Touring - 700c x 32? or 35? For fully loaded tour?

My son and I will be going on an extended tour soon. He has a brand spankin' new Novara Radonee which comes with 700x32 Vittoria Randonneurs and I'm looking at replacing my aging 80 psi Continental 700x25's with some Randonneur Pros but am wondering if I should get 32's or 35's? I need something compatible with both our bikes since I'll buy a spare to bring along. We are both big guys (200+ lbs) and will be fully loaded with camping gear for the trip (unknown weight at this point, but we know how to pack modestly light).

My bike is an old Softride Traveler which has the old carbon suspension beam and suspended stem so the ride is super comfy. So I generally ride skinnier high PSI tires since I don't feel any bumps whatsoever. I just love it.

So will the Randonneur pro 32's stand up to all that weight? I could definitely tolerate something much harder but it sounds like that's not a good idea for a fully loaded bike? It would also be nice if I can keep my existing fenders, the 32's might be a squeeze but if I need new fenders, not a big deal.

While I'm at it I wonder if I should just replace my wheels before the trip. I have a Mavic CXP-12 on the rear and a Sunrims CR18 on the front. I don't know if they are junk or what. Considering all the weight, should I just have my LBS rebuild them with new spokes, or dump them for something stronger?

Depends on the roads. If your on asphalt and concrete most of the time I'd say 32's (keep the Randonee tires)... Lots of dirt roads, canal toepaths or unmaintained roads, then the 35's may be more comfortable. :)

25's would be a bit skinny IMO (I have 28 front, 32 rear, but wouldn't go below 28 for touring), but if it's a comfy ride, the spokes are tensioned correctly and the wheel is true... hmmm, even so...

36 spokes are better than 32, especially on the rear wheel.

How long will your tour be and through which areas?

six of one, half dozen of the other. If your bike can't take 35mm with existing fenders newer fenders won't make a difference. 32s will handle the weight. With a loaded bike there's no practical difference in speed/rolling resistance, mostly it's a smidge more comfort hitting bumps/ruts or control when transitioning from pavement to packed dirt in a campsite before dismounting. Comfort sounds irrelevant with your bike. Regarding your wheels I can't say without seeing them, I'd go with the shops recomendation. If the rear wheel is less than 32 spokes I'd definately get a new one with 36spokes.
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I toured with 700 x 28's tires and 36 spoke wheels.
32's are good

1000 miles on a set of 32 randos. I'm 220lbs.

200 miles of that has been fully loaded (albeit with some weight in a trailer,) and I've had no issues. I do fill them to 80-85 PSI, which is slightly over the recommended max.

Pros have a lower max PSI, and a few people here have said they're unreasonably hard to mount. Might be an issue repairing flats.

It would be nice to have interchangeable tires.

I have done light multi-day touring on tires as skinny as 23 mm without significant problems. These days, I use 32 mm tires, and quite like them. I doubt that you will notice significant differences between 32 mm and 35 mm, especially if you and your son will be riding mostly on paved roads. And even if you venture onto rougher paths occasionally, it doesn't mean that you will necessarily get a flat or wipe out. I survived a long ride on a logging road in the mountains with 23 mm tires. I rode slowly and carefully, and emerged on the other side in one piece!

Not all tire widths are described accurately. Some 32s run larger than stated, a few smaller. My tourer has Schwalbe Marathon Supremes -- 32s, on 36 spoke wheels. No issues, comfortable at 90 psi., and low rolling resistance. I've even ridden them on dirt/gravel quite a bit. Again, no issues.

Good luck!

We've used 32's on a pretty-fully-loaded tandem with the both of us weighing 325lb (together). We've ridden in Spain and Ireland on quite mixture of road surfaces (down to a sand/dirt-type mix) and haven't had any trouble. I would think that if 32's would handle the tandem-load that they would be fine on singles (unless your going around the world or something much more ambitous).

... (unless your going around the world or something much more ambitous).

WTF!!! :D :lol:



oh! :beer: :beer: sorry!

I'd stay with the 32s, if your fenders will allow them - otherwise, a 35 on the rear, would improve the ride.

Then, carry a 32 as your spare, and it will fit anything.......

Assuming that you are going to buy the same model tire, as on your son's bike.

If you are going with new wheels, a 36 on the rear would be nice - and a 36 on the front (if you feel like it.) Otherwise, the 32 should be fine on the front.

Most of my tours have been with 32's set at 90 lbs. while carrying a total of 240-250 lbs. Since opting for kevlar-wrapped tires, have had no issues, and they do roll well.

Both my wheels are 32 spoke, and I will definitely have them tuned up before I leave, if I keep them. We'll be on paved roads only, hopefully.

We'll be going to Western Europe with an extremely loose plan other than our list of countries we'd like to pedal through and some friends we'd like to visit - Denmark, Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, France, southern england, pretty much that general vacinity. Or wherever sounds fun at the time. We'll be gone for two months so we'll have time to see whatever we feel like.

