700c wheels 35c tyres

Redrat
Redrat Posts: 14
edited May 2019 in Commuting general
I have brought a old trek 7.2 to dip my toes into commuting to try an get abit of exercise an get of the bus. My question is do i need to stick to 35c an what does that relate think the wheels are 700c/28in . Found my first commute home abit of a graft 7.75 mile in 56 mins average 8.2 a mile thinking of also upgrading the saddle an pedals don't wanna throw to much money at it as i will upgrade the bike if the bug sticks any recommendations an thanks for your time.

Comments

  • gbsahne001
    gbsahne001 Posts: 1,973
    Depends what the tyres are, I run 35s for the Winter and they possibly knock a mile or 2 of my top speed but don't really find them that cumbersome. I quite enjoy the additional cushioning they provide and the bike feels awesome with them on.

    In terms of swapping to thinner tyres, the rims will dictate this, as a superwide rim won't be very happy with a skinny tyre on it. Personally I'd keep to the 35s and use them as a means of getting fitter, once your fitness improves then possibly look at 25 or 28s, depending upon the rim. You then open the can in terms of "which tyre do I need", to which there is no real answer, as it's all subjective.
    Winter Hack
    Everyday Commuter
  • Redrat
    Redrat Posts: 14
    Cheers for the input will do some research on the subject I'm well off needing to change tyre size.
  • wolfsbane2k
    wolfsbane2k Posts: 3,056
    I've made the jump up from 25's to 30s and now on 35s on the basis of comfort and the mess that is the local road surface.. I found that yes, the average of 1mph loss from 25s to 35s feels measureable, but not by enough to care about ( my average is 15.2mph with the 35s) , and i'm more effected by the wind direction...
    Whereas the difference in comfort (25s at 110psi, 35s at 88psi) is remarkable.
    Intent on Cycling Commuting on a budget, but keep on breaking/crashing/finding nice stuff to buy.
    Bike 1 (Broken) - Bike 2(Borked) - Bike 3(broken spokes) - Bike 4( Needs Work) - Bike 5 (in bits) - Bike 6* ...
  • mrkev83
    mrkev83 Posts: 184
    I'm presuming Trek 7.2 is a hybrid. Without meaning to offend, I think it's more likely down to fitness and if you're now using muscles you haven't used in a long time it is going to feel harder. Start commuting twice a week for a month or so and build it up slowly. Give at least a days rest in between commutes. Forget about times and all that for now. Just enjoy the ride
    http://www.strava.com/athletes/mrkev83

    Built for comfort... Not for speed
  • Redrat
    Redrat Posts: 14
    Cheers for the input think I'll take heed stick with the 35's for now. Commuted to work an back twice this past week got the route down to 6.2 mile and averaged 11.2 to work an 10.5 back which has more of a ascent. Saving a hr a day over the bus an getting abit of exercise win double :D .
  • mrkev83
    mrkev83 Posts: 184
    Redrat wrote:
    Cheers for the input think I'll take heed stick with the 35's for now. Commuted to work an back twice this past week got the route down to 6.2 mile and averaged 11.2 to work an 10.5 back which has more of a ascent. Saving a hr a day over the bus an getting abit of exercise win double :D .
    Just make sure you rest enough or you'll end up knackered, cranky and hungry....then you'll start making little excuses not to ride and then 1 week will turn into a month not riding etc etc....when I first started commuting I was caught up in recording everything (strava, speedo, etc) and not going out everyday and it made me miserable....the best pieces of advice I've had are to build up slowly and to get faster "press harder"
    http://www.strava.com/athletes/mrkev83

    Built for comfort... Not for speed
  • Redrat
    Redrat Posts: 14
    I hear you after two days on the spin last week i was very drained, so this week as much as it pains I'm going to do a day on day off. Last thing i want is to park the bike up but my fitness level does need alot of work.
  • gbsahne001
    gbsahne001 Posts: 1,973
    In the other duplicate thread, you mention that the tyres are Marathon Plus, if this is the case then in your shoes, I would probably change them.

    Marathon Plus are great for providing puncture protection and in terms of improving your fitness would be great but in terms of providing a swift fun ride are IMHO rubbish. In order to suggest a change of tyre, are you on the road, trails / canal path or a mixture.
    Winter Hack
    Everyday Commuter
  • Redrat
    Redrat Posts: 14
    gbsahne wrote:
    In the other duplicate thread, you mention that the tyres are Marathon Plus, if this is the case then in your shoes, I would probably change them.

    Marathon Plus are great for providing puncture protection and in terms of improving your fitness would be great but in terms of providing a swift fun ride are IMHO rubbish. In order to suggest a change of tyre, are you on the road, trails / canal path or a mixture.

    I'm mainly on roads all be it some terrible ones, tried to delete the duplicate but couldn't for some reason.
  • gbsahne001
    gbsahne001 Posts: 1,973
    On my hybrid, I've used "Specialized Crossroads Armadillo (SCA)", which are a 700 x 38 but they roll surprisingly fast. I ended up wearing them out and only replaced them with something different because the CX couldn't fit the tyre on the back with mudguards.

    Hybrid is currently shod with vittoria randonneur pro (700 x 35), which are perhaps a bit faster than the SCA but I'm not as inclined to go off the beaten path with them, as the SCA had great grip.

    "Winter hack" link shows the hybrid with the SCA fitted.

    Unfortunately the quest for the right tyre is very subjective and depends on the roads you're on. I've been seriously commuting now for 10 years and still couldn't tell you the best tyre. In that time I've used (what I can remember);
      Continental: gatorskin, gatorskin hardshell, GP4000, 4 seasons Vittoria: rubino pro, randonneur pro, rubino pro tech. Schwalbe: ribmo, durano, durano plus, marathon plus Specialised: crossroads armadillo
    Currently using and have been for a few years, rubino pro on the CX & road bike, swapping to randonneur pro & rubino ro tech respectively for the winter.Whereas the hack has winter tyres over the winter and then has the randonneur tyres from the CS for the rest of the year.
    Winter Hack
    Everyday Commuter
  • N0bodyOfTheGoat
    N0bodyOfTheGoat Posts: 6,052
    I run 35-38mm tyres on my Voodoo commuter from around October to April, for the bigger contact patch over the winter. Currently running a 35mm Randonneur Pro II up front and a 38mm Marathon Cross rear.

    I then usually change to 28mm Grand Sport Race (late this year), which even though my typical commute is ~4.2 miles in and ~5.5 miles (with more climbing) home, I can definitely feel the extra pace and quicker times.

    Sometimes I'll randomly fit a 2.35" G-One Speed up front with either the same at the rear, or even the fat wheel with 4" Jumbo Jim for the commute, it makes the ride so comfy and not very much slower than the 38mm tyres! :)
    ================
    2020 Voodoo Marasa
    2017 Cube Attain GTC Pro Disc 2016
    2016 Voodoo Wazoo
  • Redrat
    Redrat Posts: 14
    Thank you for the input its a minefield maybe I'm in the best position with the slower rolling tyres for now will help with the quest to get abit fit.
  • mrfpb
    mrfpb Posts: 4,569
    I currently have 28mm Marathon plus at the front and 28mm Grand Prix 4 seasons at the back. Marathons are a great commuting tyre, the puncture resistance is well worth the extra weight. I find 28mm a good compromise between comfort and speed on a mixed canal path/road 11 mile commute in the summer months.

    (The reason I have different tyres front and back is purely what was on offer at the time I needed a replacement)

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