the OPs question, it depends on your frame and whether there's enough room under the brake caliper and can vary significantly from frame to frame.

mercia_man

Monty is right. I know that Campag CK7s are fitted with long drop Miche brakes and others with Veloce standard drop brakes. I don't know what sort of brakes the Shimano Sora versions have. I think I remember reading a road test of a standard drop brake version which would only run 23 mm tyres with guards and 25mm without. It could well be you would be limited to 28 or 25 even with the long drop brakes. So undersized Randonneurs 28s might just about be OK for clearance under the brakes.

Cycleclinic on this forum sells these bikes with upgraded wider 25mm Gatorskins so he should have the full expert knowledge to tell you what will fit.

bendertherobot

32c Randonneurs are actually closer to 30c IMO.

Anyway, here's a thing. Chuck the SKS 35's and go larger. Then fit larger tyres. I'm running 32c Randonneurs with the 45 versions and I get absolutely no road spray whatsoever because of the larger amount of protection.

And, IMO, Randonneurs are perfectly comfortable but even if they run like concrete they are fast, grippy and much more comfortable than changing a tube in the driving rain or snow.

Multistrada

bendertherobot wrote:

32c Randonneurs are actually closer to 30c IMO.

Anyway, here's a thing. Chuck the SKS 35's and go larger. Then fit larger tyres. I'm running 32c Randonneurs with the 45 versions and I get absolutely no road spray whatsoever because of the larger amount of protection.

And, IMO, Randonneurs are perfectly comfortable but even if they run like concrete they are fast, grippy and much more comfortable than changing a tube in the driving rain or snow.

Same set up as me. 45's with Randonneur pro's , work well, fast enough, comfortable and grippy.

bendertherobot

Super tyres. Did a swift 40 miler today on them. I guess that they are not the last word in comfort but far far better than Marathons. The amount of spray caught by oversized guards is amazing.

luv2ride

bendertherobot wrote:

Super tyres. Did a swift 40 miler today on them. I guess that they are not the last word in comfort but far far better than Marathons. The amount of spray caught by oversized guards is amazing.

I've always found my Marathon Racers pretty comfy and grippy, hence the thought of swapping them over to the Tifosi. Will have a look at putting P45s on the Tifosi (which although fitted with SRAM Apex does have the Miche Performance long drop 57mm brakes) although it always takes me ages to fit a pair of SKS Chromoplastics :roll:

Will update when I get a chance to fettle!

bendertherobot

Luckily my dad has some bolt cutters which makes it easier to trim off the excess. Marathon racers look, IMO, nicer than the Marathon Plus.

pilot_pete

I fitted SKS Bluemells 25-35mm full guards on my winter bike (Felt x-er) and swapped the 32mm cross tyres for Conti 28mm Four Seasons. I'm very happy with the result. The tyres can be inflated significantly less than my summer 23mm tyres, providing a comfortable, grippy experience. Not had a puncture yet with them as we enter the second winter....

As bendertherobot says the oversize guards really do catch an awful lot of spray. With extra home made mud flaps fitted this setup prevents getting tons of crap all up the down tube, under the forks and bottom bracket areas. Out on Saturday with a group who all commented that mine was the wheel to sit on in the rain shower we experienced! I was covered in crap, but only from the spray off all the other riders 'mountain bike' seat stem mounted rear guards...

Only downside I have experienced is that the tubes are much, much bulkier than for a 23mm tyre and two of them in a saddle pack fills it up and weighs a ton! All good winter training though I suppose.....!

PP