Tandem Cycling - Tire option for Clydesdale’s couple?

Most of it is me…..But when my wife and I load up for a ride, camel pack water bottles ectt… we are 400lbs, no sense sugar coating it.

Its time to replace my tires and I would like to go with 700 x 25 in place of the 700X 28 for a couple of reasons. I see more tire options in that size, my local shop I deal with carries 700 x 25s and has to order 700 x 28s and I can use the same tubes I use for our road bikes. ( those tubes are for 700X 19 – 25 for my 700 x 28s I have to get the 700 x 28 -35).

Are we too big for 700 X 25s

Thanks!

we're a bit lighter than you guys, and we definitely get more flats running 25c's than 28c's

Our new tandem came with 28c Continental 4 seasons., and I thought I'd replace them when they wore out with 25c's. However I've got to admit they're workig out well for us.

At 400lbs, I think you're at the edge of riding 25c's. To avoid pinch flats you need to run them rock hard, and be light on your wheels.

And 25c's may not give you any less rolling resistence than a high quality 28c at an appropriate pressure.

I think this is a great tire article. If you like the technical side, it has it.....if you just want the bottom line instead, then just click down to 'TIRE RECOMMENDATIONS" section.
Personally I would not go with 25c.

http://www.precisiontandems.com/arttiresbymark.htm

Have fun
Bill J.

Thanks Merlin

Thats want I figured. Even at single digit body fat 225 is about the best I can get. Adds couple full camel backs cell phone incase the kids need to call us, tubes, patch kit, C02, munchies and 150 for the stoker ( defiantly not weight weenies when we ride the tandem ) we are there. Staying with 28s is probably the best choice for a trouble free ride. Seems like the Conti Gatorskins seem to be a popular 700 x 28 for some of the searching I have done, I know my store can get those in a couple of days. The Specialized Armadillo ( I think it was called has some good press on here as well) not sure if they can get those or not.

Thanks for your feedback

Bill,

Thank you as well great info.

Looks like 28s it is!

http://www.precisiontandems.com/arttiresbymark.htm

Have fun
Bill J.[/QUOTE]

I need to hide this artical :eek:

If my wife learns we are a “Jumbo” team I may never get her back on the bike!!!!!!!:notamused:

You may be tempting fate by switching to 25s; try 25 front and 28 back.

You may be tempting fate by switching to 25s; try 25 front and 28 back.

I'm a believer in keeping the tires and spoke count the same front and rear on tandems. If you're on a week long tour and do something to your rear wheel or tire, you can put the front tire on the back and buy whatever's available locally for the front. I have a personal friend who blew out a rear 48 spoke rim while on a week long tour. He laced his front rim onto his rear hub and borrowed a front wheel to finish the trip.

I recently bought some Vred 25's that are pretty small-24mm on a deep V rim. The Mivhelin Pro race 2 25's are pretty fat- maybe 26 or so, And I think you -could- use them. Expect short tread life.

I think you are better off with a light touring 28, something like the Contis or a Panaracer Pasela 28.

If you have 2 wheelsets,, you could use the 25's on special days.

We are about 400lbs and have had good luck with Michelin ProRace 700x25s. They are bit fatter than other manufacturer's 25s. We may get fewer miles out of them then we would get with other tires, but is worth it for the ride quality that we get.

Scott & Dana

We had 3 pinch flats on a single short distance ride with the stock 25s we had on our C'dale. Clearly the 25s weren't doing it for our combined weights (~370). The next weekend I got Bontrager 32s for the front and 35 hardcase for the rear. They're not the lightest for fastest tires, for sure, but they're rock solid. 1500 miles later and not a single problem. Heck, they rarely need air!!

Andy

I'm a believer in keeping the tires and spoke count the same front and rear on tandems. If you're on a week long tour and do something to your rear wheel or tire, you can put the front tire on the back and buy whatever's available locally for the front.

