Go Back  Bike Forums > Bike Forums > Bicycle Mechanics
Reload this Page >

Any comfort advantages in going from 700x23's to 700x25's?

Notices
Bicycle Mechanics Broken bottom bracket? Tacoed wheel? If you're having problems with your bicycle, or just need help fixing a flat, drop in here for the latest on bicycle mechanics & bicycle maintenance.

Any comfort advantages in going from 700x23's to 700x25's?

Old 01-14-15, 04:59 PM
  #1  
Senior Member
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: Texas
Posts: 230

Bikes: '88 Peugot 12 spd road bike, Nishiki hybrid, JC Penney 10 spd

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 61 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time in 1 Post
Any comfort advantages in going from 700x23's to 700x25's?

In the process of resurrecting my old Peugeot road bike. Tires on the bike are presently 700x23’s, thinking of going to 700x25’s for added comfort. Part of me thinks I won’t notice the difference.

Also the 23’s kinda scare me, can’t believe I used to ride on those skinny things!

Anybody change tire size in that direction and notice any actual difference?
El Gato27 is offline  
Old 01-14-15, 05:03 PM
  #2  
FLIR Kitten to 0.05C
 
Marcus_Ti's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Lincoln, Nebraska
Posts: 5,331

Bikes: Roadie: Seven Axiom Race Ti w/Chorus 11s. CX/Adventure: Carver Gravel Grinder w/ Di2

Mentioned: 30 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2349 Post(s)
Liked 406 Times in 254 Posts
Larger tire means you can use a lower pressure means a more comfortable ride. You will notice a difference.

Most people have no business riding 23mm tires simply due to their weight. Which is a salient piece of info you leave out.
Marcus_Ti is offline  
Old 01-14-15, 05:04 PM
  #3  
jyl
Senior Member
 
jyl's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Portland OR
Posts: 7,644

Bikes: 61 Bianchi Specialissima 71 Peugeot G50 7? P'geot PX10 74 Raleigh GranSport 75 P'geot UO8 78? Raleigh Team Pro 82 P'geot PSV 86 P'geot PX 91 Bridgestone MB0 92 B'stone XO1 97 Rans VRex 92 Cannondale R1000 94 B'stone MB5 97 Vitus 997

Mentioned: 146 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 392 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 48 Times in 30 Posts
25 mm is a little more comfortable than 23 mm due to the lower pressure you can use, it isn't a huge difference but I find it noticeable.
jyl is offline  
Old 01-14-15, 05:04 PM
  #4  
Senior Member
 
Delmarva's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Virginia, USA
Posts: 565
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 10 Post(s)
Liked 5 Times in 4 Posts
There is a difference but it is so minor tbat most mortals won't notice it. If the 23's are over inflated that could be uncomfortable.
Delmarva is offline  
Old 01-14-15, 05:05 PM
  #5  
Banned
 
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: NW,Oregon Coast
Posts: 43,598

Bikes: 8

Mentioned: 197 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 7607 Post(s)
Liked 1,354 Times in 861 Posts
why not 32 to get more air cushion and lower PSI..?
fietsbob is offline  
Old 01-14-15, 05:10 PM
  #6  
Senior Member
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: Texas
Posts: 230

Bikes: '88 Peugot 12 spd road bike, Nishiki hybrid, JC Penney 10 spd

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 61 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time in 1 Post
I weigh in 182-185. 182 on Fridays, 185 on Mondays.

32's? Really?
El Gato27 is offline  
Old 01-14-15, 05:23 PM
  #7  
Junior Member
 
Bykeguy's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2015
Posts: 5
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
So many variables with tires themselves. I have many sets of tires sitting around thinking they were the ticket. They were not!

Read as much as you can then buy some. Not what you want, more homework and try again.

