Hybrid Bicycles - What is a good tire width for pavement riding?

I saw this (http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php/735563-wheel-tire-question-for-casual-riding) thread, and it made me think about my tire width. I think it is better to have a thread pertaining only to me, rather than to add on to other people's threads. Maybe I thought wrong? Anyway... I ride 99% pavement. I rarely go onto the gravel/dirt on the sides of the local paths. I have 700x37c tires, with enough clearance on the frame to run at least 2.3" wide tires (though I don't think 700c tires come in that width). I was thinking of going to 28 or 25mm tires, but I'm afraid my rims won't support the latter. I think they are 16mm rims. I do at least 15mi per day (when the weather is nice... The weather hasn't been good all week, so I haven't so much as mounted my bike this week). At least 5mi of my ride is rough asphalt if I ride one path. If I ride a different path, about 10mi of a 15mi ride is rough asphalt. How would a 28 or 25mm tire run in these conditions?

I find myself going at about 16mph while doing about 80rpm in the 38t chainring and the 3rd smallest cog on my 13-28 cassette (2nd gear in the front and 5th gear in the rear), on my current tires inflated to the max pressure of 80psi.

I find myself going at about 16mph while doing about 80rpm in the 38t chainring and the 3rd smallest cog on my 13-28 cassette (2nd gear in the front and 5th gear in the rear), on my current tires inflated to the max pressure of 80psi.
With a narrower tire you will most likely go a bit slower in that gear and at that cadence due to a decreased wheel diameter ;)

But seriously, anything narrower than 28 would just make your ride less comfortable without any benefits in speed or acceleration.

My favorite tires are 700c x 26mm Panaracer Stradius Sports folding. Cheap @ $20, cushier than 25s, pretty good grip and not overly portly @ 350 grams.

A 25mm tire will work just fine on your rims but unless you are fairly light you probably want a 28 or 32 for the rough portions of your routes. A 28mm tire width is excellent for smooth pavement riding and fairly capable for softer surfaces too. They are certainly better than 25s on rough pavement and if you run them at lower than max pressure they can handle quite a bit of rough stuff. You know better than we how rough the rough parts of your ride are, a 32 may be a better choice if you are concerned about the rough portions. It does depend on your weight, if you are over 200 lbs you probably want 32's or larger. If you are under 140 lbs the 25's may be all you need.

Ken

Sounds like 28s will work just fine for your application. I have been impressed with the Vittoria Zaffiros for ride, performance, dry and wet, and puncture resistance. Not bad for a $15 tire, although they might not last as long as some others.

I got these very high quality 35x700 sammy slicks from ChainReactionCycles on the net, very light and durable race tire and I often average 30kph plus with them.
http://i950.photobucket.com/albums/ad345/kdionb/AUT15702.jpg

I can't believe Schwalbe calls that a "slick".:twitchy:

I can't believe Schwalbe calls that a "slick".:twitchy:

I guess you need to look at them from a cyclocross racing point of view. The centre of the tire has a kind of raspy sand paper feel and has no real drag on the pavment.
I have a bit of a tire fetish with many different types for all kinds of riding and these are by far my favorite.

Alpha;

With the speed and distance that you ride; there will be very little difference with going to narrower tires; and the aerodynamics of the riding position of a hybrid create far more drag than any tire.

Make sure your tires have continuous rubber at the center for good pavement performance, and some tread on the sides for the rare times on the path.

Narrower tires are not going change your cruising speed significantly, and as noted may drop it, unless you use a higher gear to compensate. Instead of worrying about the tires, work on increasing your mileage.

Just a general observation - since you currently have 37C tires, check how wide your rims are before dropping down to 28c or 25C; rims that take 37c tires might be too wide to properly fit a 25 or 28 tire. Take the wheel into a LBS and they should be able to tell you what will safely fit on it. You might just try dropping down to a 700 x 32c (or even 35c) tire with a higher pressure rating.

Otherwise, as stated previously, a skinnier tire probably won't have that much effect on your speed at a 15 mile distance. As an option, see if you can find 37c tires that can take more pressure; a firmer tire, either due to more pressure or harder rubber compounds, would generally roll along a little easier.

Just a general observation - since you currently have 37C tires, check how wide your rims are before dropping down to 28c or 25C; rims that take 37c tires might be too wide to properly fit a 25 or 28 tire. Take the wheel into a LBS and they should be able to tell you what will safely fit on it. You might just try dropping down to a 700 x 32c (or even 35c) tire with a higher pressure rating.

Otherwise, as stated previously, a skinnier tire probably won't have that much effect on your speed at a 15 mile distance. As an option, see if you can find 37c tires that can take more pressure; a firmer tire, either due to more pressure or harder rubber compounds, would generally roll along a little easier.

The rims are skinny enough to support a 28mm tire--I know that for sure. I think I am just going to keep it hybrid-esque with the 37c tires. I just found my dad's early 80's road bike, so I am going to refurbish that and use it as a roadie, rather than using my hybrid as a roadie.