Bicycle Mechanics - A Good 700/28 Tire for a Road Trip?

My hybrid has 700/38s on it now, but I am trying to outfit the bike for a two-week trip, exclusively road.

First, I want to drop from 38mm to 28, which, if I'm correct, is as low as I can go. But, I need recommendations on which brand to seek. From what I read, some 28s feel like they're hugging as much pavement as 38s.

The bike is not my ideal choice, but it's what I've got, so I want to get as much out of it as I can. Thanks!

If your current (original) tyres are 38's, chances are that 28's are far too narrow. If the sidewalls of your tyres don't extend out past the edges of your rim, you will very quickly score the braking surfaces from curbs, rocks, etc. You would wise to not go narrower than a 32 tyre. If you really need to use 28's, you should replace your rims with something narrower.

Bruceindcus;

Assuming you’re looking to decrease roll resistance on smooth pavement. First order of business is to determine what is narrowest width appropriate for your existing rims.

Be advised that in the traditional sizing method the 700mm value is accurate, the second value (38mm or 28mm) is a rather subjective value. In the ISO method (newer and more accurate) of sizing the width is given first i.e. 38-700. The ISO width value comes from dividing the flattened width by an arbitrary constant of 2.5 to convert to this ISO “section width” and while a calculated number it is much more accurate then the traditional method which relies of the tire vendor to provide their value (they have been known to equivocate). Try it, take the tire off to rim, flatten the section and measure bead to bead and divide by 2.5, is it 38mm? Don’t be surprised if it isn’t.

Second order of business is to measure the inside width (in mm) of the rim (which holds the tire bead). Note: A Caliper works great for this. Don’t have one, twenty dollars and you can be objectively measuring components, I highly recommend this tool! Now multiply the inside rim width by 1.4 to determine the narrowest acceptable “section width”

That was EZ, wasn’t it. Now the hard part, obtaining the ISO sizing for the tires your interested in purchasing. If you get them from your LBS you can examine the tire sidewall for the value. Quality vendors such as Michelin will have both Traditional and ISO sizes printed on the tire.

Next item is to determine what weight of tire is going to do the job for you. Lighter may not always be better, threads per inch and other factors play into the mix (the hard core racing crew will undoubtedly fill in the gaps here). As for tread pattern, look at the very fast track bikes, and observe the smooth tires? Bicycles don’t hydroplane (tires are too narrow), however Motorcycles do! Tread on Mtn Bike tires is for traction on loose material.

Be what that may, in my limited experience, the greatest factor in speed (lack of roll resistance) is air pressure (or want of it). Under inflated $100 tires are far worse than $20 ones running at there maximum pressure. During the riding season I inflate mine every other day, all tires lose a couple of lbs a day, and latex tubes can lose a dozen lbs a day! I have noticed that distance ridden isn’t as important as days between topping up with air.

As for vendors? I've personally had very good experiences with Michelin tires and Continental tubes (recommended by a Master Bicycle Mechanic). I also use polyurethane rim strips on my double walled road rims.

Final note, the closer you approach the narrowest tire width for your rim size, the more important tire pressure becomes! Under inflation equals potential rim damage (costly!) Please keep your tires at there maximum pressure rating at all times for best and SAFEST performance.

Cheers;

I'd suggest looking at Avocet Cross II or Cross II SLs (http://www.avocet.com/tirepages/cross_2_specs.html). If the width of your rim forces you to go with a wider tire, like an x32, they're relatively narrow (c.f. Faith's post regarding tire cross section). The wider tires have a higher max pressure than many similar width tires, and the inverted tread has has a low rolling resistance, so they cruise quite well.

Disclaimer: I have experience with the x35's don't know about the x28s or x32s.

Faith's tyre/rim width equation sounds reasonable to me. Sheldon also has a tyre sizing chart on his website. So far, I have been very happy with my Specialized Armadillos, which take 100PSI and are extremely rugged.

i recently bought a cyclocross bike with rims that my local dealer said would not work with a 700X23 tire. i ignored the dealer and installed the 23s. that was about 300 miles ago and it worked great. of course, i make it a point not to brush the edge of my wheels against immovable objects while i'm riding ...

i have since gone with a 700X28 for more comfort on the industrial road segments i roll across each morning. i favor specialized armadillo tires for their flat resistance. they are a bit slow, but i hate fixing flats in the dark. i have tried continental gatorskin ultras but found them to be very prone to flats. an unacceptable price to pay, if you ask me, for their smoother, faster feel.

I put Vittoria Randonneur 700x28s on my girlfriend's Peugeot road bike for commuting, touring, etc. They seems like a great tire to me; good puncture protection, 85 psi, a good balance of durablility and reasonably fast ride.

I've got Conti Top 2000's on my hybrid and have been very satisfied. Good rolling and very few flats.

Thanks for the info. This website rocks.