No one can say . . . these are perfect for you regarding anything.
Bykeguy is offline  
Old 01-14-15, 05:36 PM
  #8  
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: New Rochelle, NY
Posts: 38,544

Bikes: too many bikes from 1967 10s (5x2)Frejus to a Sumitomo Ti/Chorus aluminum 10s (10x2), plus one non-susp mtn bike I use as my commuter

Mentioned: 139 Post(s)
Tagged: 1 Thread(s)
Quoted: 5703 Post(s)
Liked 2,432 Times in 1,345 Posts
As others have said, there might be a difference depending on if and how you compensate with lower pressure, but it'll be small.

OTOH, when you consider that there's variance in tire width compared to the nominal, there's a decent chance that the new "wider" tires won' actually be any wider.

If you need to replace the tires anyway, give the wider one a shot, but don't remove good tires to do so, because the improvement probably won't justify it.
__________________
FB
Chain-L site

An ounce of diagnosis is worth a pound of cure.

Just because I'm tired of arguing, doesn't mean you're right.

“One accurate measurement is worth a thousand expert opinions” - Adm Grace Murray Hopper - USN

WARNING, I'm from New York. Thin skinned people should maintain safe distance.
FBinNY is offline  
Old 01-14-15, 05:42 PM
  #9  
Really Old Senior Member
 
Bill Kapaun's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Mid Willamette Valley, Orygun
Posts: 13,824

Bikes: 87 RockHopper,2008 Specialized Globe. Both upgraded to 9 speeds.

Mentioned: 20 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1774 Post(s)
Liked 1,231 Times in 852 Posts
I like skinny tires, but had too much "road buzz" with 23's that it numbed my hands in a short time. (hybrid)
25's were far better for me. I still run about the same pressure, 100-110 Front +10 more in the rear. (higher for days I plan on riding a lot of miles)
I weigh about 250 and am a mere mortal.
Bill Kapaun is offline  
Old 01-14-15, 05:54 PM
  #10  
Senior Member
 
caloso's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Sacramento, California, USA
Posts: 40,865

Bikes: Specialized Tarmac, Canyon Exceed, Specialized Transition, Ellsworth Roots, Ridley Excalibur

Mentioned: 68 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2952 Post(s)
Liked 3,106 Times in 1,417 Posts
Depends. Going from 23mm training/commuting clinchers to 25mm tubulars is definitely noticeable, at least for me. But 23mm training tires to 25mm training tires? Maybe not.
caloso is offline  
Old 01-14-15, 05:56 PM
  #11  
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Oklahoma
Posts: 9,438

Bikes: Trek 5500, Colnago C-50

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 7 Times in 6 Posts
I tried a 25 on the rear of my primary road bike but the brake bridge was cleaning the dirt off of the tread so I went back to a 23 mm Michelin, slightly larger than most 23's.
Al1943 is offline  
Old 01-14-15, 06:13 PM
  #12  
Senior Member
 
Dfrost's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2013
Location: Pacific Northwest
Posts: 1,988

Bikes: ‘87 Marinoni SLX Sports Tourer, ‘79 Miyata 912 by Gugificazione

Mentioned: 166 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 500 Post(s)
Liked 464 Times in 255 Posts
Originally Posted by El Gato27
I weigh in 182-185. 182 on Fridays, 185 on Mondays.

32's? Really?
There are excellent - light weight, fast rolling, smooth riding - 28's and 32's out there. I am quite a fan of those offered by Compass (and also sold by others), but the much less expensive and widely available Panaracer Paselas arent too shabby.

Compass Bicycles: 700C Tires
Dfrost is offline  
Old 01-14-15, 06:45 PM
  #13  
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Middle of the road, NJ
Posts: 3,137
Mentioned: 6 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 292 Post(s)
Liked 106 Times in 69 Posts
My wife had a big problem with pinch flats, like every ride. Even with adding air before a ride, it was 50\50 she would would flat. I switched her from 23's to 25's. No more flats.
The ride is also a little bit less harsh.
Good Luck.
leob1 is offline  
Old 01-14-15, 07:10 PM
  #14  
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Minas Ithil
Posts: 9,337
Mentioned: 66 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2432 Post(s)
Liked 638 Times in 395 Posts
I rode 23's since the late 80's, switched to 25's a couple of years ago and never looked back. They are more comfortable with lower pressures but just as big for me was how much better they corner. My average mph didn't change one bit.
Lazyass is offline  
Old 01-14-15, 10:48 PM
  #15  
sch
Senior Member
 
