Singlespeed & Fixed Gear - 700x25

I'm accustomed to running fatter tires. 26x1.25, 27x1 1/18, and 700x28. I like to ride hard. On group rides I watch people riding around on 23s I always see them swerving around little bits of gravel, and road irregualrities that don't even cause me to think twice. They're pointing out **** on the ground like it's gonna make me crash or something. Just looks like road to me.

Since I would like the low rolling resistance that comes with thinner tires, but don't want to have to baby my wheels I'm thinking of going down to 700x25 on my new fix which will be running open pros 3x with double buted 14/15 spokes. I weigh 190. I wouldn't even be thinking twice about using 25s, except that it seems I have a LOT more tire choice in 23s. I'm aware most roadies run 23s, and heavy tourer types like 28s. It seems to me most people here run 23s.

I'm thinking 23s are going to be more flat prone, as well as handling worse on rough pavement, and out of the question on dirt and gravel roads. Am I mistaken? what size tires do you ride, and how do you feel about gravel shoulders, and bumpy hardpack dirt roads?

I've run Conti GP3000 23s over dirt, gravel, and really rough roads with only two flats in the life of the tire - 1 goathead and 1 pinch flat. That said, my primary 20 mile route to work invoves some really rough roads so I'm running them in 25s now. I like the extra volume and really don't notice the rolling resistance. I hear that the GP4000 roll even better.

23s all the way...on all types of roads/grass/packed dirt/snow

smooth rolling...faster...although they will probably make you ride more like the people in your group rides...
I actually find it kind of fun...finding the smoothest path possible on the road

I ride 25s and 23s...I've got a 25mm michelin carbon on the front and a 23mm rubino pro on the back, simply becuase the back michelin carbon wore out, and the front one didnt. When I went to the shop, there were no carbons in stock, but there were a few rubinos (an underrated tire, IMO) left, so I bought one.

honestly, I didnt see much difference in the 23 vs. 25. Perhaps the ride is a bit harsher, but not by a whole lot. I ride on hardpack dirt/gravel a fair amount, and I think that the big difference is not in size, its in construction. a 28mm version of a michelin pro light is gonna flat easier than a 23 mm michelin carbon.

I find it kinda fun riding up and down curbs, and over stuff that makes most roadies swerve madly out of the way. ;) But then I might not be able to do curbs even with 25s.

My most lasting impresion (so far) of 23s: I went for a ride with my boss(geared). I remember pedaling down the hills at the same speed he coasted. On the way back I remember marveling at the tiny size of the tube as he changed a flat.

I weigh 190 and I run 23's and 25's. I really don't see much difference.
21's look way too skinny IMO, but 23's work fine.

I'm accustomed to running fatter tires. 26x1.25, 27x1 1/18, and 700x28. I like to ride hard. On group rides I watch people riding around on 23s I always see them swerving around little bits of gravel, and road irregualrities that don't even cause me to think twice. They're pointing out **** on the ground like it's gonna make me crash or something. Just looks like road to me.

I've noticed the same thing.
Personally, i think the best is to put on a light, large tire, rather than touring or skinny tire.
The kevlar belted panaracer pasela or t-serv are great this way- very light for the size, and can take high pressure.

It's entirely possible that larger tires have a lower overall rolling resistance when you're riding on bad roads.

I like the 25 in front 23 in back thing, too, though i'm not doing it anymore. On my last bike I liked to get something really tough and grippy in the front, and then a tough slick in back. The vittoria randoneur (some people complain about the ride on these, but I thought they were fine) + rubino (I agree, these are good tires for the price) was a good combo. That way I got the best of both.

Now I run 23s both front and back (vredstein fortezza) but I'm also skinny + light so that makes a difference in tire size choice.

I try to be cautious about sand and gravel because I've slid out and had two accidents because of it. I'd say the thonly bad thing about 23's is feeling every hole and road irregularity, but you can ride over most of it.

I've ridden dirt roads and a couple of trails on 700x23. Not the best traction, but possible, and much faster than my mountain bike.

Get some Vittoria Rubino wire beads. They come in 25, are about 20 bucks, last very well, and come in all kinds of fancy colors.

Now I run 23s both front and back (vredstein fortezza).

You don't skid throught those tires really fast? I had a set that came on an a bike i purchased. I went through that tire like butter.

Can I put 25's on my 22mm wide rims? What is the general rule of thumb for how much bigger/smaller you can go with the tires than the rims? Also, tire widths are measured where? at the bead? inflated width ?

You don't skid throught those tires really fast? I had a set that came on an a bike i purchased. I went through that tire like butter.

I had the same experience. On top of that they kept flatting.
Not sure if it had to do with the fact that mine were some $15 Nashbar closeouts.

benny - havent had them long enough to know yet. just swapped out some crummy contis for em.

rikard - http://sheldonbrown.com/tire-sizing.html scroll down to the green and red chart.

be
rikard - http://sheldonbrown.com/tire-sizing.html scroll down to the green and red chart.

Sweet! thanks!

I ride a 28mm michelin in front and a 32mm continental city tire in the rear and really like the combination. I ride a dirt trail regularly and some thick loose gravel. I especially love the dampening effects on the road, though. Any larger, though, and I think I'd experience the law of diminishing returns.

Get some Vittoria Rubino wire beads. They come in 25, are about 20 bucks, last very well, and come in all kinds of fancy colors.

I was actually thinking of getting the Vittoria Zafiros in 25c. Performance has them for $15. Where can you get the Rubinos in 25c for $20?

