Tandem Cycling - Tire Selection and Width Question

I was thinking about some new tires for our tandem, but not sure about width. We area still running the original Bontrager 700x28 Hardcase, and while they have proved to be flat free, I think we could do better. Conti makes a GP4000 in a 25mm width, any problems going to a 25? I assume I'll need a little more air pressure. We are about a 325 lb team. I run Michelin and Vittoria's on my singles, but thought the Conti's might be a good tandem choice.

There have been recent threads on this. There are those here using 25mm tires. I am using Michelon's myself. I know some are using 23's. Our roads are such even most single bikes in my area stick with 25's vs 23's. Conti's have a great reputation. I belive Santana's still come supplied with them. [although I think in a 28mm size]

glenn

We use Continental's Ultra Gatorskin with all three of our tandems. For the two that we do most of our daily rides on we run 25's, but we have 23's on the Supremo that we use for club rides. Tire pressure is 125 on all. We've had great success with the Gatorskins both in mileage and good puncture protection. Team weight is 280.

We use the Continental GP4000 25mm. Team weight 285. Our roads are generally smooth with very little glass and debris.

Conti Ultra Gatorskins are a very popular tandem tire, although most teams use 28s. We use Michelin Pro Race 25s and think they're fantastic (although they do wear out more quickly than the Gatorskins). We are about a 290 pound team and we inflate them to 120 rear, 115 front. We get great performance from them and have never had a pinch flat (even though the roads around here are terrible).

Using Maxxis detonator and Re-Fuse model tires. Usually run 25mm, but have also run 23s or 23 front and 25 rear.
Just changed out a 25mm Re-Fuse on rear of tandem with 2206 miles on it before we sliced it up on some road debris (but it did not flatten). Probably would have been good for another couple hundred miles.
We are a kinda light team, just under 250 lbs.

Last weekend on a ride, I was just thinking to myself "Boy, I love these Gatorskins". Ten minutes later - a flat on the front.

The tires were a couple of years old, probably 2,000 miles or so on them. I had rotated the front to the rear last year to even out the wear. I don't recall having any flats with them but I had bought a new pair to replace them - I just hadn't installed them yet.

The flat was on the front. It was a quick flat (fortunately not a blow-out). Easy to change. While changing, I noticed that I could start to see the cords under the rubber so it was time to replace them anyway.

Anyway, I still have a lot of faith in the Gatorskins (700X28). They seem to be quite durable and flat resistant.

The tires were a couple of years old, probably 2,000 miles or so on them. I had rotated the front to the rear last year to even out the wear. I don't recall having any flats with them but I had bought a new pair to replace them - I just hadn't installed them yet.

The flat was on the front. It was a quick flat (fortunately not a blow-out). Easy to change. While changing, I noticed that I could start to see the cords under the rubber so it was time to replace them anyway.

According to Sheldon Brown, tire rotation is a bad idea and potential safty hazard...http://www.sheldonbrown.com/tire-rotation.html.

According to Sheldon Brown, tire rotation is a bad idea and potential safty hazard...http://www.sheldonbrown.com/tire-rotation.html.

... as in rotating the rear to the front = bad idea.

Rotating the rear to the trash once it's worn out and then moving the front to the rear and putting a new tire on the front is prudent, albeit a bit more trouble than simply replacing the rear several times before the front tire needs to be replaced due to old age.

Hi everyone-
K&M especially, I just put a new set of Michelin pro race 25's on and they performed really well.

I thought the pressure on the side label (not sure if anyone follows these guidelines) indicated 103 psi.
I was freaking out because I have been running 115 on some Continental (25c -4 season model I think).

I ran 105 rear and 103 front on the michelins and the bike handled fine.

Can I run 110-115 psi ??????? Is it more tire or the wheel strength?
Wheels are the Rolf Tandem model.
We are about 300 lbs I have also used the gator skins and some Bontrager 28c tires I purchased under a need basis when my gator skin developed a lump.

On rotation, I usually replace both at the same time. Toss the back one out and save the front tire for an extra road hazzard replacement or put it on my single during the Winter.

Rob

I recall reading the article from Sheldon in the past. I understand that while a blowout on the back could be bad, it would be catastrophic on the front.

The reason I tried rotating front to rear was that I recall another Sheldon article that tire wear had little to do with tire integrity. That the fabric core of the tire was responsible for the integrity & the rubber only served to provide traction & protect the fabric. Before I rotated the tires, I inspected the casing & it appeared to be fine. The tread on the rear was a bit thinner than on the front so I swapped them. I guess that in the future, I may try replacing each tire as it wears out individually instead of replacing the pair.

In our 32+ years of tandeming, have had only a couple blowouts.
A front blowout at 30 mph created a bit of handling problem, but worked out fine
Rear blowout was spectacular! We were testing some tires for a company and rear tire literally exploded, shredding tube and wrapping it into the freewheel and showering the fellow that was drafting us in flying rubber . . . created an instant stop . . . but no crash. Second tire we tested also blew off the rim.
Needless to say that was the end of the test!

I recall reading the article from Sheldon in the past. I understand that while a blowout on the back could be bad, it would be catastrophic on the front.

Actually, there's a more practical reason to not move your rear tires to the front on a tandem: rear tires on tandems tend to get squared-off as they wear.

This squaring-off can happen sometimes in as little as 300 miles depending on tire compound, road conditions, terrain, and team weight. If you don't notice the loss of the tire's crown and put it on the front of your tandem the bike will no longer roll in and out of turns smoothly as the 'edges' of the tire's contact patch are crossed.

Just something to keep an eye on when setting aside "old tires" as spares. Frankly, I tend to keep a new tire as the "spare" in my saddle bag and move it to the front when the front goes to the back, and the back goes in the trash. Same thing with spare tubes: I try to use the ones in my saddle packs as they're the oldest and the ones that are exposed to the elements.

We do not swap tires front-to-rear. When one fails or wears out, it gets replaced.

robmitchell,

I was freaked out too when I got my first Michelin 25s and saw the low max pressure printed on them, but a very experienced tandem mechanic assured me that tons of people inflate them to 120 and beyond for their tandems and that they are perfectly safe. We are a 190 pound team and have been riding Michelins inflated to 120 for many thousands of miles now without any problem. I wouldn't put more than 120 in them because Rolf doesn't rate his wheels for more, but I can't see why I'd want to since, in spite of hitting numerous holes, we have never had a pinch flat.

robmitchell,

I was freaked out too when I got my first Michelin 25s and saw the low max pressure printed on them, but a very experienced tandem mechanic assured me that tons of people inflate them to 120 and beyond for their tandems and that they are perfectly safe. We are a 190 pound team and have been riding Michelins inflated to 120 for many thousands of miles now without any problem. I wouldn't put more than 120 in them because Rolf doesn't rate his wheels for more, but I can't see why I'd want to since, in spite of hitting numerous holes, we have never had a pinch flat.

You must have lost about 100 pounds since the last time we saw you two...

Excuse me .... 290 pound team!:)

I'll soon be 190 by myself, if I'm not careful ....