Recreational & Family - Tire choice for a 20 Year old daughter

My 130 lbs daughter is getting a Jamis Nova and I'll change out the CX tires for something more practical. The bike will be used for commuting and fun rides. 90% of the travel will be on pavement, we live in Chicago.

I'm undecided between a high pressure 700c x 28 tire that would require frequent inflation or a 700c x 38 that would not easily pinch flat when she forgets to pump up the tires.

Any suggestions?

Michael

Get a good floor pump.
Air Up the tires before each ride.

Get a good floor pump.
Air Up the tires before each ride.

If only a 20 year old would listen to such good advice :innocent:.

If only a 20 year old would listen to such good advice :innocent:.

My daughters quit listening when they were 12 y/o.

I'm undecided between a high pressure 700c x 28 tire that would require frequent inflation or a 700c x 38 that would not easily pinch flat when she forgets to pump up the tires.

Any suggestions?

20 years old? Teach her how to change a flat and then let her decide what tires she wants to live with.

My 130 lbs daughter is getting a Jamis Nova and I'll change out the CX tires for something more practical.
Good choice for a commuter bike. :thumb:
I have a Jamis Nova that I've used for commuting since I got it 4 years ago. I changed the stock tires for 700x32 Panaracer Pasela TourGuards. They have a kevlar belt for flat prevention. I ride on the crappy streets of Atlanta and average ~1500 miles between flats. A few months ago I changed to 700x28 TourGuards. Slightly less rolling resistance.

38

I agree with RonH, and would get 28 or 32 lightweight tires with a kevlar belt. I run 28 on my daily rider (23 on my road bike), and often ride it on gravel bike trails, yet the tires excel on pavement. However if you feel the 28's ride a little too rough, drop back to 32's.

Remember they don't necessarily need inflated to max pressure. Read the air pressure article on Sheldon Brown, as he explains the details better than I could.

It may be wishful thanking (my kids are still young ) but believe a conversation detailing the trade offs with each type, and letting her have some input would garner respect in the end.

She'll pump up her tires once she gets a flat. Just be sure to teach her how to change a flat--and have her change a flat three times with you before you buy her the bike. If she's buying the bike herself, she can do whatever she wants.

Unless she's planning to race it, skip the skinny tires, and put on 32 or 35mm Paselas. Better durability & puncture resistance (at reasonable pressures, like 60psi for a 130 lb rider), and MUCH more forgiving of underinflation than a narrower tire.

SP

I changed the stock tires for 700x32 Panaracer Pasela TourGuards. They have a kevlar belt for flat prevention. I ride on the crappy streets of Atlanta and average ~1500 miles between flats. A few months ago I changed to 700x28 TourGuards. Slightly less rolling resistance.

+1 I have the foldable ones with the Kevlar bead and if she does get a flat these tires are remarkably easy to remove and install without tire levers. The low weight and flexible sidewalls gives a nice ride and good handling.

Dunno if you are still thinking about tires, as you posted over a week ago, but I'd go with 700x32 Panaracer Pasela TG.
It's what I run on my commuter and I LOVE them to bits.

For the record, while I run 28's on my bike, I put 700x32 Panaracer Pasela TG's on my wife's bike. Really good balance of ride quality, light weight, durability, and cost.

I say 28-32. She won't forget to air up her tires after her first pinch flat.

why are you making this decision for her? if she wants to bike, these are things she should know for herself.