Commuting - Skinny tires?

I commute my 15 daily miles on a Nexus 7 internal gear hybrid with 700X35C slick tires.

Would I benefit from changing to narrower tires? I'm told that the width of my rims make it possible to go down to 700X25.

Would it be worth it?

Any comments?

I commute my 15 daily miles on a Nexus 7 internal gear hybrid with 700X35C slick tires.

Would I benefit from changing to narrower tires? I'm told that the width of my rims make it possible to go down to 700X25.

Would it be worth it?

Any comments?

It depends. I switched from 700x35 to 700x28 roadslicks (Ultra Gatorskins). The ride is definately faster, but it is also less smooth. It's an unavoidable trade-off. You just have to decide what's more important. After riding the Gatorskins 28's for about 500 miles, I don't notice the harder ride. Maybe the sidewalls softened a bit. Maybe I'm just used to it.

Other consideration are:

How good are your roads? The better the roads, the narrower a tire you can use.
How much do you carry? The lighter the load, the narrower a tire you can use.

After having long ridden 25 mm tires, for winter this year I put a 35 mm Specialized Infinity Armadillo on the rear and 32 mm on the front of my commuter. This tire has a nearly solid rib of tread down the center and max psi of 100. Kept pumped to the 100 it feels to me like the best of both worlds. The near solid rib at the higher pressure seems to roll as easily as 25s while the extra width allows the tire to absorb most bumps for smoother ride than the 25s. AND they are extremely flat resistant. As they say, your mileage may vary.
Regards,
Raymond

Many tyres are sized small, so a 28mm (like a Panaracer) may be the size of a poper 25mm. The min size is determined by the width of your rims. If you have wide rims, the narrow tyres wont fit well.
28mm is a good compromise for fast commuter bikes.

I've ridden 23c, 25c, 28c, etc. I'm sticking with 100 psi 38c Nimbus Armadillo's that can take whatever glass, potholes, curbs, gravel, staples, nails, or small woodland creatures that happen to be in my path. It's not a race, It's a commute. I wouldn't change the 35's if I were you...

After having long ridden 25 mm tires, for winter this year I put a 35 mm Specialized Infinity Armadillo on the rear and 32 mm on the front of my commuter. This tire has a nearly solid rib of tread down the center and max psi of 100. Kept pumped to the 100 it feels to me like the best of both worlds. The near solid rib at the higher pressure seems to roll as easily as 25s while the extra width allows the tire to absorb most bumps for smoother ride than the 25s. AND they are extremely flat resistant. As they say, your mileage may vary.
Regards,
Raymond

I don't want to start another Gatorskin/Armadillo fight, but the Gatorskins can be inflated to 120psi. I think the recommended psi is 90 or 100. I use 105 on mine. When they wear out, I will probably switch to Armadillos just see if there is really any difference. I doubt there is. But Armidillos do retail for $5 less than Gatorskins.

Unless your route is extremely bumpy, or you carry a lot of weight, think about switching down to 28's. 25's might be too far (see my notes in the first reply to your question). The only way to know what is better is to try different things. Then your next purchase will be even more informed.

I had a pair of 30c tom slicks on my bike but had to switch to michelin tracer 25c in order to fit fenders. I definitly notice the ride being a little harsher especially potholes, f***king things feel like craters on the moon. Seeing as your using it for commuting I would go stay with the 35, wish I could fit them. Only exception is if your not carying any weight and use your ride as more of a training oprotunity then a simple ride to work. To each is their own.

Ray

Going with a skinner tire such as the 25 or 26 vs the 35 should gain you a bit of speed and make it easier to pedal. You can still buy tires such as the Specialize Armadillo Turbos that are the best puncture resistent tire on the market and they come in a 26 I believe. But also remember with the skinner tires you lose a bit of comfort.

I go with 28c or 30c on my rain bikes but the roads are pretty smooth & clean. In the Summer 2 of my rides have 700c x 20 tires. Personally, I would wear out those 35s before you make a change.

Hi,
there are a number of great tires at 28c. Many of the rugged types, like the Conti TT, have a 28. Panracer has a new tire called the Crosstown that looks bulletproof, and is available with a hi tech reflecting sidewall. Very cool idea, I wish more tires had one. It is, however, quite heavy. I prefer a compromise. You can get a kevlar belt with high quality rubber in a tire in the 300 gram range. The tires that have been discussed here tend to be 600 grams and up. A good example of what I mean is the Rivendell Rufy Tufy. At 328 grams it's half the weight of some of the beefy tires. But it's belted, has good rubber, and isn't too heavy to be lively. Btw, I run tires like that at 70-80 pounds depending on the size and the trip. Half the advantage of a big tire is the shock absorbtion, and if you pump it to a 100 pounds you lose half the benefit but keep all the weight.

http://www.rivendellbicycles.com/webalog/tires_tubes/10043.html

Going with a skinner tire such as the 25 or 26 vs the 35 should gain you a bit of speed and make it easier to pedal. You can still buy tires such as the Specialize Armadillo Turbos that are the best puncture resistent tire on the market and they come in a 26 I believe. But also remember with the skinner tires you lose a bit of comfort.

I have 700X25 Armadillos on a bike, and they look to be about the size of a 28. AT 105 psi they ride a lot smoother than any 23 I've ridden.

right now i've got my stock tires (specialized all condition 700x28C 60TPI, Flak Jacket) on my 04 Sirrus. i've heard a lot about the armadillo... so since i only had put on 3 miles on my baby... when the tires are ready to go... i'll go for armadillo.

right now this one looks very similar to my stock tires (at least the threading does....) :p http://www.specialized.com/SBCEqProduct.jsp?spid=5529&JServSessionIdroot=sp7wmvi6qb.j27004

but the infinity armadillo looks tasty too... http://www.specialized.com/SBCEqProduct.jsp?spid=5531&JServSessionIdroot=heqnkbj8s7.j27001

perhaps i should start putting more mileage on my bike so i can change tires later... hehe :p

rui

Well, thanks a lot for your answers. I'll first finish off the stock Schwalbe Marathon Slicks before considering a change. Besides, I also take Junior on a back seat for a ride around the block on weekends, that's added weight.

Maybe 35s are okay as Zaphod recommended.

I have 700X25 Armadillos on a bike, and they look to be about the size of a 28. AT 105 psi they ride a lot smoother than any 23 I've ridden.

The 28's will fit on most road bikes, they are a tad taller and a tad wider than 25 or 26's.

humm.. what about on my rockhopper? i want to change the tires to a narrower one and be able to ride faster on the street. i was looking into the specialized nimbus armadillos, but not sure if it will fit on my rockhopper's rim. right now i have 26x1.95" tires on there.. so i am wondering if i will be able to fit a 1.5" nimbus armadillos on there. is there anyway to measure the rim to see if it will fit?

also, any idea what is the difference between 700 vs. 26 type of tires? i normally see the 700s on a road bike... so can someone teach me the differences? i want to change my tube to a presta valve type but didn't find any 26s in presta in department stores. sorry for the newb questions... :p