View Poll Results: What size tires are you using for your road bike?
700x23
117
54.17%
700x25
84
38.89%
other
15
6.94%
Voters: 216. You may not vote on this poll
Are you riding 700x23 or 700x25's tires?
#26
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Would it be a fair comment to state that in general, 25's make for a more stable, less twitchy ride?
Also:
Anyone riding with 25 on the front and 23 on the back wheels respectively?
Do you run your 25's at lower pressure than 23's?
Also:
Anyone riding with 25 on the front and 23 on the back wheels respectively?
Do you run your 25's at lower pressure than 23's?
#27
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the 25's are larger, hence you would have a larger patch of tire on the road = more rolling resistance, not less. When you pump up your tires, it makes the contact patch smaller. How can a larger tire, with a larger contact patch have better rolling resistance, assuming all else is equal, same bike, same brand and make of tire, etc.?
#28
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me and my big old belly ride a full carbon "comfort" bike with 25's....luv it
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the 25's are larger, hence you would have a larger patch of tire on the road = more rolling resistance, not less. When you pump up your tires, it makes the contact patch smaller. How can a larger tire, with a larger contact patch have better rolling resistance, assuming all else is equal, same bike, same brand and make of tire, etc.?
#31
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- Build my own, but it is a relaxed frame Trek-like ride
- Shimano R500
-QTubes 700 23-25
- 25's give me a better feeling. Hard to explain, but the barely noticeable width gives me a little more confidence. I tend to run at almost max PSI, and while it may be placebo, the 25s are softer than the 23s.
- Shimano R500
-QTubes 700 23-25
- 25's give me a better feeling. Hard to explain, but the barely noticeable width gives me a little more confidence. I tend to run at almost max PSI, and while it may be placebo, the 25s are softer than the 23s.
#32
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Currently riding 25's (GP 4 Seasons), but I'm going back to 28 when I wear out this and another set. Our roads stink and I think the ride is better with the 28's. I haven't noticed any difference in handling and I'm not a racer.
From a purely anecdotal perspective my son had a bad accident in a crit which he attributes to switch to very narrow, high(er) pressure tires. I suspect the tires were even smaller than 23's.
From a purely anecdotal perspective my son had a bad accident in a crit which he attributes to switch to very narrow, high(er) pressure tires. I suspect the tires were even smaller than 23's.
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#34
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I have always gone 700x23 road tires. My tricomps have reached their life limit and served me well, but I was offered a deal that I couldn't pass on with a set of specialized turbo tires. Last set of specialized mondo pro tires I had were 23's but seemed a little wider than previous sets I had. All my buddies at my LBS are trying to convince me to get the 25's because it will be a better/smoother ride, corner better, better rolling resistance....etc. Being that I'm a bit of a weight weenie, Its difficult for me to get past the additional 45g I will be adding by going with the 25's instead of the 23's. Trust me, I know this has been talked about in past and 45g is not a huge deal to a lot of people but when you have spent hundred of dollars to drop weight, its difficult to buy something that will add weight. I wanted to see what the majority of people here are riding.
Would love the following info:
-what bike you ride
-what wheels you have
-what tubes you are using
-Preference between the 2 tire sizeat will be worth s or pros/cons?
Would love the following info:
-what bike you ride
-what wheels you have
-what tubes you are using
-Preference between the 2 tire sizeat will be worth s or pros/cons?
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Last edited by baj32161; 01-05-13 at 08:51 AM.
#35
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the 25's are larger, hence you would have a larger patch of tire on the road = more rolling resistance, not less. When you pump up your tires, it makes the contact patch smaller. How can a larger tire, with a larger contact patch have better rolling resistance, assuming all else is equal, same bike, same brand and make of tire, etc.?
Article:
the notion that fat tyres have lower rolling resistance seems counterintuitive to many cyclists. As we've seen above, at racing speeds, narrow tyres need less energy to maintain a speed, so how does this fit with measurements showing higher rolling resistance? ...
Double your speed and your tyres' rolling resistance doubles - but the air resistance goes up eight times! Air resistance dominates at racing speeds and narrow tyres are faster.
Double your speed and your tyres' rolling resistance doubles - but the air resistance goes up eight times! Air resistance dominates at racing speeds and narrow tyres are faster.
