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tire size and odometers

Old 01-15-15, 08:12 PM
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tire size and odometers

Hi there,
I'm new here, and this is my first post. I have a Nirve Wilshire (ladies).
Nirve Ladies Wilshire City Bike from Big Time Cruisers

The tires are 700c x 35. I just bought a Schwinn odometer, and I am trying to set the wheel size to get proper milage/speed. They do not list 700c x 35 as a size on their chart. They have 700 x 25, 28, or 32. I don't know what to do, Can someone help me?
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Old 01-15-15, 08:19 PM
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Originally Posted by Bulldogge
They do not list 700c x 35 as a size on their chart. They have 700 x 25, 28, or 32. I don't know what to do, Can someone help me?
Usually there's a simple formula. What numbers do they have for the listed sizes?
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Old 01-15-15, 08:37 PM
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A stickler for accuracy sits on the bike and rolls along the sidewalk, while a friend with chalk measures the distance covered in one revolution of the front tire. Some computers require the distance in millimeters, others prompt for centimeters, IME.
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Old 01-15-15, 09:02 PM
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uh-oh

Originally Posted by Bezalel
Usually there's a simple formula. What numbers do they have for the listed sizes?
OK, the literature was wrong. I went down to the garage and looked on the tire, and it is 700c x32, (NOT 35) which is listed on the chart. Thanx guys! Should work now.
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Old 01-15-15, 09:06 PM
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I've got a tape that measures in cm. Inches would also work with conversion by one of a multitude of conversion programs or methods.
I set the valve at 0, then slowly roll my tire forward till the valve is down again.

Do it a couple of times, and you have your speedometer/odometer perfectly calibrated to your bike and tire. I round to the nearest half cm,

I usually walk my bike with a little weight on it, but I don't know if that is absolutely necessary.
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Old 01-15-15, 09:25 PM
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Do a rollout!
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Old 01-15-15, 09:28 PM
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There is variance between different tires of the same size. Not all 32's will measure the same. I always do the roll out method described by others above, while leaning down on the handle bars to simulate riding weight. I guess that makes me a stickler for accuracy.
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Old 01-15-15, 09:58 PM
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Originally Posted by Bezalel
Usually there's a simple formula. What numbers do they have for the listed sizes?

Originally Posted by LesterOfPuppets
A stickler for accuracy sits on the bike and rolls along the sidewalk, while a friend with chalk measures the distance covered in one revolution of the front tire. Some computers require the distance in millimeters, others prompt for centimeters, IME.

Originally Posted by Bulldogge
OK, the literature was wrong. I went down to the garage and looked on the tire, and it is 700c x32, (NOT 35) which is listed on the chart. Thanx guys! Should work now.

Originally Posted by CliffordK
I've got a tape that measures in cm. Inches would also work with conversion by one of a multitude of conversion programs or methods.
I set the valve at 0, then slowly roll my tire forward till the valve is down again.

Do it a couple of times, and you have your speedometer/odometer perfectly calibrated to your bike and tire. I round to the nearest half cm,

I usually walk my bike with a little weight on it, but I don't know if that is absolutely necessary.

Originally Posted by ThermionicScott
Do a rollout!

Originally Posted by AlmostTrick
There is variance between different tires of the same size. Not all 32's will measure the same. I always do the roll out method described by others above, while leaning down on the handle bars to simulate riding weight. I guess that makes me a stickler for accuracy.
just use 32...

Last edited by hueyhoolihan; 01-15-15 at 10:09 PM.
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Old 01-15-15, 09:58 PM
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Originally Posted by CliffordK
I've got a tape that measures in cm. Inches would also work with conversion by one of a multitude of conversion programs or methods.
I set the valve at 0, then slowly roll my tire forward till the valve is down again.

Do it a couple of times, and you have your speedometer/odometer perfectly calibrated to your bike and tire. I round to the nearest half cm,

I usually walk my bike with a little weight on it, but I don't know if that is absolutely necessary.
Depends on how much your front tire's sidewalls deflect under normal riding conditions. If you run soft 38mm tires it makes a bigger difference than if you run 160psi 23mm and weigh 100 lbs.
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Old 01-15-15, 10:41 PM
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Or just find the local taxi and police measured mile. Ride it a few times noting the pre or post wheel rotations to catch up/slow down so that both the odometer and the mile stop points are recorded and averaged. Then do the math for the difference and correct the computer calibration.

I did this a few times one year and found the same bike (and tires) had different results... There's something to the simplicity of believing in side walls and a chart Andy.
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