Noob Question: Tires Sizes and Wheel Types
 

Hello Forum- Thanks in advance for the help.

I've searched the forums and the web and my head is now swollen. It seems I can find too much information and it's confusing the heck out of me :)

Question: How wide a tire can I put on my road bike 700cc wheel? And what type is good for comfort, lack of flats, and city streets with lots of bumps, cracks, etc... Don't care too much about the ultimately efficient speed?

Background:
- I have a Fuji Absolute 2.0 with Alexrim R500 that I use to commute to work about 20-30mi a week.
- Wheel is a 700cc and currently has 700x28c tires on it
- I'm looking to put a larger tire on it that does ok with some water, rough terrain (bad street, stones, junk on road, uneven pavement.. basically, today's streets of the city).
- I really don't like the "twitchy" feeling of the narrow and rock hard road bike tires.

So... any advice? Can I fit a 32c? I've looked at Schwalbe Marathons, but are unsure if they'll fit.

Thanks!

The Fuji Absolute has disc brakes, so the brakes which are often the limiting factor for tire size should not be an issue.

If you have mounted fenders on your bike, then the determining factor will be the space between the rim and the fenders - and will depend on how you have mounted the fenders.

Failing that - the max size will probably be determined by the clearance on your front fork, which my guess would be that it would work with a 32C tire.

I commute on Schwalbe Marathon Plus tires - 28C size, which I find to be very good for normal commuting on roads (potholes, debris, dead animals etc). They wear well, give a smooth ride and are flat free.

Mark

Eyeball the clearance between your current 28c's and the fork as well as the rear chainstay - these are likely to be your pinch points.
My guess is that 32's should fit fine, and (IMO) this size represents an excellent balance between speed,handling and comfort. The Marathon Plus and Marathon Supremes are excellent tires.
As saurwald mentioned, fenders will reduce your max tire clearance as well.

Hey- Thanks for the quick reply. It actual has standard brakes. I looked at brakes, frame/fork clearances and there is plenty. Good to know you like the Schwalbe tires.

Do I thus need to get new tubes? If so, any advice?

Thanks again!

Tubes are marked with a range of tire sizes they'll work with. If your tubes are marked with something like 28-32mm then you're good. If they're marked with something like 23-28 then you may want to get new tubes.

Easy enough. Thanks for the help.

It's OK to have slightly smaller tubes than your tire size. I've used 23-25's on 28C, and 32C tubes in 38C tires. They expand just fine, and to be honest they're easier to install since it's harder to get them stuck between the tire and rim.

I love Vittoria Randos. They're heavy and pretty slow, but are all around great tires for commuting. There's slower tires (Marathon Pro) that are better at stopping flats, but they cost twice as much, and seem like over kill.

If you want to take the hassle (and cost) out of good flat protection, any grab any slick tire and Mr. Tuffy tire liners. After the 2nd pair of tires you end up saving a lot of cash, and they work better than almost any tire with flat protection built in.

Thanks for the tip re: liners and tires.

I'm actually most interested in a nice ride and great stability and then good flat protection. I haven't had a flat (But will some day). So a comfortable and stable tire with the liners might be a good way to go. I'm used to the stability of a mtn bike so this thin tire and wheel is a bit hard for me to get comfortable with.

Thanks!

You might be able to fit the 32s; however, if you're looking for a little more "float" you might want to try reducing your air pressure on you current tires. Unlike picking up new tires, it doesn't cost anything.:thumb::p

The Schwalbe Marathon Plus 28 or 32mm will give you much added protection re flatting. I've gotten many miles of flat free existance in the 2+ years I've been using them. Be forewarned, however they are really difficult to mount on high flange rims. A Kool Stop tire mounting tool is virtually indespensible. That or have your lbs do it. They're available at a variety online stores including www.biketiresdirect.com. I carry Pyramid metal tire levers(www.bikepartsusa.com) and undersized tubes even though I don't even think about getting flats anymore. Btw, the ride is smooth and predictable. Unless there's a revolutionary bike tire that comes on the market I'm a lifer.

Oh yeah, I forgot to mention. Using liners like Mr. Tuffys w/high psi road/touring/commuting tires can cut into the tubes. The SMPs eliminate the need for liners. They're pricey, but worth it in the long run when one adds up the cost of flat aggravation from cheap tires. Someone on another thread claims 20,000 miles on one set.

Hello- To Close this one out and share my solution....

I went with Schwalbe Marathon 37s... THEY ARE GREAT! The bike feels far more stable and immensely more comfortable.

Thanks for the help!