We haven't toured on anything skinner then a 35 - so I don't have the benefit of experience using thin tires. However unless you are traveling really light (which you aren't - I'm guessing each of you will be in the 250-300lb range incl your bikes) - I just don't see how thinner tires can really improve your riding much at all. You already have a relatively heavy setup (we are in the Juggernaut Class of cycle tourists) so the extra tire weight won't make much difference and you will be traveling relatively slow. Wider tires should give you and the bike a bit more cushioning and a bit more of a comfortable ride - but I wouldn't stress about it to much...!

Wow, this conversation has me wondering....I just went from 23's to 25mm's and they feel so comfy! For my big trip(800 miles in 8 days) I'll have a Bob trailer and 25's with a carbon fork, touring seat and double wrapped bars with gel. I hope I'm being realistic after reading everyone's discussion re: 32's and bigger! I've done two seperate centuries this month and felt fine thereafter.

I like the 35s, I spec them light, and I use slicks exclusively, used them with pressure dropped on sandy trails. Not perfect but still my favorite overall. 32s make sense if you don't have a lot of aches and run mostly roads.

Wow, this conversation has me wondering....I just went from 23's to 25mm's and they feel so comfy! For my big trip(800 miles in 8 days) I'll have a Bob trailer and 25's with a carbon fork, touring seat and double wrapped bars with gel. I hope I'm being realistic after reading everyone's discussion re: 32's and bigger! I've done two seperate centuries this month and felt fine thereafter.

Then keep going with the 25's :D

There's no hard, fast rule that you must tour with 32mm or bigger tires.
It's just what most people find comfortable.

If 25's work for you, they work. Maybe when they wear out try some 28s or 32? But don't worry about it too much, especially if you are touring on paved roads, or hardpacked dirt roads in the summer.

If you are likely to run into mud, loose gravel, possible blast-rock filled washouts...then you will want wider tires. Wide, knobby tires....

Over the years my tires have been slowly getting larger in size. My Redline Conquest Tour came with 700x25s, then I went through the stage of wanting 23's. Come cyclocross season I would put 32's on there which is where they stayed for 3 years. Now that those tires are dead, I purchased some Vittoria Randonneur Touring 38's. Which are surprisedly good rolling tires for the amount of tread on them. The max psi is 65 compared to the 110 for the 23's. Comfort is markedly improved and so is my confidence on any rough pavement or anything off pavement all together. Also I went from 20/24 spoke count wheels to 36 spoke count which also increases my chances of not having to call my wife to pick me up when I've broken a spoke 40 miles into a ride.

Then keep going with the 25's :D

There's no hard, fast rule that you must tour with 32mm or bigger tires.
It's just what most people find comfortable.

If 25's work for you, they work. Maybe when they wear out try some 28s or 32? But don't worry about it too much, especially if you are touring on paved roads, or hardpacked dirt roads in the summer.

If you are likely to run into mud, loose gravel, possible blast-rock filled washouts...then you will want wider tires. Wide, knobby tires....

Thank you for an honest, clear and non censorship type answer! Yes, my forthcoming (June) tour will be on all tarmac and, like I said, have the belief that since all my cargo is in the Bob......the 25's will suit me fine. Then, like YOU said, I can always go to 28's if needed (even mid trip if I had to). I am lured by the knowledge that, the less rolling resistance equals the more wattage generated into forward motion! (not that other choices aren't valid for others) Raydog

Heh, welcome.

Reading back, your rims are probably fine. CR-18s are still in production, and from what I have seen, fairly common for a touring wheel. It's actually what I am planning to use for my new wheels. Just get them trued by a shop if you haven't in the past couple years I guess.

It's the great thing about touring, there are very few ways to do it wrong. The only really wrong way to tour I think...would to try it on some full carbon, aero-as-a-knife tri-bike with the sort of geometry that folds you in half.

I know somebody who tours on 20 mm tires! There really is no right answer, no best way.

Hm ok I am seriously considering replacing my 32-spoke Mavic CXP12 rear wheel with a 36 spoke. I plan on getting some Vittoria Randonneur Pro 32's and I should be good to go. If they don't fit it my skinny fenders, oh well one more thing to replace :) I'll leave my old 32-spoke CR-18 on the front, sounds like it will be fine. And will get it trued and tensioned before I go in a few months (though it sure looks fine to me now, it's straight as an arrow).

As a side note I won some replacement RSX components super cheap on ebay (both brakesets, bottom bracket, and front derailler) so I'll keep them on hand at home and have them shipped out to me if I get into a pickle with a component failure I can't replace. Maybe I can scrounge up an old RSX long-cage rear derailler too just in case. I like the idea of having some spares at home that can be shipped out to me at a moment's notice if I can't find a replacement out there.

Greatly prefer 32s.

I also like anchovies on my pizza. :)