Originally Posted by
veganbikes
Why so skinny? Dude it is 2018 wider tires are proven better. Don't be a sadist any more and put something a little wider or get yourself a bike that can take at least a 28. Trust me you will love yourself so much more
When I went from 23 to 25 I was already sold and then when I went to 32 I was in heaven and now at 38 it is ultra lux though my road bike and Langster are maxed at 28mm but still way better than the old stuff.
I bought the bike many years ago when 23mm was the standard. I lived in a hilly area and used it less than I had intended. I've only started riding it regularly since I moved to a flatter area. My next set of tyres will be 25mm, but there is very limited clearance on the frame. My other bike is a gravel bike with fatter tyres. The fixed is lighter, smoother and faster in many conditions but of course it's less versatile.
I find it amusing. In the 1970s, tyre sizes in the UK were 27 X ... and the width was in increments of 1/8 inch. General purpose was 1 3/8 inch, "faster" was 1 1/4 inch (28 mm) and real headbangers rode 1 inch (25 mm). So the keen beans back then saw it as a matter of pride to get
down to the sizes that it is now fashionable to get
up to.
The narrowest tyre I rode was a 20mm on my 700c unicycle but that was just silly. I had to pump it up to about 130 psi and it would literally burst if I hit a pot hole or pebble.
I agree that on the whole fatter tyres are more comfortable, and arguably even faster, but there is a certain something about riding a bike where it was not designed to go, and I have a lot of fun on the fixed on bridlepaths and the like.