fast_track

I have seen a million post about what brand and model of tire people prefer for their loaded touring, but not tons of info on how to choose the width that is right for the ride and rider.

Currently I am riding on 32C Continental Contacts (90psi max in the 32C size). I have been using them in the city for pavement only for the most part as I commute with loads under 20lbs. They have preformed well for me on the few occasions I have had them on crushed stone (though I know they would be too narrow for use on a longer ride on this type of surface)

That being said, for touring on Pavement/smooth surfaces is their a formula one can apply for the rider's weight plus the load to determine what width would be best for carrying you and your gear in safety and comfort?

I'm about 200lbs. My gear averages in the 30-40lbs range. Right now at 90psi on the 32C's I can definitely see compression in rear tire when loaded, aka, more tire contact with the road.

So to all the experienced folks in this forum I ask..... "How best to choose your tire width" Thanks

BengeBoy 

Try this on the Rivendell site. They tend to be fans of wider tires, so this might be a bit wider than you're used to seeing:

https://www.rivbike.com/assets/full/0...ick_a_tire.pdf

John Nelson

Thanks for the link. It's very informative. Do you think "You plus gear weight" is meant to include or exclude the weight of the bike itself?

Also, tire manufacturers don't all seem to measure the tires the same way. One manufacturer's 35mm might be the same as another manufacturer's 32mm. I've heard that Schwalbe tires typically run smaller than the label. There's an incentive to label your tires larger than they really are--it makes them seem lighter than their competitors' tires of the same size.

SlowRoller

Unfortunately, I don't think there is one formula. As noted, many tires measure differently than their stated width. So, basing things on width alone isn't sound. Other things to consider are tread, sidewall suppleness, puncture protection, etc. These all affect the performance and feel of the tire. The only thing I've found successful is trial and error.

Let us know what you choose.

NoReg

Tire type maters also. I use the Schwalbe Marathon Slicks in 35 or 37 mm (one size can't recall what they call it). Pumped well up it is a very fast tire, and I have lowered the pressure to 25 pounds for sandy tracks (didn't really intend to, but I cut out too much air, and it did fine). I'm sure it is a faster tire than many 32s.

Beckman of Sakkit expedition touring bikes says he has never had to go over 1.5 as a general use tire, even off-road (touring wise not MTB mud play I assume). He was thinking of tires with a little more tred than mine. I think 1.5"/35mm is the sweet spot for me, but there are those who are happy with 2.0, like Thorn. And sandy conditions could call for much wider tires. I run 2" on my city bike, and they don't roll that fast, as far as I am concerned. I like to have a freer rolling tire, at least for long days in the saddle. Around town the trips are normally too short, and the road hazzards worse in my area.

I think for loaded touring 32mm is the low end for me, and the Schwalbes are so nice I haven't bothered to move down from 35 since putting them on.

fast_track

Thanks everyone for the interesting thoughts and suggestions. Maybe I could spin my original question around a bit and ask what width tire most people have chosen to tour on for pavement..... I always seam to get the impression that a 35c tire seams to be the most popular choice.... what width do you all enjoy riding?

I think the comment on trail in error is probably more accurate than being able to apply a specific formula..... guess I just like it when some science is applied!!!

LeeG

sounds perfectly normal to me. Some tires compress more than others but 32mm at 90psi sounds great.
I've got a 700x35 Schwalbe Marathon XR and a 700x35 Marathon Supreme on one bike. For some reason the XR looks like a 32mm and the Supreme looks like a 35mm. It's obviously smaller.

I don't think there's a formula since there's enough variation within one size to make one tire preferable to another. Personally I'm not a fan of the non-slick Continentals, it feels like there's too much "squeegeeing" of the prominent tread. I've been riding a 35mm Schwalbe Supreme on the rear and 35mm Pasela TG on the front. Very comfy set up.

classix

You might try this. If you like the scientific aspect it might suit you.

https://www.vintagebicyclepress.com/images/TireDrop.pdf

ijgrant

I ride my scwalbe Marathon plus tires which are 1.35x26. my mom rides them as well. She's 130, and I'm 185. We both carry a fair amount of gear, around 40 pounds.