Join Date: May 2003
Location: Mountain Brook. AL
Posts: 4,002
Mentioned: 14 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 303 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 136 Times in 104 Posts
If you have standard road brakes then 28 is the largest tire that will 'easily' fit between the pads. Cantis and similar will allow much larger tires to be used.
Also some bikes have marginal clearance to the seat tube or at the brake mount for larger than 28s. Depends on the frame, frames with fender clearance
or "touring" will be fine with 32, "racing" frames not likely. I agree with marginal difference opinion on 23 vs 25, but you will be able to drop inflation
pressure 10-15# with 25. A friend with weight in the 185-200# range uses 25 tires at 80-85 psi in rear and 80 psi in front and hasn't had pinch flats and
rides about 800mi/month year around.
sch is offline  
Old 01-15-15, 08:22 AM
  #16  
dbg
Si Senior
 
dbg's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Naperville, Illinois
Posts: 2,669

Bikes: Too Numerous (not)

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 23 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 10 Times in 8 Posts
Definitely depends on the frame. 28s are not necessarily guaranteed. I observe only about a quarter of my various road frames will accommodate 28s (pretty exclusively the older ones). And two of my frames that came with 23s will not even fit 25s

Also, I (180lbs) started experimenting with lower pressures in a set of 25s and started getting pinch flats below approx 70PSI.

Last edited by dbg; 01-15-15 at 08:27 AM.
dbg is offline  
Old 01-15-15, 08:36 AM
  #17  
Senior Member
 
bikemig's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Middle Earth (aka IA)
Posts: 20,505

Bikes: A bunch of old bikes and a few new ones

Mentioned: 178 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 5877 Post(s)
Liked 3,445 Times in 2,066 Posts
It's not just rider weight that matters when it comes to tire size; road conditions matter as well. The MUPs I ride on regularly are a bit broken up and I also like riding on gravel so I switched to 28c on my road bike. There are lightweight 28c tires out there and they handle rough stuff pretty well.
bikemig is offline  
Old 01-15-15, 09:53 AM
  #18  
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2003
Posts: 18,138

Bikes: 2 many

Mentioned: 13 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1266 Post(s)
Liked 323 Times in 169 Posts
I have mostly decent roads, weigh 150 lbs. and use 23's. I can ride all day on 40 psi, I don't hit things. My guess is that pressure would eventually wear the sidewalls too much due to flexing if I kept the pressure that low . My 23mm tires are run between 85 to 95 psi depending on what bike they are on. If you are running 23's at the maximum pressure try lower pressure in the 23's before spending money. If you are worried about pinch flats try 10 psi less or even 15 less. If you are going from say 115 psi on 23's and looking to go to say 100-90 psi, just change the pressure in the 23's. Unless you get pinch flats. You only get pinch flats if you hit something. The weight of the rider, and the quality of your roads, are more important if you hit things like hole and rocks.
2manybikes is offline  
Old 01-15-15, 02:11 PM
  #19  
dbg
Si Senior
 
dbg's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Naperville, Illinois
Posts: 2,669

Bikes: Too Numerous (not)

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 23 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 10 Times in 8 Posts
Unless you know every road you will ride on very well (boring?), you should assume some potential rough bumps. I certainly try to avoid holes, but some are hard to avoid.
I switched my best CF superlight from a set of 23's to lightweight 32's (had to go 650B, but gained zero weight to the conversion). Huge increase in comfort. Noticeable decrease in flats (none yet). If I'm slower, it doesn't seem to affect my ability to stay with the strong riders. Major overall improvement. Also switched my best steel tourer from 25's to 38's (similar 650B conversion). I'll never go back.
dbg is offline  
Old 01-15-15, 02:36 PM
  #20  
Senior Member
 
SlimAgainSoon's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Down South
Posts: 1,267
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 10 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 2 Times in 2 Posts
I felt a big difference going to 25s. Most people do.

