Road bike tires for 300lb rider?
 

So I'm putting together a bike that will hopefully work with me better and I've got all the parts coming in to begin assembling. However, I noticed that my spare wheel's tires have some dry rot cracks on them. They were 700x23c tires and I had the person that sold me the frame for my build (2005 specialized allez comp) suggest that I get 700x25c tires to be safer.
I'm considering getting these tires:
Michelin Dynamic Sport Road Tire in 700x25 size

But before I pull the trigger on them I wanted to see what you guys were riding on and if you would recommend them?

if it matters, I'll be using the bike for recreational weekend rides ~20-30miles and weekday commuting 3miles per day- weather permitting

T.I.A.

Most important factor is to make sure they fit. I used to run 25mm tyres on Velocity A23 rims. Just before Christmas I upgraded to a Felt F4 and unfortunately they were running too close to the chainstays on the frame and so I've switched back to 23mm tyres. Prior to settling on the Felt, I was looking at Cervelo and the tyres wouldn't run inside the fork at all.

25mm tyres give a better ride than the 23s and I miss them. I raced on them and they certainly weren't holding me back. For what you say you want to do, I'm guessing that 28s would be even better suited, but once again, make sure they'll fit before you jump in.

25's or even 28's if they will fit. My goals are somewhat performance oriented so I lean towards training tires, Maxxis Re-fuse, Michelin Pro Optimum, Vittoria Rubino Pro's, even a Continental GP Supersport while in desperate need of a replacement on a touring holiday.

At 300 lbs I would recommend you run as much tire width as your frame and brakes will allow.

A few good reviews but pleny negatives ( hard to work with, splits, 5 flats in 300 miles). IME, I tried low cost Michelin tires and they were not worth the savings. As in the reviews, super hard to mount (Deep V rim), frequent flats, and they did not roll well at all IMO.

http://www.amazon.com/Michelin-MDST-...owViewpoints=1

As far as 23 vs 25's. The bike you metnion look similar to the Lemonds I had as far as the wishbone type rear seat stay. I used 23's n problem but the 25's rubbed paint from the inside of the stays, top near the brake caliper and some on the sides (chain stays). Be real careful with Specialized tires. Some have ridges on the edges of the tires, these will definitley rub some paint.

IMO, stay away from budget models at your weight. Get some good tires. You may pay $100 each but well worth it. You don't save money spending $50 then finding out they don't work only to end up spending the $100 anyway.

shop for some good prices on gatorskins or hardshells

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss...sporting%2C193

Beanz, how hard are the 25 gator skins/hard shells to mount on Deep Vs? I'm probably switching to those.

I run a gatorskin 25 front and a gatorhardshell 25 rear. So far I am pleased with the hardshell as it has gone 1427 miles with good wear and no flats

I think 300 pounds is a touring load, so I'd go with touring tires. Panaracer Paselas, Conti Gatorskins or the like, preferably in a 32. At 300 pounds, you're going to have to pump a 28, or worse a 35, up hard until there's not much shock absorption left. Just skip the buzzy tread on some hybrid tires. Also skip the really heavy beasts like the Schwalbe Marathon, unless your preference is for somewhat reduced flats at the cost of a tire that feels dead.

My two cents: Specialized All Condition Armadillo Elite in 700 x 25 or 28 depending and rims and frame clearance. The Armadillos have a rep for being heavy, but the elites are a lot lighter without sacrificing puncture resistance or durability. If you can run the 28s you'll love the comfort and connection to the road, the weight penalty is minor between the 25 and the 28. Don't run your tires at excessively high pressures with the idea of decreasing rolling resistance. There is a good chart on the Sheldon Brown site that provides reasonable starting points based on tire size and load.

Well thanks for all of the input guys. I'll have to see if my LBS has any 28 sized tires to test for fit on the bike. The PO of the bike frame told me he ran 25 sized tires without any problem. I'll further into the Gator Hardshell's and Specialized armadillos. As far as the bead goes, does it matter much if its a folding tire or wire bead?

as for my weight, I'm working on bringing it down for when the weather gets nicer, so hopefully that will help me some.

I have no problems at all with 23, 25, or 28. :D

I kind of disagree here. At 300 lbs, I think the minimum air pressure you should run is the manufacturer's suggested maximum. This isn't for rolling resistance, it's to reduce the chance of rim damage or pinch flats from potholes and the like. Tire manufactureres are conservative about maximum air pressures - some are very conservative, like by a factor of two. I wouldn't suggest running twice the recommended max, but an extra five psi is not going to hurt anything.

FWIW, I am 6'3", 275lbs and run Specialized Armadillo 700x28s on my commute/rain bike and Conti 4000 700x25s on everything else. 120-125psi in all of 'em. No problems.

BTW, except for cosmetics, every Continental tire with "4000" in the name is the same as every other Conti tire with "4000" in the name. Got that straight from a Continental rep at a show I will not name to keep the rep from getting into trouble.