Clydesdales/Athenas (200+ lb / 91+ kg) - About to change my hybrid's tires...

Posting in the Clydes section, as i believe the heavier you are, the quicker you go through tires, so...I own an '07 Trek 7.2FX that came with Bontrager Select Invert-B 700x35c tires...i've put 2000 heavy-ridden miles on them so far (100's of them on packed dirt and gravel MUPs) I recently rotated the tires to give me the better tread at the rear, hopefully wearing them down evenly to their bitter end ;)...i fixed up a donated walmart trail bike to use for the rougher trails, and am now keeping my Trek to the asphault exclusively and am looking to upgrade to a skinnier, better rolling tire, but with good puncture resistance...i weigh 260lbs, the stock tires look to weigh in at around 430gms each (total bike weight close to 30lbs), so i want a tire thats equal or lesser weight ..i exercise, cruise on the weekends and also commute to work with this bike(12miles one-way)....the only catch is, i've priced some of the hardier tires recommended by forum members and others (gatorskins, armadillos) and i simply dont want to spend more than USD$20/tire...i think the more rugged ones are great for those that ride in constant glassy and other nasty turf, but my stock tires have held up quite well for the year i've owned the bike(i've been pretty careful(but lucky) with the roads i ride)...but i am looking for an overall improvement when i switch...to make it easier, here are my criteria, starting with most important:

1. 700x28c
2. Reduced rolling resistance
3. Equal or lighter weight for better accelerating/uphill performance
4. Durable ( doesnt have to be bullet-proof)
5. Good wet-road traction(i dont usually do hard-cornering in the rain as i rarely ride in the rain anyways, so this is more of "straight-line" stopping concern if i needed to get to work in one piece :lol:)
6. Price
7. Comfort

The now-front tire is about to square-off and it wont be long for my rear(recent flat i fixed is barely keeping the air in) I typically ride hilly back-country roads, not the hardcore urban jungles alot of commuters here typically endure.

Thanks!

You don't want the more-worn tire on the front because a tire failure on the front can be catastrophic. Sheldon Brown says to rotate front to rear only.

If you're looking to spend $20/tire, you could try sites like bicycletires.com or nashbar.com to see what's in your price range at the 700x28 size. In that size last summer I was using Specialized All Condition Sport tires which were pretty comfy and had plenty of traction in wet weather, but those are $30 each.

I would say 700c x 28mm Conti Gatorskins. I have worn through a few sets of them the last few years and see no reason to run anything else. They hold up good on rough roads and gravel, yet still roll fast enough on good pavement to hang on club rides. They are a bit pricey, but considering the fact that they normally last me 1500 -2000 miles without a flat, I consider it a moot point.

I ride 28's on my Trek 7300 and use the Bontrager Race Lite Hard Case. For me, these have been very good tires, 2600 miles now and only 1 flat early in their life. I probably have another 400-600 miles on them at this point. These have worked so well, I started using the 25's on my CAAD9. I hate flats and these seem to work great for me.

Try these
http://www.nashbar.com:80/bikes/Product_10053_10052_178272_-1_200327_200276_200524

Thanks for responding, guys...Specialized All Conditions don't seem to impress me too much, unless i could get a great deal on them...The Gatorskins are very tempting, just not sure if i want to lay out the extra cash for them....the Race Lites look good, i'll check my lbs this weekend to see if he has any in stock...those Panaracers look like an even better tire, but i'm not too crazy about the old-school look of the sidewalls, but that's just my $0.02 ;) i figured i'd start looking now, so when the fit hits the shan i'll be ready to make a purchase.

Good lookin' out!

I had good luck with some Serfas Seca 28's that I picked up crazy cheap online a few years back. I had them on a Giant Cypress and they were very durable and you can inflate them up to 125 psi..

Conti Gatorskins are often available at a far more reasonable price (than common for the US) from probikekit.

I had good luck with some Serfas Seca 28's that I picked up crazy cheap online a few years back. I had them on a Giant Cypress and they were very durable and you can inflate them up to 125 psi..

well landshark1, you may be on to something here...i've been searching around the 'net and have found a boatload of great reviews on the secas, and i may just grab them up while i'm in a buying mood...they seem to be perfect for what i need, but the true test will be how well they hold up down the road...but i'm probably at the lower end of the tire-punishing spectrum :thumb:

I believe Tom Stormecrowe uses the Seca's on his Allez. Might give him a jingle on that.

I went through a similar process on my Trek 7300 hybrid last summer. I was advised not to go narrower than 32 on the stock rim or the bead won't set properly. The profile of the tire in the rim needs to be somewhat tear drop shaped. If the tire is too narrow for the rim you risk the tire coming off, which is a PIA if it happens while you're filling the tire, but could be devastating if it happens while you're riding.