And the way they have lower rolling resistance is described on this page as having less deflection. Very worth reading.
Link:
https://www.cyclingnews.com/features/...conti-inflated https://www.cyclingnews.com/features/...conti-inflated
I would also point out that Conti 4000S tires, which I use, run big: while labeled as "23" they actually measure out to 24-ish. I haven't measured 25s yet.
I am in transition now and once I use up more of my stock of 23s, I may end up stabilizing on a 23 in front and 25 in rear, or just on 25s across the board. But that's partly due to my being a borderline clyde and I can put less air pressure in the larger tire.
Another note: I have also used Conti Gatorskins, which run a little small. So the Gatorskin labeled "23" is a little less than that. I'm not sure but a 4000S labeled "23" might be comparable to a Gatorskin labeled "25".
#36
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I'll quote from one of my favorite articles, which got me riding Continental tires in the first place. (I still am today).
Article:
And the way they have lower rolling resistance is described on this page as having less deflection. Very worth reading.
Link:
https://www.cyclingnews.com/features/...conti-inflated https://www.cyclingnews.com/features/...conti-inflated
I would also point out that Conti 4000S tires, which I use, run big: while labeled as "23" they actually measure out to 24-ish. I haven't measured 25s yet.
I am in transition now and once I use up more of my stock of 23s, I may end up stabilizing on a 23 in front and 25 in rear, or just on 25s across the board. But that's partly due to my being a borderline clyde and I can put less air pressure in the larger tire.
Another note: I have also used Conti Gatorskins, which run a little small. So the Gatorskin labeled "23" is a little less than that. I'm not sure but a 4000S labeled "23" might be comparable to a Gatorskin labeled "25".
Article:
And the way they have lower rolling resistance is described on this page as having less deflection. Very worth reading.
Link:
https://www.cyclingnews.com/features/...conti-inflated https://www.cyclingnews.com/features/...conti-inflated
I would also point out that Conti 4000S tires, which I use, run big: while labeled as "23" they actually measure out to 24-ish. I haven't measured 25s yet.
I am in transition now and once I use up more of my stock of 23s, I may end up stabilizing on a 23 in front and 25 in rear, or just on 25s across the board. But that's partly due to my being a borderline clyde and I can put less air pressure in the larger tire.
Another note: I have also used Conti Gatorskins, which run a little small. So the Gatorskin labeled "23" is a little less than that. I'm not sure but a 4000S labeled "23" might be comparable to a Gatorskin labeled "25".
These studies seem to be done at racing speeds. Does it it make any difference for the relational rider? Fascinating stuff.
#37
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I am a big boy, wighting more than I should by a long shot. I ride 23s. No problems, but mostly because my bike doesn't willingly digest larger tires. I could run 25's, maybe, but am going to wear out these 23's first.
#38
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I am 225 and ride conti 4000s in a 23 and run 110 rear and 100 front...easily have 1000 miles on my newest set and havent had a single flat. I was on the same tire in a 25 before and had more flat than I can count...I did however switch wheels when I switched tires so I cant really say it was the tires.
#39
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My favorite tire is now the Vittoria Open Corsa Evo CX in a 25. Previously I was running GP4000s in 23. I switched to the Vittoria to get better cornering feel from my tires and they have delivered in spades at the (expected) expenses of shorter tread life and higher cost.
Primary bikes are Roubaix SL2, and Secteur. I've got HED Belgium C2's on the Secteur and some 23mm wide 50mm deep China carbons on the Roubaix. I've tried latex and butyl tubes in the Vittorias. The only difference I can tell is the latex tubes lose air very quickly.
BTW I am 6'3" and usually weigh around 190 in season. Roads are pretty good around here. I run 90psi front, 100 psi rear. Number of puncture flats/pinch flats the past three years (15,000 miles): 0.
Primary bikes are Roubaix SL2, and Secteur. I've got HED Belgium C2's on the Secteur and some 23mm wide 50mm deep China carbons on the Roubaix. I've tried latex and butyl tubes in the Vittorias. The only difference I can tell is the latex tubes lose air very quickly.
