Tires: Pressure, width, or weight?
06-24-07 | 10:26 PM
#1
Thread Starter
Senior Member
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 8,101
Likes: 17
From: Minneapolis
Tires: Pressure, width, or weight?
I'm trying to figure out what the best tires are for my wife's old Peugeot. The front rim is a 27 1/8, and the back is 27 1/4. They are not hooked.
She wants to ride this bike in a short triathlon, but mostly the bike would be used for touring/training and possibly commuting.
I've always thought narrow/high pressure tires were best in terms of speed but the bike shop recommended that if she was willing to spend some money, she should get a set of Contintental Gatorskins, - which are actually fairly wide, at least for those rims.
Thoughts?
She wants to ride this bike in a short triathlon, but mostly the bike would be used for touring/training and possibly commuting.
I've always thought narrow/high pressure tires were best in terms of speed but the bike shop recommended that if she was willing to spend some money, she should get a set of Contintental Gatorskins, - which are actually fairly wide, at least for those rims.
Thoughts?
06-25-07 | 12:18 AM
#3
crotchety young dude
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 4,818
Likes: 0
From: SF, CA
Bikes: IRO Angus; Casati Gold Line; Redline 925; '72 Schwinn Olympic Paramount
For "touring/training and possibly commuting," a wider tire (27x1 1/4") will be good. At 130 lbs, pressure isn't a huge issue.
06-25-07 | 07:20 AM
#4
FalconLvr
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 1,441
Likes: 198
From: SW Virginia
Bikes: 62 Falcon, 58 Raleigh Lenton Gran Prix, 74 Raleigh Pro, 75 Raleigh Int, 75 Raleigh Comp, 76 Colnago Super, 75 Crescent, 80 Peugeot PX10, plus others too numerous to mention!
There is always some discussion going on about tire width vrs rolling resistance. As I recall, the physics of the matter is that a 25mm or 28 mm tire will have lower rolling resistance than a 23mm or 20mm. Not sure that it makes common sense to me, but thats physics for you! I would suppose the same applies to 1" or 1 1/8 vrs 1 1/4" tires.
06-25-07 | 07:39 AM
#5
Senior Member
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 3,132
Likes: 1
27 x 1 1/4 is a wide tire. I'm not a fan of Gatorskins but I WOULD heed the advise of the shop if they're vouching for it, they'll stand behind it. You mention the hooked rim aspect, problematic for tire fitment in some cases, more reason to follow the reccomendations of the shop IF they're aware of that too. I will say that given your wife's weight and requirement 1 1/8 is plenty fat. I have dozens of 27" wheeled bikes. A few tires on the market may not be as well suited to grabbing the rim or getting ON in the first place.
