Originally Posted by
Ray9
I used to use 18mm tires back in the day then went to 20's, then 23's, then 25's, now 28's. I wanted to use 32's but they will not fit my racing road bike. Those wider tires are much more stable and I wonder why I am still alive after chasing wheels with those narrow tires since 1983. I wonder what modern engineering tests say about wider tires and average speeds.
Tests suggest that for any given tire pressure and road conditions, a wider tire can be just as fast as a narrow tire, and offer greater comfort.
Re: fitting wider tires on your old road bike. Have you considered converting your wheels to 650B (584mm bead seat diameter)? That can often provide clearance for a wider tire than would fit with a 27" or 700C rim. Be aware you may have to get longer reach calipers for the brake pads to reach the brake track on the rim.