You might want to check it out with someone who knows, or at the very least look at Sheldon Brown's guide (http://sheldonbrown.com/tire-sizing.html#width) and compare your rim width with the tire size.

Another concern will be finding schrader valve tubes in a 28. Most tubes that narrow are presta valves. Performance carries their house brand (http://www.performancebike.com/shop/profile.cfm?SKU=775&subcategory_ID=5411), but you might not find them in a smaller LBS.

FWIW, I opted for Panaracers (http://www.performancebike.com/shop/profile.cfm?SKU=16451&subcategory_ID=5420) in 32's.

Conti Gatorskins are often available at a far more reasonable price (than common for the US) from probikekit.

Definitely. I just got 4 at $25 each, though that was for 700x23, and it appears PBK doesn't have 700x28s.

I've also seen them for sale on occasion in Performance Bike stores for 28-30 I think?

Here's a question: one thing I don't skimp on on my car is tires; good tires make a big difference in emergency stops, etc.

Does a parallel exist for bike tires? Can good tires save your bacon, are they worth extra money?

Safety doesn't vary from tire to tire with bikes as much as it does with cars. Because of the low speeds of bikes, bike tires don't run at their limits of traction.

For the extra money, you get performance, not added safety. Or you get flat protection or comfort.

I went through a similar process on my Trek 7300 hybrid last summer. I was advised not to go narrower than 32 on the stock rim or the bead won't set properly. The profile of the tire in the rim needs to be somewhat tear drop shaped. If the tire is too narrow for the rim you risk the tire coming off, which is a PIA if it happens while you're filling the tire, but could be devastating if it happens while you're riding.

You might want to check it out with someone who knows, or at the very least look at Sheldon Brown's guide (http://sheldonbrown.com/tire-sizing.html#width) and compare your rim width with the tire size.

Another concern will be finding schrader valve tubes in a 28. Most tubes that narrow are presta valves. Performance carries their house brand (http://www.performancebike.com/shop/profile.cfm?SKU=775&subcategory_ID=5411), but you might not find them in a smaller LBS.

FWIW, I opted for Panaracers (http://www.performancebike.com/shop/profile.cfm?SKU=16451&subcategory_ID=5420) in 32's.


I'm not sure of the width of the rims on the newer Trek hybrids, but the stock rims on 2003 7300 were 20mm and they could easily handle 25's, but I moved to a 28 instead. I am currently running 19mm rims, the same as my Deep V's on my CAAD9 and was running 23's.

Price Point has schraeder valves that will fit 25's if I remember right, but, get the presta sleeve and just run presta valve tubes. The sleeves cost about $3 and work like a champ.

yeah, i'm not sure on the width of my rims, but i imagine they couldnt be any wider than Trek's 7000 series as opposed to the FX (mine are Matrix 750)...i figured 28 would be a good number to shoot for instead of 25 or less...i'll see what my lbs has this weekend and check his thoughts on it...he usually carries the cheaper stuff on hand all the time, but i definitely dont want to skimp too much on my tires either though..I appreciate everybody's input on this so far!

I had the same tires on my Gary Fisher Nirvanna. I personally didn't care much for them. Its not so much the weight as the Invert tires aren't overly heavy. There were two things that I realy didn't like:
1. I hated the slight buzzing sound I got from the tires. I can put up with noice from the Winter tires as I need them here in a Buffalo NY winter... but I want my summer tires to be nice and quiet.
2. The slight tread picked up LOTS of little stones. Once I got to around 2500 miles the tires were just picking up stones and passing them right through the tire every other day. After a few days of this I HAD to dispose of those tires quickly.

I ended up with the Bontrager Race Lite Hard Case in a size 622-32. I could have gone down to 622-28, but figured with my weight (215 Lbs) and about 20 to 30 Lbs of gear on the bike I could use a nice step down from my 622-35's yet not get into the extra harsh territory of the narrower tires.

I could not be happier with the results. The Race Lites are very hardy tires. They are completely smooth and don't pick up any road debrit. They ride super smooth and you can go anywhere from 65 to 100 Lbs to suite your needs. Most days I keep them around 90 PSI and it gives me a nice responsive tire without being overly punishing.

Happy riding,
André

Vittoria Randonneur in the 28c width are as good as indestructible...mine are on the third season now and look good apart from the siewalls that are lighty cracked and have a few tears here and there. A bit heavy and not very comfortable but will last many, many miles and I haven't had a single flat with them.