Hi there,

I recently acquired a 1980 (1979 colors) Fuji S12-S LTD from C-List:



The previous owner upgraded the wheels to Mavic Module E2 rims laced to the original Sunshine hubs. They measure 19.8mm outer rim width, and are currently sporting old Specialized 700c x 25c tires which actually measure out at around 20mm.

I love the wheels but would really like to put some fatter tires on the bike (I believe the fork/chainstay clearances will pan out), but I'm concerned about actually mounting the tires to a narrow rim like these Mavics.

I've searched for answers online for a while and haven't found anything conclusive letting me know if it'll work.

Anyone have any experience mounting 35mm tires on narrow rims like these? \

Thanks!

no experience with this combination, but I will throw in my 2 cents. You could probably go with a 28 mm tire without much of a problem. I think that the problem with going with a 35 mm tire is that the rim sidewall may not be tall or high enough to keep the tire onto the rim.

I would also use a 28mm tire. A 28mms is a great performer, even on well maintained gravel of poorly maintained pavement.

Thanks for the advice.

I've got those big 1 3/8" (35mm) tires on the 650A commuter and really love how cushy they are, but wish I had them on a faster bike. I was hoping the Mavics would permit them, but 28's don't sound too bad. A quick and jolt-ridden 30 miler up to Highland Park and back the other day on the old Specialized tires convinced me that the 700x25c have to go.

Any reason why the old tires would measure so narrow?

On my 78/79 Trek 736 it'll only go up to 28s. Putting 32s on and the brake bridge and fork crown rubbed on the tire- the 32s were too tall.

You should have no issues mounting 35mm tires on these Mavics. If there is 17mm between the hooks, you can safely mount a 2.10" wide tire as like it's done with mtbs.
As mentioned, 35mm tires may be a fit issue for the frameset.
Unless you are a clyde, 32mm touring tires for the pavement would be more efficient. If you plan to take the Fuji for a bit of gravel grinding, then go for the 35mm width.

I've run 32c tires like forever on mod e rims and I'm pretty sure I've run fatter tires as well. There is an easy way to find out. Mount the tire on the rim and pump it up 10-20 psi over the recommend max. If the tire doesn't blow off the rim, you're good to go.

Agree with the other posters that the frame may give you a problem with a 35c (and if the frame doesn't, the front derailleur may give you some rub depending on how long the chain stays are) and that 32c is plenty wide enough.

I just knocked out my 20 mile training ride on a bike with 32c tires. I hadn't ridden the bike for a while and I'd forgotten how comfy they are.

I am using 700x35 tires on Super Champion Gentleman rims, which are also about 20mm wide. No problem at all, great for commuting. I tried some Ritchey 700x42 knobbies on Mavic Open Sport rims, and that was too much-- they were very wobbly from side to side. I switched them for some 40mm smooth tread tires and those have worked very well.

+1 I would go with 28mm a better quality lightly treaded commuter/cross tire. This should avoid fit problems and be enough to handle most road conditions.

Ha! So true, the roads in Cook County are a war zone. I'm using 700x27 Challenge Parigi-Roubaix and the ride is awesome. The measure about 29mms wide. Another good tire is the 700x32 Vittoria Randonneur Pro, they measure about 28mm.

I second the 28mm idea. However I'm surprised your 25's measure out at 20. Another thread was discussing tire widths just yesterday, so I measured all mine. My Paselas come out very close to their spec. Maybe Specialized was skimping on casing material.

Tire Sizing Systems

Your answers are in the wheel width/tire width chart about 2/3 of the way down the page.

I Use the JB 33.3's on Mod 3's slight bit wider rim , folding tire bead..


toured on 35's on Mod 4 rims, wider still ..

Thanks for all the advice.

I'm thinking I'm going to give the Panaracer Pasela 28s a try. I like how fast this bike is compared to my others, and 28 seems like a good compromise between comfort/speed.

Can anyone comment on any comfort/speed differences discernible between the TG and non-TG versions?

I have 25 TGs on the Raleigh, 25 non-TGs on the Centurion. I'm not sure I can feel any difference, maybe because the bikes themselves are so different. I've ridden the Raleigh on 75 miles rides, never felt bothered by the tires, did feel comfortable knowing it had "flat protection" of a sort. You might feel the difference if you keep your tires at lower pressure. I run mine at or up near their max.

Ended up going with the Panaracer Paselas TG in 28mm. Rides nice so far. Little stiff at recommended PSI (105). Took them down to 90 PSI - we'll see how it goes.

When I was ordering the Paselas at the LBS, I mentioned the very narrow (measured at 20-21mm) tires that came on the bike from the mid-80's which were designated 25mm. LBS said that it was the fad at the time to make much narrower tires, label them as wider, then claim to have the lightest "25mm" tires in the market.

Doesn't surprise me.

Someone gave me a pair of Specialized tires labeled 27x1". Unmounted they look more like 23s or even smaller, certainly not 25s.