Originally Posted by
crossfader
I'm looking for a new tire just because I'm worn down. I'm a total noob at what the different sizes mean so right now I have a 700x30 cross tire and I want to get to a good road tire... Can someone tell me what the numbers mean?
Start
here.
That may be more info than you wanted, though. The 700 refers to the standard rim size for road bike tires. If it's a clincher, it will be 700c. Even after reading that Sheldon Brown article I'm not sure why they use the number 700, but it's standard. The second number is the width in mm. 30 would be wider than most road bike tires - most come with 23 or 25mm. Racers use narrow tires, sometimes even narrower than 23's, but lots of other riders will trade the ability to run very high pressure, slightly lower weight and slightly better aerodynamics of the narrow tires for the cushier ride and higher traction of a wider tire run at lower pressure. Personally, I'm using 25's.
JB