+1

Clearly the 25s weren't doing it for our combined weights (~370). The next weekend I got Bontrager 32s for the front and 35 hardcase for the rear. They're not the lightest for fastest tires, for sure, but they're rock solid.

Like you, I felt we were pushing things with the 28s that PO had on our bike. We are running 37mm WTB Slickasaurus hybrid tires now. Only a few hundred miles so far, so no durability report, but they ride nice and have wonderful traction. The front clears the fork by only a few mm, so this is something to watch for when upsizing tires on a road tandem....we run V-brakes so no issues there, but teams with road calipers should check that too.

We run conti gatorskins 700x28 front and rear at 120 psi on the triplet. No pinch flats (knock on wood) even with a 480 lbs team. Plus the bike itself weighs more than 70 lbs!! So team, bike and gear= 550 lbs+

While the combined weight of my "tandem team" is fairly light, (260 and has apparently dropped 4 pounds to 256 since completing the Climb to Kaiser) I have chosen to go with 700x28c tires. We currently run the Continental Gatorskins. The following influenced my choice of these tires:

1. Not only are pinch flats a major annoyance but they are also a sign that you are seriously close to damaging your expensive rims. If you pinch flat, you have pressed your tire all the way down to the rim. A little more pressure and you have a dimple/flat spot that can only be properly repaired by replacing your rim. Even a fairly light team can do this with severe road conditions. With all the flat prevention I have seen that people are willing to weigh their bikes down with, Mr. Tuffy strips, sealants, extra thick tubes, I can't see why someone would not mind the small weight increase of a slightly wider tire to reduce the possibility of pinch flats. I have enough problems with thorns, tiny pieces of wire, and glass. No need to have to deal with pinch flats as well.

2. The slightly wider tires tend to have a little more life in them. The larger contact area wears a little slower. Rear tandem tires wear out considerably faster than a rear tire on a single. The larger contact patch probably helps a bit with traction as well. Continental Gran Prix 4000 tires have a tread that grips better, however at the cost of wearing out more quickly and are not available in 700x28c.

3. There are not very many choices for 700x28c tires. I have been strongly advised against running folding tires except as an emergency replacement which limits the selection further.

. I have been strongly advised against running folding tires except as an emergency replacement which limits the selection further.

And the reason for that would be?

If you rule out tires with beads that can fold, you've eliminated a huge number of high quality tires.

I think almost all the tires we've ever had on our tandems had folding beads, and never had a tire pop off the rim.

I think almost all the tires we've ever had on our tandems had folding beads, and never had a tire pop off the rim.

I had folding tires on a previous tandem also without any issues, however the owner of the shop I work at who has owned more than one tandem himself told me that he has seen a tire come off and wrap up around the hub. He told me that he would never use a folding tire on his own bike. I think that hilly terrain can contribute to the problem.

When I started up tandem riding again, the tandem I was riding did not have a disc brake. We quickly got into doing some pretty hilly rides. On one descent, the rear wheel flatted suddenly probably from overheating however I had no trouble bringing the bike to a safe stop. Still, I trust the opinion of my employer and have stopped running folding tires on the tandem.

The reason you have not experienced any problems may be that folding tires have been improved, however when looking at possible choices I did notice that Continental seems to have removed most of their 28c tire choices. Perhaps they know that these are popular for tandem and would rather not have the liability issues.

I think almost all the tires we've ever had on our tandems had folding beads, and never had a tire pop off the rim.

I had folding tires on a previous tandem also without any issues, however the owner of the shop I work at who has owned more than one tandem himself told me that he has seen a tire come off and wrap up around the hub. He told me that he would never use a folding tire on his own bike. I think that hilly terrain can contribute to the problem.

When I started up tandem riding again, the tandem I was riding did not have a disc brake. We quickly got into doing some pretty hilly rides. On one descent, the rear wheel flatted suddenly probably from overheating however I had no trouble bringing the bike to a safe stop. Still, I trust the opinion of my employer and have stopped running folding tires on the tandem.

