Originally Posted by
TinyTm
Hi to everyone,
I just purchased a like new Specialized 10 speed road bike Allez Comp with Sram components for what I consider was a great buy. As some here know I was in the market for a Hybrid but once I looked this one over I had to have it. She's very fast and once it was set it up for me I found the ride is very comfy except for the 700x 23c are terrible on rough roads. Has anyone here ever installed 28c on this style of bike and will they fit? If so what make of tire so I'll know I buy the correct ones. I'm also considering just buying another set of rims to set up just for this and have my 23C as a secondary set but I'm not sure how to measure to get the correct width and correct cassette set up. I'm in no way racing just wanting to set it up for fitness and 20 to 30 mile rides weekend 5 to 10 miles weekdays without losing to much speed. Thanks any info would be appreciated.
1. Inflate your tires to an appropriate pressure. I can drop below 70 psi without pinch flats although handling is getting a bit squishy, so I start the week at 80psi front / 90psi rear.
2. Run wider tires so you can run lower pressure.
3. Ride better tires that are more supple. I like Continental's GP4000SII as a good balance between ride quality, flat resistance, and longevity (4500 miles up front, then 4500 in back).
There's no reason today to ride 23mm tires now that the fastest tires come in 25, 28, and even 32mm. The lower rolling resistance from 25mm at the same pressure offsets the aerodynamic drag. Jan Heine (who makes supple Compass tires in widths past 40mm) contends that quality tires are no slower up to even 50mm, with pressures below 40 and even 30 psi allowing plush rides on horrid pavement.
https://www.renehersecycles.com/how-...should-i-ride/
For example, you’re a 140 pound rider on a 20 pound bicycle for 160 total. With a 45/55% weight distribution that’s 72 pounds on the front wheel and 88 on the rear. Running 23mm tires shoot for 75 psi front and 90 psi rear.
Higher pressures can be slower, or at least not appreciably faster than more comfortable ones.
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