I love my Fortezzas but when I ran them front and back, the rear didn't last at all. They flatted very often -- too often for my liking. These days I run a 23 Fortezza up front and a 25 Gatorskin in the rear. I can live with the mix n' match and it gives me the ride I like -- high pressure up front with a cushier lower pressure in the rear.

46x17, I'll ditto what mattface said - where you can get Rubino's for $20? I'm guessing you're referring to your LBS. They seem to be lacking in Vittoria's in Chicago at least - I only ever come across Zaffiros.

Yes the LBS sells them for about $23 minus my bike coalition discount adds up to about 20 bux. Nashbar sells the 23s right not for 19.

$21 here: http://www.bicycletires.com/tek9.asp?pg=products&specific=jogqkpf0

I ride 25s and 23s...I've got a 25mm michelin carbon on the front and a 23mm rubino pro on the back

Switch that around. THe thicker tire should be on the back. The front tire last longer then the back.

I'm accustomed to running fatter tires. 26x1.25 that's a fat tire?

On my road bike I've used the Zaffiro Pro (23c) and Maxxis Re-Fuse (25c) over the past year or so. The Zaffiro's squared off faster than I would've liked. The Maxxis tires, however, were quite good and are currently installed on my fixed. At my LBS, both cost about the same (roughly $25 apiece).

I said "fattER" as in fatter than 23c.

By my eyeball, it's closer to 32c. I also run 2inchers, but that's not what this thread is about.

dont listen to benny. Wider tires give better cornering traction and shock absorbancy, so it makes more sense to have it in the front. Narrower in the back for speed and less rolling resistance (since thats where your power goes and your weight is)

First off, pointing out crap on the ground and the like (in my experience) is just part of the group ride roadie culture. I honestly think that it just more a matter of amusement then actual need to swerve.

Second, I will just agree with everyone that says there is no problem with 23s. I suppose I don't go over everything, but I do take the occasional curb. I guess you have to be a little more careful. But not really in terms of what is on the road. If it is going to flat a 23 it will probably do the same to a 25.

I said "fattER" as in fatter than 23c.

By my eyeball, it's closer to 32c. I also run 2inchers, but that's not what this thread is about.

If you want the ultimate bomber tire go for the Vittoria Randonneur tire in a 28 (they don't come smaller).
They cost the same as the Rubinos but are double belted. They ride worse than the Rubinos but will outlast them by weeks and will never flat untless you run over a board full of nails.

I am not sure why it would matter. A tire is not going to make you faster. You want more tire to wear through on the back. Skidding and resisting wears your tire down. Also a 25 to a 23 is mostly taller then wider for road tires.

dont listen to benny. Wider tires give better cornering traction and shock absorbancy, so it makes more sense to have it in the front. Narrower in the back for speed and less rolling resistance (since thats where your power goes and your weight is)
i've never really thought about running a fatter front tire on my skinny tire bikes.

i have some conti attack/force tires on my track bike and road bike. the rear is a 23 and the front is a 22. i don't really notice a big difference in terms of benefit or feel of the tire size difference.

on my geared hardtail, i run a 2.5 in the front and a 2.35 in the rear for the same reasoning as 128 mentioned.

i be runnin panaracer t-serv 25's. actually seem kinda big to me...but between them and a brooks B17 track angles can seem not so harsh sometimes... even on frickin girard ave.

First off, pointing out crap on the ground and the like (in my experience) is just part of the group ride roadie culture. I honestly think that it just more a matter of amusement then actual need to swerve.


It would prevented my last crash.

As for fatter tires go, I think 700x28 is a pretty good compromise. Good contact patch without being too terribly sluggish. 700x23 is scary to me in heavy rain, and in the dark you're bound to roll over some stuff you hadn't planned on rolling over.

I use 25c tires exclusively. The problem I keep running into is self-imposed: Less than 250g, and less than $30.
I currently have Conti Ultra 2000, Hutch Carbon Comp, Ritchey Tom Mix Pro, and Panaracer Stradius, all folding, all 25c (the Panaracers are marked 26c).
The 25's are usually marked with a slightly lower max PSI rating, 10-15 lbs, but as a matter of experience I find that I can run the back tire at 110-115 and the front at 105-110 no matter what the label says.
Actual Width: this, IMHO, is a running joke in the Tire Industry. About 15 years ago, before the 23c fad began, it was common for a tire marked '25c' to be 2-3mm undersize. The Conti tires are noticibly thinner than the Hutches when mounted on the same rim. Panaracers, and from my experience, all Japanese tires are thinner than they're marked.
Rim: the width of the rim matters. The same tire works very differently on different rims. My main fixed wheels are Campy Omega Strada XL (22mm) and my backups are Mavic Open Pro Ceramics (19mm). Big difference.
By the way I, too, am big: 5' 11", currently North Of Two-Hundred (yikes!). When I raced, I did so at 180-182 lbs. I used 25c clinchers and 24mm tubulars.

Bigger rubber means a larger contact patch, larger cross-section with the same rider and bike weight means less deformation of the casing, and therefore lower rolling resistance.
Back when I started the rule was to have tires at least 2mm wider than the actual rim width as a minimum, ie at least one millimeter wider than the rim on each side.

honestly, i use 23 and 25, and don't notice much difference. i sort of like the slightly more stable and comfy feel of 25, though 23s are a little smoother rolling...

it's not a big difference either way.

The Panaracer Stradius sport in 26 seems like a good choice. It's light weight, comes in 26, and is inexpensive. Anybody got anything bad to say about these tires? sabretech2001 how do you like yours? For the price if they are not junk, I think I will go with them.