Tyre Advice

m4ttc
m4ttc Posts: 41
edited June 2016 in Road beginners
Hi
Newbie question. I have a Boardman Road bike that I have ridden lightly for a couple of years. I have Conti 4 Seasons 70 X 25 on them.

If I wanted to do some canal path and the likes, what tyres could I use and what size? A mate mentioned Schwalbe's but not sure what model or size I could get way with.

Thanks for any advice in advance

Comments

  • imposter2.0
    imposter2.0 Posts: 12,028
    Depending on what model - you might be able to get 28s in there, you might not.
  • m4ttc
    m4ttc Posts: 41
    Thanks. It is a Road team 2013 model.
  • Sleeper Service
    Sleeper Service Posts: 126
    How rough is the terrain you're going on? If it's fairly smooth then it's hard to look past Schwalbe Marathons.
    Carrera Subway 2015
    Boardman Hybrid Team 2014
  • m4ttc
    m4ttc Posts: 41
    Thanks. I wasn't Going on the muddy stuff. Just the sort of terrain a hybrid would go on
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 72,586
    In which case your tyres will be fine.

    25mm 4 seasons:
    6FA8YCE.gif
    _
  • OnTheRopes
    OnTheRopes Posts: 460
    Rick Chasey wrote:
    In which case your tyres will be fine.

    25mm 4 seasons:

    This ^
    Your current tyres will be fine
  • sebbyp
    sebbyp Posts: 106
    not much clearance between the top of the fork and the tyre on mine, last time I went off road it clogged up with shite instantly and couldnt ride it.
  • m4ttc
    m4ttc Posts: 41
    What tyres were you on ?
  • roger_merriman
    roger_merriman Posts: 6,165
    Road bikes and road bike tyres aren't that fragile, I've used road bikes on all sorts of tracks and what not.

    Oddly enough some cannel tow paths can be quite lumpy, and give a fairly jarring ride, but fudemently the tyres should be up to the job.
  • Cotterend
    Cotterend Posts: 73
    roger merriman wrote:
    Road bikes and road bike tyres aren't that fragile, I've used road bikes on all sorts of tracks and what not.

    I, too, use road tyres (Continental 4000) on tracks, as many of the country roads here become gravel or loose surface. Carry on or go home! They feel awful on gravel because they begin to slide very easily, unlike an off-road tyre, but they don't slide far before they find grip. You just have to get used to the looseness you feel and trust that the tyre will find firm ground, and overcome the psychological barrier that goes with being off-road on a sleek roadster with thin, thin tyres which all looks way too fragile. Common sense tells you that although it seems bad, the hammering a road tyre gets at speed on a road is far worse than it gets going slowly over a track.

    I never try it when I'm likely to hit mud, I think that would be asking too much.
  • m4ttc
    m4ttc Posts: 41
    Thanks all for the advice
  • Paul0975
    Paul0975 Posts: 14
    Don't forget to take extra tubes with you, and a repair kit and pump.

    Its also worth spending 5 minutes at the end of you ride looking over your tyres and digging out any embedded glass or stones.
  • drlodge
    drlodge Posts: 4,826
    Conti GP4S are a great tyre. A "better" tyre would be one that's wider so just use your GP4S and you should be fine. Take a couple of inner tubes and patches just in case. The main issue I've found with canal paths and the like is where you get a transition from stones to tarmac with a sharp edge. If you're not careful you can easily get pinch flats.
    WyndyMilla Massive Attack | Rourke 953 | Condor Italia 531 Pro | Boardman CX Pro | DT Swiss RR440 Tubeless Wheels
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