The reason you have not experienced any problems may be that folding tires have been improved, however when looking at possible choices I did notice that Continental seems to have removed most of their 28c tire choices. Perhaps they know that these are popular for tandem and would rather not have the liability issues.

Continental sells, and Co=Motion Specs as original equipment 28c 4 seasons, with folding beads.

I seriously doubt that 4000S's not being available in 28c has anything to do with liability risks. It's driven by the fact that the market for expensive go fast tires in 28c is extremely limited.

I've seen Tubular tires come off rims and wrap around the hub, but that doesn't mean I won't ride tubulars. A one off horror story is not a reason to rule out an entire class of tires.

And from your own anecdotal evidence, when you did have a rear flat, presumably with a folding bead tire, it didn't seperate from the rim.

Anyone who's ever mounted some of the high end tires with folding beads, knows how friggin tight they can be. I don't see any reason to beleive that a well constructed high end tire with a folding kevlar bead would be any more likely to seperate from the rim than a steel bead tire. In my experience in fact, cheaper tires with steel beads often tend to mount easier (and therefore presumably seperate easier if deflated.)

And given the current marketplace, most of the high tech tires you can buy today have folding beads, so you may be less likely to flat in the first place.

I would certainly take my chances with Continental 4 Seasons with Duraskin and a folding bead, over some generic $20 tire with a steel bead.

As anecdotes go, the only tire I had explode and come off the rim was a Continental Ultra Gatorskin 700x28 with wire bead. That does not mean that if all these years were had been using folding tires we wouldn't have had more (or less) problems.

I've seen Tubular tires come off rims and wrap around the hub, but that doesn't mean I won't ride tubulars. A one off horror story is not a reason to rule out an entire class of tires.

It was not a single incident. This was also my response when I was warned against running them. He had seen this happen more than once. With tubulars there are other considerations. Were they mounted correctly with the right ammount of glue? Were they re-glued if they had been sitting around for a complete season? There's a greater possibility out there for people to not properly maintain a tubular than a clincher. If you maintain yours properly then you need not be concerned with such incidents.

Anyone who's ever mounted some of the high end tires with folding beads, knows how friggin tight they can be. I don't see any reason to beleive that a well constructed high end tire with a folding kevlar bead would be any more likely to seperate from the rim than a steel bead tire.

All the steel beaded tires that I have mounted so far have been fairly difficult to mount. Had I purchased a tire and found it to mount up easily I would have returned it. On my single road bike, I can take the kevlar tires off without tire levers. I can not do this with any of the steel beaded tires that I have installed on our tandem. I think this may be in part due to slightly tighter fitting rim design. The first Michellin tires I purchased years ago would fit rather tightly when new. By the time I had put 1000 miles on the tire, they would come off the rim unexpectedly, even when the bike wasn't being ridden. This problem was fixed years ago, but I think the reason the kevlar beaded tires fit tighter is that they are more likely to stretch slightly.

As anecdotes go, the only tire I had explode and come off the rim was a Continental Ultra Gatorskin 700x28 with wire bead. That does not mean that if all these years were had been using folding tires we wouldn't have had more (or less) problems.

I did check and found that the tires that came on our bike were folding. I will have to do a little more research on this. I would love to save a little more weight but not at the cost of safety. As I said before, this concern was prompted by a warning from someone that has owned several tandems and has been in the industry for many years.

Heres an older thread that seems to indicate that people tend to have fewer blowoffs with folding tires.

http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=336401&highlight=bead

We are a near-400# duo, plus a meaty bike (52# Burley Duet, more with infrequently fully loaded panniers). We have 1,000 miles on our Specialized Armadillos, 700x28, with the 100psi pushed to 110psi... so far no flats/defects on all kinds of roads. I could see 25c for a time trial on a faster frame, but for our routine romps the 28c is the way to go.