noisebeam

Over course of 6yrs. started w/28, then moved to 25 a bit later, then in the last year 23.

funrover 

700X23 here. Armadillo Tires

edu.mats

I use 700x25 maxxis detonator tires. I used 700x23 conti gp4000 tires but the maxxis are more comfortable. I ride only on paved streets, but they are in a pretty bad shape.

ScottCarney

I'm 90kg and put a premium on comfort over long distances.

Fancy custom steel road bike: 28mm conti 4seasons, regularly used for 100km + rides on country roads

Heavy, IGH, Surly CrossCheck commuter: 37mm conti country ride, used for 8km urban commute.

Tsuru

Never understood the bigger tires for commutes thing.... I'm sure greater than 23 is a "more comfortable" ride, but honestly, I don't find 23s uncomfortable, at all, especially for a 20 mile commute, but really, not even for a 100 mile ride.

FreddyV

I am running 700C x 25 at the moment. Still thinking about changing that into 700C x 23. Though, every time it rains I remember why I don't want to go narrower.

noglider 

Whoa, who ever said skinny tires are comfortable? I don't think I heard anyone say it.

FreddyV, 23mm tires will either feel the same as 25's or worse.

Leebo

700x35, works great for me. I ride 18 miles one way on a mix of roads, dirt paths and 2 MUP's. Right now the winter road bike has Nokian 106's, 700x35. They work great on everything except deeper snow.

Tsuru

I think they are.

noglider 

More comfortable than wide tires? To me, the wider, the more comfortable, but I'm not willing to give up too much performance for comfort. As I said recently, my favorite width is 28mm, which is narrower than most bikes on the planet. Joe Average finds them to be squirrelly and bumpy, but they're fine to me.

cyclezealot

My long distance tourer.. 35.. My tourer I use for local rides and errands.. 28...

Tsuru

I didn't say that... I said I'm sure greater-than-23s are more confortable, but I find 23s quite comfortable for commutes to long rides to centuries. I get it for genuine long-distance riding, but a 20 commute? Or even a good long weekend ride for 3 or 4 hours?

Puncture-resistant tires, knobbies, studs, etc, for a sh*tty route? Sure... but wide slicks just to get a little "cushier"?

Do you lose any performance with 25s or 28s?

Sixty Fiver

Comfortable tyres... and pretty damn fast too.

I'm rocking my winter gearing here...

wunderkind

Hello,
to give you an idea of the surface that my commute has to go through...

about 1.5km


Someone actually did an image tour of the Central Valley Greenway that I use for my commute.
Basically my commute starts about 2/3 down from the picture album and continues on into town.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/thebuzz...7619485886299/

But from what I read above, I think I may be OK with 28s. 32 would be perfect, but there are large section of paved area and not sure how much speed I would lose with that size. May be negligible.

Kojak

With regard to what size tires will fit your rims, according to the chart on our website, you could go as wide as a 32mm (700x32) without any issues. Any wider than that, you may or may not have problems. Whether or not this wide of a tire fits between the fork blades, or between the chainstays, you'll have to figure out on your own.

I wider tire will definitely be more comfortable, but will be a bit slower (more weight, more wind resistance, lower psi rating). As for unpaved sections, it really depends on the surface. Last year, my commute had me on several unpaved sections on a MUP. The trail was mostly very hard packed dirt/gravel and I had no issues with a 700x23 tire. There were a few spots that got a little soft, and these sections were a bit more problematic but were very short, so no big deal. If the soft sections had been more extensive, I probably would have opted for wider tires, or avoided the trail for the softer sections.

Kojak

Your rim width will be one determinant, the other will be the fork and chainstay clearance.

slcbob

I run 700x23 on my proper pavement-only road bike, and 700x35 Schwalbe Marathons on my cross bike (Salsa Delgado rims). The x35s run really nicely on all manner or rail trail, dirt pack, gravel, etc. Short of going onto legit single track, I wouldn't think of needing more.

I perseverated a bit on deciding between x28, x32, and x35. I read a bit before I committed plus my test drives here and there suggest that you CAN overthink it. I wouldn't dwell on the 32 vs. 35 if you either want to go big & plush, or are concerned about clearance and would to stay small. There's a slight drag/weight/plush thing but unless you have a micrometer I doubt you'll notice one step either way. 28 vs. 35 probably worth a decision and a commitment to one program or another.

If you are doubting your 23s, I suggest a bold correction.

rat fink

I use 23c tires @ 120psi on my commuter bike and have no qualms about riding all weather/all terrain and single track. I don't really see any reason why I would need larger than a 25c slick tire. I might try some 28s sometime and see what all the fuss is about, but I don't see why anyone would use larger than a 25c for anything other than serious trailblazing or laden touring. It's just not that rough of a ride if you're doing it right!

zoodude

32mm on my alex dc19 barely fit thought, figured 28 would be the better route next time. 32's help a lot in the winter though...

girlonbike

I prefer 25's but 28's are fine too. I ride on what ever brand I can afford at the time of purchase.

Snowman219

I just got some Michelin City 32c tires that work great for anything that comes. Just for kicks I rode with them in some fresh snow we had a week ago and they did better than I thought. Some woman at a bus stop yelled at me asking if I had a brain in my head as she takes another drag off of her cigarette.

migrant

35mm on my Bruce Gordon Rock n Road. It has room for 40's.

2su

25's are the largest i can get on my bike. I'd prefer 23's for the additional speed but 25's take a beating and are perfect for my commute.

AzTallRider

I weigh 220#, and am running 700x35 at 100 psi. If I let the pressure drop, I feel extra resistance. Of course the chain starts needing lube at the same time - every weekend - every other at the most.

Putting together a new bike now, and will go narrower and slicker: 28 or 25

CornyBum

This has been a very helpful thread, since I've been wondering about what tire size I should upgrade to for my hybrid commuter. Since rumrunn6 and I have the same bike (and I'm assuming same rims), I think I'll go with 700C x 28mm for my next set of tires, unless I wait for the Schwalbe Marathon Supremes, which has a minimum size of 700C x 32mm. At this point, I ride only on suburban roads and occasional sidewalks.