BTW I am 6'3" and usually weigh around 190 in season. Roads are pretty good around here. I run 90psi front, 100 psi rear. Number of puncture flats/pinch flats the past three years (15,000 miles): 0.
Last edited by svtmike; 01-05-13 at 09:49 AM.
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Ride Conti 4000s 23's and have over 3000 miles on them versus the 25's that came on my Synapse that wore out at 1200 miles.
#43
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I run 700x23c Vittoria Open EVO Corsa tires. They are fragile (especially near the end of their life) and wear fast, but they are super comfortable and fast. Tire pressures are 105r and 95f (160 lb rider).
I ride 700x25c Conti GP4000s on long (ie, century) rides where I need flat protection. I honestly don't think they are as comfortable as the 23c Vittoria and they seem really sluggish in comparison. At 95r and 85f, they felt slow compared to the Corsas, but they are comfy and I don't worry too much about flats.
Bob
I ride 700x25c Conti GP4000s on long (ie, century) rides where I need flat protection. I honestly don't think they are as comfortable as the 23c Vittoria and they seem really sluggish in comparison. At 95r and 85f, they felt slow compared to the Corsas, but they are comfy and I don't worry too much about flats.
Bob
#44
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I smell more BF hair splitting. I ride 23's simply because I like having a choice of colors. No doubt lowering the pressure in 23's a bit gives much of whatever fans of 25's think they're getting - it's called physics.
#45
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I'm NOTHING compared to some of the guys over at weightweenies.com! Those guys shave the clear coat on their frames, saddle, bars...etc. Drill holes in the seatpost, levers, cages, crank arms... Its Crazy to see what some REAL weight weenies will do!
My buddy at my LBS just told me to TRY them and if I hate them, he will swap them out for the 23's. I guess I have nothing to lose.
#46
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I think the quality of the tire has more to do with ride quality than the actual size, at least with these two in question. I have rode both and can not tell much difference. I ride Vittoria Corsa Evo's and they only come as 700x23 and they are a great tire. Right now for winter I am giving some Conti GP4000S in 25 a try and I really Like the Vittoria's better. Not that the Conti's are bad, they are a great ride as well. I have a set of Conti Attack/Force I will try this summer and they are 22 in front and 24 in back. I suspect they will be quite close in ride comfort as well.
#47
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I run 700x23c Vittoria Open EVO Corsa tires. They are fragile (especially near the end of their life) and wear fast, but they are super comfortable and fast. Tire pressures are 105r and 95f (160 lb rider).
I ride 700x25c Conti GP4000s on long (ie, century) rides where I need flat protection. I honestly don't think they are as comfortable as the 23c Vittoria and they seem really sluggish in comparison. At 95r and 85f, they felt slow compared to the Corsas, but they are comfy and I don't worry too much about flats.
Bob
I ride 700x25c Conti GP4000s on long (ie, century) rides where I need flat protection. I honestly don't think they are as comfortable as the 23c Vittoria and they seem really sluggish in comparison. At 95r and 85f, they felt slow compared to the Corsas, but they are comfy and I don't worry too much about flats.
Bob
#48
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FWIW: I run 23mm tires on HED C2 23mm wide rims and the tires measure 25mm wide. I run the same pressure as I would with 25mm tires on traditional 19mm rims. Similarly, 25mm tires on 23mm wide rims measure about ~27mm wide...
#49
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The decision is personal and depends on many factors.
I would say if you are heavy (>180ish) and/or riding on rough roads, you should certainly go for 25.
Personally, I am light (135-140) and roads are reasonable, so I ride 23's.
I agree you have nothing to lose so try them...
I would say if you are heavy (>180ish) and/or riding on rough roads, you should certainly go for 25.
Personally, I am light (135-140) and roads are reasonable, so I ride 23's.
I agree you have nothing to lose so try them...
I've been up to 260lbs... and still ride only 23's.
At a scrawny 135, I'd think you would find some 19's or just roll on the rims. ;P
#50
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Rhygin Stainless
Ksyrium SL
23 Fusion3 Tubeless
175 lbs
I've run 20's but never felt the need for 25's.
Ksyrium SL
23 Fusion3 Tubeless
175 lbs
I've run 20's but never felt the need for 25's.