DA_FN

Hi all,

Just a quick question: Is it ok to use 27 x 1" tires on a 27 x 1 1/4 wheel? I know it's completely fine to interchange 1/8 and 1/4 tires but is it a step too far to use 27 x 1"? I'm buying some Panaracer Paselas and I'd much prefer to have 25mm wide tires than 32mm wide ones.

Thanks!

FBinNY 

Generally no problem, but it depends somewhat on the width of your rims. Mounted tires on rims should look sort of like an Omega (Ω) in cross section where the bead area is pinched in by the rim and the rest of the tire is somewhat circular. This allows good wall flex for best handling. If the inside of the width of your rim is close to the width of your tire the cross section is more like an inverted U and the performance will be a bit degraded.

DA_FN

Thanks for the quick reply. How would I go about finding out the width? My rims are Rigida 27 x 1 1/4 and the tires I'm looking to put on them are 25x630, if that helps at all?

dsbrantjr

"I'd much prefer to have 25mm wide tires than 32mm wide ones."

And why might that be? If it's for some perceived performance advantage it might not work out that way, for reasons mentioned by FB, and for others. Narrower is not necessarily better.

You would find out your rim width by measuring it with a rule or calipers.

FBinNY 

Use a ruler, measure the inside width of your rims, and compare to the 25mm width of the tire you wish to mount. Or since precision isn't needed, simply eyeball your tire and imagine what it would be like if 7mm less wide.

As I said, odds favor it being OK. I was just giving you something to look out for just in case. Here's a link to an article that you might find helpful.

rekmeyata

The odds are more then just in favor, it will work.

Wheels Of Steel

Measure the width of your rim with calipers. The width of the tire you run should exceed this value or you run the risk of pinch flats.

dddd

I've never seen a 27" rim with an outside width over 25mm, and a 1" Pasela on even a narrow rim is actually over 25mm, as these tires are sized wide compared to most other brands.
Even better, the Pasela tread is a pronounced wrap-around style, much like a typical hybrid tire, so the tread shape will be ideal with this 1" tire on the widest-available rims.
This will create a tire volume that rivals that of certain 1-1/4" tires and is actually greater than some 1-1/8" tires out there.
Basically, the 27" Paselas are pretty huge.

Lastly, I've done extensive test-measurements and a wider rim makes a tire measure not only wider but taller as well, roughly up to the point where rim width exceeds tire width. I have seen contrary statements, but I believe they were speculative at best.

Kimmo 

I just swapped a 23mm front for a 19mm, on a rim as wide (...actually the verniers tell me my 23s are 22.5, the 19 is 19.5, and the rims are 18.4).

It's sweet. Handles a bit quicker, and I'll be getting used to that, because it goes quicker.

The aerodynamic advantage isn't huge (I think it's noticeable though), but remember, the thing is, it's removing weight exactly where removing weight is most dramatic.

masi61

In the case of 1-1/4" wide clincher rim, you're talking about a really wide tire if you were to run that size. Even in a top quality 27 x 1-1/4" tire its still pretty heavy (and thus noticeably slower). One sure fire way to make 27" wheels halfway fast is to mount nicer tires. I never tried the Paselas but I know that Continental makes several nice tires in the 27 x 1-1/8 size that can be pumped up to around 115 psi and are very nice.

dddd

Note that the 1" Pasela is about identical in width to a 1-1/8" Continental tire.

At 155lbs, I run such 1-1/8" tires at a comfy and fast 75-80psi. I feel that the rear tire tread lasts longer at lower pressures, while offering better traction, especially encountering gravel, rough pavement, dirt or water.

rekmeyata

The problem is some of the Conti 27" tires offer no flat protection belt like the Ultra Sport, it's a junk tire that cost as much as the Pasela. The 1 1/4 wide Pasela only weighs 390 grams which is less the Gator Hardshell but heavier then the inferior protected Gatorskin that cost more. Overall, price, weight, and protection the Pasela, and the even more heavy duty Pasela TG are the best tires on the market...but these tires are for light to medium touring.

Also for touring you would want a wider tire like a 1 1/4, but for a faster non touring tire you would want a narrower tire, and Pasela makes a 1" tire which is the narrowest tire for a 27" rim. Serfas makes supposedly the fastest tire due to it's smooth racing tread called the Seca even though it comes only in a 1 1/4 width it supposedly is the fastest available in a 27".

dddd

I bought a large batch of the basic Conti 1-1/8" tires on closeout, and they feel like a fast tire.
But you're right, they are like other cheap tires in that there is no high-density (fine-weave) fabric to prevent punctures, only the benefit of a new tire's uniformly-thick tread.

There's also the 1-1/4" GatorSkin, which I got a couple of years out of on the tandem. Seems like a tough and flat-resistant tire, but is about 3X as expensive as their entry-level 1-1/8" tire.

CACycling

My son is running 27 x 1 tires on 27 x 1 1/4 rims (one of them Rigida) with no issues and loves the feel. He's running Forte Strada Ks.

rekmeyata

There are reviews on these tires, just research the brand you think you like and read the reviews. I'll admit I'm bit bias against Conti road tires, I had such horrible luck with them and spent tons of money for them I will never buy another; but Conti MTB tires have been great! Regardless I found all Conti road tires to be fragile, I got tons of flats; their nice smooth ride comes at a cost of the most fragile sidewalls on the market. I tried the Conti Gatorskins, GP4000's, GP 4 Seasons and Attack Force, and they were all fragile, the most miles I got was 3,200 and that was only on one tire the rest died prematurely. I will no longer spend more then $35 for a tire and I wait for closeouts, which this is the best time of the year to get road tires cheap.

dddd

Add to this that most Conti wired tires seem unusually difficult to mount on certain rims.

I should have mentioned that I only use about 95psi on my 23mm tires and about 77psi with the 1-1/8" size.
At these pressures, my Conti tires haven't had many failures that I can recall.
I've had terrible luck with their Giro Tubular tires however. Really, really bad!

fietsbob

if the rim width is less than the desired tire width , ok

greater than the tire , I'd be skeptical..

zukahn1 

I would stick with the Paselas and go with the 1 1/8th tires. The 1inch tire will work and ride fine but tires that are closer to rim specified size will give a better ride and duabiliaty. This because when inflated the tubes are round which is much more strucually sound than slightly the oblilong shape you get from miss sized tires.