dkyser

I can not believe it but I have actually worn out my first bicycle tire ever... I am sure being a clyde has helped do this but I now need some help.

The back tire I wore out is a Bontrager CXO team issue 700X34 I do all road riding right now so do not need an aggressive tire.
I do feel I need some thing that can have a lot of tire pressure so I am not ridding on a soft tire with my weight. I have been keeping the old tires at 80 PSI.

Not sure if other sizes like 700X32 or 700X30 would work or not.
Any advice on what to purchase.

syncro87

What bike are you riding, specifically?



I have Continental Gatorskins, 700x25 on my road bike. Very happy with them. Lots of riding on berms with debris, never a flat yet. I run them around 100 psi generally or a tad above. Probably one of my favorite tires I've had so far. They make the Conti Gator Hardshells in 700x32 I think, around what you'd need, as well as the same size regular Gatorskins.


I put a fair bit of miles on some Michelin City series tires also, again, flat free.


I've heard good things about any of the Continental tires with a "Plus" series designation.


I've put a some urban miles on my city bomber converted mountain bike. Big ole 26x2.0 Michelin Pilot Sports. Flatless so far.


I'm big on puncture protection as a priority over ultimate efficiency. Others may have different goals.


The Schwalbe tires in their puncture resistant lines seem to get good feedback and are generally regarded as top notch.


I prefer a reflective bead if I can get it. Can't ever be too visible.


The Specialized Nimbus Armadillo comes in a 700x35, seems to be your size. I have a set of different Armadillos that have been puncture free on a Tandem and a MTB, but I don't ride either a ton, to be honest.



That's my 2 cents. As I said, my first priority is toughness, then efficiency, then cost in that order. There are a bazillion tire choices out there and I have experience with about 1% of them.

chaadster

The balance you want to strike upon is between efficency, comfort, and security (by which I mean sufficient pressure to avoid pinch flats and rim damage).

Depending on your weight, rims, bike setup, and personal preferences, that tire could be anything from a 23 up to the 34 you were riding. The tradeoff is that the narrower you go, the higher the pressure will need to be for security, which degrades comfort.

Buying nice, high TPI tires in whichever size you choose, like the 120TPI ones you had, will really go a long way to feeling good and comfy, particularly the narrower you go.

Moving to a smooth/slick tread tire or a lightly grooved tire (e.g. Panaracer Ribmo or Vittoria Randonneur) will address the efficiency issue for road riding; you definitely don't need or want block treads for the road.

Generally, I'd say depending on one's sporting pretenses, 23-25c tires for the most, 28-30c for moderate, and 32+ for road widths. Weightwise, I'd use the same size ranges for up to 250lb, up to 300lb, and 300+. Neither of those are hard and fast rules though, just sliding guidlines that, with more thought about riding style and needs, should lead to a suitable tire.

I hope that helps!

dkyser

I am riding the Trek Ion CX Pro exclusively right now and I am still hanging in around the 330# mark as for weight. I do feel better on the wider tire, but am sure if the rims could fit a 32 tire I would be ok also.
Thanks for all the advice, never rode enough to worry about tires before. Always had given up way before a tire had gotten broken in.

gearhead82

I have a similar bike (Salsa Vaya) and I weight almost the same as you (340) and I've been loving the 32c Gatorskins that I installed a couple weeks ago. Running them around 90-100psi. I feel just as confident on them as I did on the 40c tires that came on the bike. At least on decent quality pavement.

dkyser

Do you have to switch the tube if you change to a thinner tire?

syncro87

Tubes generally have a range for which they are suitable. Check some out on Amazon, for instance. You'll generally see them say something like 700c 25-32mm or 26x 1.75-2.125. Something like that.

gearhead82

Tubes have a bit of a range in width that they are rated for. For example one tube might be rated for 25-32c while another might be rated for 32-40c, etc. Since you would only be going from a 34 to a 32 I think your tubes will be perfectly fine if you go that route.

You can push the rules a bit too if you're so inclined. The tubes I'm currently using in my 32c tires are only "rated" for up to 26c so they will be stretched a little thin and may lose air a little quicker than the proper size but I've had those tubes sitting in my garage for 5 years and decided to use them before they rot away.

dkyser

Thanks everyone, I need to pick up some new tubes also from what I am reading. Sounds like re using old tubes makes them more likely to have flats.

CliftonGK1

Reusing an old tube only makes it more prone to flats if you go to a significantly larger sized tire and the tube is stretched thinner inside the tire. Tubes don't see the same exposure to the elements that the tire does, and they tend to be OK even if you leave a bike sitting for years and years and the tires are all dry rotted.


As for tires, my favourite is the Panaracer Pasela TG 32mm. Light, good flat protection, rolls nice, and has a flexible enough casing that it feels like a much more expensive tire than it actually is. I get about 3000 miles out of one in the rear.

Jimbosays

I started as a #330'er on these and have loved them.

They are still on a Giant Escape hybrid road bike that I often refer to as the "S.U.V." - Because the bike and these tires will take just about any typically big guy road-riding abuse I can throw at it and keep on going!

Schwalbe Marathon Plus HS 348 Road Bike Tire
by Schwalbe
Link: Amazon.com : Schwalbe Marathon Plus HS 348 Road Bike Tire : Sports & Outdoors

chriskmurray

I will second everything said here. Your old tubes should be just fine if you stick with a similar sized tire.

The Pasela's are a great tire and come in nearly any width you could need. I personally am a fan of wider tires so I would stick with the larger size rather than going smaller, the rolling resistance does not change much and over rough roads it is often times lower as well as getting a better ride and more protection for your rims with the wider tire.