wheel and tyre upgrade advice

yannotron

Hi everyone,

I recently strated cycling and bought a 2011 Orbea Onix T105.
Mounted on Shimano RS20 wheels with Michelin Lithion 2 tyres 23c.

After a few 100 kms, and reading loads about it I am now wondering how I could get a smoother ride.

I am thinking moving to 25c tyres. But which ones, and eventually changing the wheels (10sp cassette).

any ideas?

Thanks

lakesluddite

Honestly yannotron, there are too many to mention, but it would be good to get an idea of what you are willing to spend on a pair of new tyres. Prices will go from about £20 up to £60-70 each.
25mm tyres are pretty much the standard now, so whatever your budget you will find something. Personally I would concentrate on durability and puncture resistance, something like a Schwalbe Durano, which are inexpensive and available in 28mm as well as 25mm.

https://www.wiggle.co.uk/schwalbe-duran ... road-tyre/

svetty

LakesLuddite wrote:

Honestly yannotron, there are too many to mention, but it would be good to get an idea of what you are willing to spend on a pair of new tyres. Prices will go from about £20 up to £60-70 each.
25mm tyres are pretty much the standard now, so whatever your budget you will find something. Personally I would concentrate on durability and puncture resistance, something like a Schwalbe Durano, which are inexpensive and available in 28mm as well as 25mm.

https://www.wiggle.co.uk/schwalbe-duran ... road-tyre/

Not really much to be gained in going from one endurance puncture resistant tyre to another. Neither are particularly compliant. If the OP wants a faster more compliant tyre they will have to trade the benefits vs the drawbacks.

Veloflex clinchers are relatively comfortable - albeit that they come up true to size rather than larger. The Vittoria Corsas are fairly compliant - the 25s are slightly over-sized though so better be sure that your old frame will take 'large' 25s.

The RS20s are old-school narrow rims too - a newer wider design would give a larger air volume enabling lower pressures and a better ride.....

yannotron

LakesLuddite wrote:

Honestly it would be good to get an idea of what you are willing to spend on a pair of new tyres.

Thanks for the reply, I honestly am looking for the best compromise, something that will make the ride smoother and maybe faster, if that can be a thing? I guess I'd go up to 40 per tyre if the improvement is huge.

imposter2.0

yannotron wrote:

Hi everyone,

I recently strated cycling and bought a 2011 Orbea Onix T105.
Mounted on Shimano RS20 wheels with Michelin Lithion 2 tyres 23c.

After a few 100 kms, and reading loads about it I am now wondering how I could get a smoother ride.

I am thinking moving to 25c tyres. But which ones, and eventually changing the wheels (10sp cassette).

any ideas?

Thanks

if you've only just started cycling, then what are you wanting a 'smoother ride' in comparison to? ie smoother than what?
I would try working with what you have first - making sure your tyres are at a reasonable pressure in relation to your weight and the road surfaces you ride on.

If you do go for 25s, then these may help, but in terms of which ones, just go for any mid range tyres which fit whatever budget you have.

alanyu

2011 is an old model, so take care of the tyre clearance, as a lot of old road bike only support 23c tyre. Moreover, a lot of 25c tyres will measure 27~28mm @ 90psi on a 17c wheel, which could bring the same clearance problem.

For the riding quality, I would suggest conti GP5000 / GP5000TL (if your wheels support tubeless). They are definitely fast tyres, with an acceptable puncture resistance and relatively good mileage. Or panaracer race A evo 3/4, with a higher puncture resistance and better grip, but slower as an all-round tyre.

New Pro one addix should also be a good tyre, but it's too expensive now.

yannotron

if you've only just started cycling, then what are you wanting a 'smoother ride' in comparison to? ie smoother than what?
I would try working with what you have first - making sure your tyres are at a reasonable pressure in relation to your weight and the road surfaces you ride on.

Thanks for this. Smoother because I find it harsh to ride. I am 85kg and the scottish roads I ride on are quite rough...

bobones

You could try tubeless and lower the pressures right down as you are less likely to get pinch flats with tubeless.

keef66

alanyu wrote:

2011 is an old model, so take care of the tyre clearance, as a lot of old road bike only support 23c tyre. Moreover, a lot of 25c tyres will measure 27~28mm @ 90psi on a 17c wheel, which could bring the same clearance problem.....

I'd second that. I have a 2012 CR1 and in the pursuit of comfort I fitted 25mm Pro 4 SC tyres. They come up wider than 25mm and clearance at the chainstays was so tight I was getting damage from bits of road debris being forced through the gaps. I run a 23mm tyre on the rear now for peace of mind

yannotron

keef66 wrote:

alanyu wrote:

2011 is an old model, so take care of the tyre clearance, as a lot of old road bike only support 23c tyre. Moreover, a lot of 25c tyres will measure 27~28mm @ 90psi on a 17c wheel, which could bring the same clearance problem.....

I'd second that. I have a 2012 CR1 and in the pursuit of comfort I fitted 25mm Pro 4 SC tyres. They come up wider than 25mm and clearance at the chainstays was so tight I was getting damage from bits of road debris being forced through the gaps. I run a 23mm tyre on the rear now for peace of mind

Hmm, I might therefore decrease the pressure slightly and wait to have enough money for a proper wheel upgrade. Mavi Ksyrium? They come with th tyre these days.

Thoughts?

yannotron

bobones wrote:

You could try tubeless and lower the pressures right down as you are less likely to get pinch flats with tubeless.

Thanks, I'll go for this. Any idea is these RS20s take tubeless?

lakesluddite

yannotron wrote:

bobones wrote:

You could try tubeless and lower the pressures right down as you are less likely to get pinch flats with tubeless.

Thanks, I'll go for this. Any idea is these RS20s take tubeless?

I sincerely doubt it, given the age of them, plus a quick google of these wheels has no mention of tubeless compatibility. I have heard that some people try to make standard clinchers into tubeless with tubeless rim tape etc, but it's not something I would do - I think you really need rims that are tubeless compatible. Many rims are suitable these days, and don't have to be that expensive.

https://road.cc/content/buyers-guide/25 ... der-ps1000

You would potentially have clearance issues though with tyres larger than 23mm, but the thing about new rims is the increased width, so I think in theory the tyre would sit wider and lower than if crammed onto a narrower rim, especially if ridden at a lower pressure (is that right?).

bobones

yannotron wrote:

bobones wrote:

You could try tubeless and lower the pressures right down as you are less likely to get pinch flats with tubeless.

Thanks, I'll go for this. Any idea is these RS20s take tubeless?

They might convert to tubeless but you're far better off getting proper tubeless compatible rims as they're designed to keep the tyre seated and sealed to the rim if they lose all their air: a converted wheel might be impossible to re-inflate after a big puncture.

Cero AR24 @ £189 are nice tubeless compatible wheels. My only doubt is if they're sturdy enough for 85kg and durable enough for proper winter riding. If I were you I'd be tempted to go for something like handbuilt 28F/32R Open Pro UST or DT Swiss R460 on Miche Primato hubs. Probably cost around £200-£300. Hutchinson Fusion 5 All Season 25s would be a good choice of tyre.