Smoother ride, more comfortable ride. You'll enjoy it.

After riding 25s for a few years, I upgraded — I now ride 28s.
SlimAgainSoon is offline  
Old 01-15-15, 02:41 PM
  #21  
Senior Member
 
bbbean's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: Missouri
Posts: 2,689

Bikes: Giant Propel, Cannondale SuperX, Univega Alpina Ultima

Mentioned: 5 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 672 Post(s)
Liked 413 Times in 246 Posts
I race on 23s, train on 25s. When I wear out my 23s,I might consider racing on 25s - there's definitely a softer ride, and if you can dial in the PSI just right, better cornering.
__________________

Formerly fastest rider in the grupetto, currently slowest guy in the peloton

bbbean is offline  
Old 01-15-15, 04:00 PM
  #22  
Banned
 
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: NW,Oregon Coast
Posts: 43,598

Bikes: 8

Mentioned: 197 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 7607 Post(s)
Liked 1,354 Times in 861 Posts
Compass Tires On An Old Peugeot Gets into the realm of adding parts that cost More than The Bike did.
fietsbob is offline  
Old 01-15-15, 04:21 PM
  #23  
Senior Member
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: Texas
Posts: 230

Bikes: '88 Peugot 12 spd road bike, Nishiki hybrid, JC Penney 10 spd

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 61 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time in 1 Post
Yep, already went through that money on old Peugeot vs money on new bike thought process. Came down to wanting to keep my old Peugeot. When I used to ride I easily put 10k+ miles on it over several years. Went a lot of places on it, even some "midnight" runs that would end up at 4-5 in the morning--mucho fun. Dumb and dangerous, but fun.

When it's all said and done I might still wind up on a new bike, but for now will give my old Peugeot a chance.
El Gato27 is offline  
Old 01-15-15, 05:31 PM
  #24  
Senior Member
 
alcjphil's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Montreal, Quebec
Posts: 5,869
Mentioned: 16 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1792 Post(s)
Liked 1,671 Times in 955 Posts
My current setup has nice supple 25 mm tires with latex tubes. They are an improvement over the similar 23 mm tires I used to use, but I think it is mostly because I have been able to reduce tire pressure while still maintaining a reasonable resistance to pinch flats. I feel very secure on them the bike feels much more surefooted on some of the terrible roads in Quebec. On my other bike I still have 23 mm tires, but since they are road tubeless I can still run lower pressure without any chance of pinch flats. Around here in the spring when the roads are still beat up after the winter, I ride my touring bike with 700 x 32's
alcjphil is offline  
Old 01-17-15, 06:52 PM
  #25  
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: Northern San Diego
Posts: 1,857

Bikes: mid 1980s De Rosa SL, 1985 Tommasini Super Prestige all Campy SR, 1992 Paramount PDG Series 7, 1997 Lemond Zurich, 1998 Trek Y-foil, 2006 Schwinn Super Sport GS, 2006 Specialized Hardrock Sport

Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 59 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time in 1 Post
Well, here's the counter-argument: As I am no longer a Clydesdale, having gotten just below 195#, I decided to mount 23s on my fastest bike last night. And today, first time on the skinnies, I shattered the lap times I'd been running on the local circuit around my house that I normally ride, knocked my times down 4-5%: I went from lap times in the 7:15 to 7:20 range running 25mm tires inflated at 8 bar, to consistent times in the 6:50s on the 23s inflated to 9 bar. I could not believe how much faster I was on the skinny tires. Yes, they give a firmer ride. And I just about never flatted on the 25mm tires - who knows how the 23s will do on that score. But 4% faster is nothing to sneeze at. I can't imagine how anyone could race on 25s after that experience.
D1andonlyDman is offline  

Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.