SurferTX

I wanted a hybrid for mainly paved riding at the park with a bike trailer. I placed an order for a Fuji Absolute 2.3 Flat Bar Road Bike - 2017 (sorry not allow to post links yet) from Performance Cycle.

I noticed the tires were a bit narrow and thought I would need to change them for wider tires. The sales person said it was a hybrid..
I do like the bike though just wondering if it's going to fit my purpose.

trailangel

Looks like a hybrid to me

SurferTX

Ok cool. Just thought the tires were kinda narrow for a hybrid.

corrado33

Link assist.

https://www.bikeexchange.com/a/urban...FUSSfgod2EcODQ

Tires are 32c. I'd say that's average for a hybrid. You could easily put some 38s on it probably.

trailangel

I've bought 2 hybrids and they both came with 32mm tires.

Zoroman

Well the current fad is you must have wide tires.

I have thin tires on most of my bikes and for some crazy reason I do not fall down or get flats. Indeed, it is hard to fathom given the current fad for wide tires but I hold my right hand up and swear that this has been my honest and truthful experience riding many thousands of miles.

Paved riding on paths, in my mind, hardly requires wide tires. But, that said, please expect many to tell you wide tires are way better, thin tires are awful, and that you should have wide tires.

I remember bell bottoms too!

luddite_68

Looks like a really nice hybrid. Ride and enjoy.

manapua_man

Any reason why you want wider tires? There isn't much need for them on road bikes. I'd just run whatever you've got until they need to be replaced.

mcours2006

Don't need wider tires than 32mm if you ride mostly paved trails. Even if unpaved gravel trails should be fine for 32mm. Trailering with 32mm is fine too. But you could probably fit wider tires. Clearance is usually good with linear-pull v-brakes.

jefnvk

Wide tires are also used because they considerably more comfortable on anything but pristine road. Even going from 28s to 32s between a couple of my bikes is a very notable difference.

That said, I think 32s are fine for dirt and gravel, if the new bike can't handle any thicker. Plus, as it is PB, if you don't like it when it comes in, just return it.

Myosmith

You'll be very happy with the 32mm tires. I've got 32mm tires on my mutt bike and they are a good compromise for all around riding. No need for wider tires unless you are going to get into soft turf, loose gravel, etc.

supton

Is 32 much different than 28? Yeah I know, 4mm and all. I bumped from 25 to 28 and didn't think it made much of a difference. Maybe I need to switch back and see if I notice. I have been doing more rides on hard packed dirt of late, so maybe 28 is a nice compromise.

SurferTX

Just thought that wide is more stability.

corrado33

I've got 38s on my commuter??

Seriously guys. Wider tires = cushier ride. Some people want a cushy ride, stop telling people what they want. There is a huge difference between 32s and 38s.

SurferTX

I will, Thx!

manapua_man

You won't get much in the way of "stability" with wider tires on a road bike. You might get a softer ride, but that bike comes with 35s and I run 35s on 4wd roads with my CX bike.


That bike comes with 35s according to a quick google search. If he really wants a softer ride he should probably either run tubeless or get something that isn't a flat bar road bike.

mcours2006

I recently put 38's on my commuter as well. To be honest I can't really tell the difference between them and the 32's I had on it before. Maybe it's just me. But I do like the wider tires going over irregularities and bumps on the road. It inspires more confidence.

corrado33

32s according to the link I posted. Going from 32 to 38s would certainly make a noticeable difference.

practical

I think you got a great bike.

MikeOK

That's a good looking bike, and the price is good too. As an adult I started on a hybrid. It was more comfortable than about anything I've had since, even with spending boatloads of cash. I graduated to a true road bike, then on to mountain biking. Even when I was riding and racing my mountain bike I trained on the road. Now I own a good mountain bike and a good road bike. It's the best of both worlds, but neither bike is as comfortable as that first hybrid and I bought it for a fraction of what I've paid for a bike since. Of course the accessories were not up to par with my current bikes, but it was very comfortable and I could ride lots of types of terrain as the 2 bikes I have now are only good for their intended purpose. A mountain bike is terrible on the road, and a true road bike is terrible even on gravel roads. And the backroads around where I live are so rough that you almost need a mountain bike to ride them. I have about 5 miles of rough roads to get to the smoother highways and my carbon road bike beats me up bad on these rough county roads.

Zoroman

Indeed, and so the brigade of wide tire advocates come marching in right on cue.

"On anything but pristine roads" certainly makes thin tires sound bad, scary, unwanted... I am shaking in my sneakers. If this varied and colorful onslaught continues, thin tires will go the way of the dinosaur.

Zoroman

...paved paths kids, paved paths.

...paved.

jefnvk

Cool, a "wide tire advocate". Haven't been called that before, but hey, some new cause for me to take up

May be hard to comprehend, but preferences are not a zero sum game, my choices in no way invalidate or threaten yours. It is quite possible for someone to choose fatter tires without it being a slight to skinny tires.

Probably shouldn't tell you that I rode a metric century on my slick 47-559s a couple weekends ago, though, hate to be accused of being a fatty advocate

Mostly paved paths, and at least on one of the trails I ride, I am quite happy when I get off the pavement and onto the gravel. The gravel is much smoother.

Doug64

My wife and I have ridden thousands of miles on loaded touring bikes using 28 mm and 32 mm tires. On one trip we encountered over 400 miles of dirt and unsurfaced roads and trail, and over 500 mile of cobble and sett stone roads and trails. The 32 mm tires handled it very well.

32 mm tires.

Zoroman

I said I responded to the 'anything but pristine roads"... that says only fat tires on anything but pristine roads, so only pristine roads are where thin tires should be considered.

Sorry, but that I do take exception yo. If you want to try to assert I am saying anyone who ever advocates for wide tires is against thin tires I urge you to reread the "anything but pristine roads" line and ponder what that means. Pristina roads sounds like mighty high bar to me and I have to say I don't think I have ever encountered a pristine road, so arguable one should never use thin tires since pristine is, well, pristine!