I think that we're running on the narrow end of the touring tire spectrum. But I've found it usefull for pavement, packed limestone and asphalt. I tend to spin in loose gravel. I considered moving up to a 1.5, but I chose not too

matchy99

On the Schwalbe Tire website, each tire has a chart which shows recommended tire pressure and total load each tire size can handle. For example, a 700x35c Schwalbe Marathon XR touring tire has a max load of 115 Kg (253 lbs).

jtwilson

I toured on 700x25 for two weeks this summer. I'm 140lbs, and used only a rear rack. I have to wonder how critical it really is to run the fatties, unless you're going on gravel and/or are heavily laden. I just kept my tires topped off to about 110psi, and had no issues.

late

I see a lot of roadies sitting by the side of the road fixing flats.

Critical is the wrong word. If you are going to be in the saddle all day most days it just makes sense to have a reliable tire that adds some comfort.

Btw, at your weight, you'd be faster if you dropped the pressure by about 20 pounds.
With a 25c, and 140, you could run 80psi and have a great ride, fewer flats, and still
be faster than you are at 110.

LeeG

I think you answered your wondering. I used to be 145lbs and rode with less than 20lbs on the rear rack. 700x28 worked fine. I'm now 54 and weigh 190lbs occasionally with 30lbs and 28mm isn't worth it because the tires have to be at max pressure or else tire and rim damage is the result going through bad sections of road. Since tubes don't hold 100psi+ for long there's more to be gained from a convenience and comfort standpoint riding a fatter tire. When I had a bike shop I saw a big range in rider sizes touring down the coast and it became pretty obvious that racing tires (22-25mm) are not touring tires for the flats and rim damage.

fast_track

Just curious, what do you think they mean by that? Since the weight is not just taken by one tire/wheel but both, how do you think they intend for you to use that info....? If we were talking about a Unicycle this would be easy to figure!

John Nelson

My interpretation is that that is the limit for that one wheel only. The weight isn't normally distributed evenly between the front and the back, both because the rear panniers are usually larger and people put stuff on the rear rack, and because the majority of your body weight is carried on the rear tire.

Neverthelss, 253 pounds for the rear wheel is quite generous. I don't think many people need to worry about exceeding that. Even if you weigh 275 pounds, carry 80 pounds of gear and ride a 35-pound bike, you're probably still within the limits if you are also using front panniers.

quester

I tour on 37c or 40c (I'm a big guy), but the above is new to me. How and why would he be faster at 80 psi than 110. Or are you factoring flat-fixing in?

late

Two reasons. Higher psi means stiffer which means more deflection. IOW, you spend more time and energy bouncing up and down.

The other one is that Vintage Bike Quarterly did a bunch of rolling test on tires, and the result seems to be that a simple tire using sensible pressure rolls the fastest.

John Nelson

All of this is highly controversial. On a glass-smooth road, higher pressure is better. Very few roads, however, are glass smooth. Results are so highly variable depending not only on pressure and road conditions, but on rider weight, frame geometry and sidewall flex.

People often cite various benefits of lower pressure (speed, comfort, flat resistance, etc), but many are skeptical, and probably rightfully so as there have not been many good studies with clear results.

You're an experiment of one.

jtwilson

I didn't want to go below 100psi on my 25mm tires strictly as a means to avoid flats. Pinch flats, of course. I would have rather had 28mm for peace of mind, and it makes sense that 80-90psi tires would add the convenience of holding its rated pressure longer. When I rode at 80-90psi on my 25mm tires, I didn't like the amount of bulging - looked like a recipe for pinch flats. It was admittedly a pain to 'kneel at the bike altar' and pump my tires to 110psi every couple days. It was a morning ritual of sorts - but the ride was fast and problem free. I'm just using my story to illustrate that you don't need 35mm+ tires to tour. I would recommend 28mm in general for light touring.