Commuting - Trek 520- Need new tires - how thin?

Hey guys.

My rear stock tire on the commuter is looking a little worn (ok very worn) at 4,000 miles. I am going to move the front to the rear, since the front has atleast another 1,000 miles left on it. What tire should I get for the front? I've been thinking of dropping a little in width for the nominal increase in speed. I'll probably go with 32s (stockers were 35s), but can I go any thinner with the stock fairlane wheels?

Thanks guys.

Hey guys.

My rear stock tire on the commuter is looking a little worn (ok very worn) at 4,000 miles. I am going to move the front to the rear, since the front has atleast another 1,000 miles left on it. What tire should I get for the front? I've been thinking of dropping a little in width for the nominal increase in speed. I'll probably go with 32s (stockers were 35s), but can I go any thinner with the stock fairlane wheels?

Thanks guys.

I did this with my 520. I put a panaracer tire on it. Pacella model maybe? Going by memory here. It's kevlar, comes folded in a box. 20 to 25 dollars each. They are called "28"s but they are really narrower. Perhaps 26 or 27. I picked up a full mile per hour just by changing these tires. I really enjoyed them until I bought my new bike this week. But they do not wear as well as those original 35s.

Tom

Tires vary batch to batch, & a given size can run thin or fat. I used to change tires as they wore out & have ended up with several bikes with mismatched tires depending on what happened to be a good buy at the time. Now I tend to replace my tires in sets. Don

I find that a thin 32/fat 28 is about right for general purpose riding around. In winter I tend to run a more robust tyre (Schwalbe Marathon 28), and in summer, try for a smaller tread, such as Vredenstein FlexTour or Panaracer pasela.
Armadillos work well if the roads are poor.

Hey guys.

My rear stock tire on the commuter is looking a little worn (ok very worn) at 4,000 miles. I am going to move the front to the rear, since the front has atleast another 1,000 miles left on it. What tire should I get for the front? I've been thinking of dropping a little in width for the nominal increase in speed. I'll probably go with 32s (stockers were 35s), but can I go any thinner with the stock fairlane wheels?

Thanks guys.

I use Specialized Armadillos on the bike I ride in. The Armadillos are big for the listed size. My 25's are the size of most 28 tires. Since they also come in 28, that should be about the size of a normal 32. They are a heavy tire, and can ride pretty rough, so I leave the pressure at about 105 psi, and it smooths things right out.

Thanks for the replies.

I think Armadillos would be a good idea for me. They may be heavy, but the 520 isn't a lightweight to begin with. I guess I am surprised that 25s fit on the rim - the rim seems pretty wide to me, but then again, this is the first "road bike" I've ever had. My 35s used to look thin to me compared to knobbies!

Safe riding,
Phil

Thanks for the replies.

I think Armadillos would be a good idea for me. They may be heavy, but the 520 isn't a lightweight to begin with. I guess I am surprised that 25s fit on the rim - the rim seems pretty wide to me, but then again, this is the first "road bike" I've ever had. My 35s used to look thin to me compared to knobbies!

Safe riding,
Phil

i am riding on 26" specialized nimbus EX ($14.95 each). they are 1.5" wide. it's kinda weird at first because not use to the sudden change from 1.95" to 1.5". but once i started riding.. i was soo happy i upgraded to the 1.5"... my rockhopper was revived and it's much faster now than before. however, the ride does get a bit bumpy compared to before, but it's ok. as for trailing.. it's still doable... but definitely not in mud or wet soil.. u'll be slipping and sliding.

i was going to armadillo... but those were $29.99 each at my lbs, which was a bit more than what i could afford. so i went with the nimbus EX and change to presta valve tubes. i love my ride now!!

ride on,
rui :p

Will 28s fit then on the stock (fairlane) wheels? I'd like to know before ordering any, otherwise I'll swing by the lbs. I need new cleats anyway...

Thanks again!

My 2000 Trek 520 came with Continental Top Tourin 700x32. Their real width is 29 mm.

Unless you have very good streets, I would not go under 27-28 mm wide tires (real width, not posted width), because you might dent the rims on potholes, cement inequalities, etc.

Regards,

Cool, thanks for the reply.

I've been thinking about Top Tourings too. However, how do you determine the real width of a tire before actually mounting them? I suppose I could guess by eye, but it could be a small enough difference that I wouldn't notice...

When I want a little more speed on my 520, I've put 25mm Conti Ultra 2000's on the stock Fairlane rims. Never had a problem with the fit, but it is a harsher ride. I agree with Michel, though. I keep a close eye on the street surface, and avoid potholes / large irregularities.

Just go for some 22c veloflex. Too bad Veloflex doesn't make a commuting tire...

Michael W; Those Marthon tires are probably the heaviest tire you can buy at nearly 900 grams each! If you want the best flat protection then try the Specialize Armadillos, they have sizes from 23 to 26 to 28, and the 28 weighs about 1/2 of what a Marthon weighs!

AZ; You should be able to put a 28 on those rims but I would not go any lower than that.

I know that Marathons are heavy. It was an emergency purchase, but served OK as a winter tyre. Ive demoted it to a spare now that I picked up some nice, light Vredensteins. Tyre weight does make a big difference to the liveliness of the ride, and its the cheapest and easiest upgrade to make. The trouble is finding a high quality, medium width tyre in any shop.

Thanks for the advice.

I saw some Specialized Armadillos (28s) at the bike shop over the weekend for $30 each. I'll probably pick some up when they are on sale somewhere. In the meantime, I found a new nashbar tire (35) that I had bought last summer because it was on sale and mounted that one in the front. Since I have about 4 tubes (for 35-38 tires) sitting around and a new 35c tire, I couldn't justify the new Armadillos yet. Give me another six months though, and I'll be ready for the 28s... :)

I did splurge on a Camelbak MULE on sale for $50 though. :)

Cool, thanks for the reply.

I've been thinking about Top Tourings too. However, how do you determine the real width of a tire before actually mounting them? I suppose I could guess by eye, but it could be a small enough difference that I wouldn't notice...


It's not easy. There are a few workarounds:

- Ask someone, your LBS, a mailling list, a forum... Others might have your setup and know.
- Compare the real size of the tire with that of a tire you know and compare. For instance, I know the TT2000 700x32 measures 29 mm on that rim and I also know the IRC Tandem tire has almost the same profile as the TT2000 when they are both on the shelf. Therefore, they should have approximately the same profile when mounted.
- Ask your LBS if you can return the tire if it doesn't fit, is too wide... Some are a bit more liberal, especially if you are a good customer. Just clean the rim and don't ride with it until you decide you keep the tire...

However, don't compare two tires of two different sizes. For instance, on the Farlane rims of the Trek 520, the TT2000 700x32 measures 29 mm, but the 700x37 measures 36 mm.

Regards,