Hey guys,
I'll probably be tarred, feathered, hung and quartered for posting such a ridiculous question, but I don't have access to an LBS in my town (closest one is an hour away) so you guys are my go-to for these types of questions. I'm getting back into a single-speed commuter, beat-around town bike (should be picking it up today unless it turns out to be something terrible and I abandon ship) and in my reading I see tires come up quite a bit. The most common thing is whether or not the roads you ride on are good and if not, what kind of tire you want to use to combat less-than-stellar riding conditions.

I live in the historic district (read: old homes, older roads) and our roads are not great and some are downright poor. I've narrowed my selection of tires down to Continental Gatorskins as they'll do fairly well with the rough roads and any broken glass, etc. I might encounter.

My question is whether or not I can/should go with a slightly wider tire. The rims are Maddux DRX3000 Track Wheels with 700x23 tires. I see the Gatorskins come in a 700x23C as well as a 700x25 and 700x28. Is it possible to go to a slightly wider tire? And in doing so, am I gaining any benefits?

I don't plan on skidding. No tricks. No hopping. No jumping off of stairs or buildings or bridges. No messenger services. No wheelies. No racing. I'm just riding to restaurants, pubs, farmers markets, friends houses, things like that. But my last bike's little Kenda tires took a beating on our roads and I'd like to avoid that as flat tires suck, and walking a bike back home with a flat tire sucks more.

Thanks in advance.

Best,
Matthew