Tire widths, 32c - 38c Big difference?
 

My bike came with 32c tires, but I've been thinking of going a little bigger. While I ride mostly pavement, our roads are generally in terrible condition, and I do plan to do some light off-roading as well.

Was wondering if there's a noticeable difference between these sizes (I'm thinking 40c might be too big, and not sure if it'll fit well anyway), both in feel and performance? Any recommendations?

Try it. I rode 38c for a long time on my cross bike and recently switched to 32c. I like 32c tires better than 38c on the road but it sounds like a 38c may be ideal given your riding conditions.

I ride 700 X 35 and feel that they are very well balanced for general commuting, loaded touring and riding on gravel. That would be my pick, however you probably wouldn't notice much difference between either. Tread pattern will make a big difference, what were you thinking? My tires have a smooth center part for riding on the road and a little of tread on the side for cornering on gravel.

Donnie

Thanks for the replies.

Yeah I think I'm gonna try some 38's, I do worry 35's might not be that noticeable of a difference. Definitely want something semi-slick, smooth in the middle with some knobbage on the sides.

I was looking at the Schwalbe CX Comp:
Schwalbe CX Comp Cyclocross Bike Tyre | Chain Reaction Cycles

Have you thought of putting the less fatter one in front & fatter fatter one in back?

- Andy

Our bikes (other than track and road race) are mostly 700 x 45c or 650 x 35a. Almost all Schwalbe Marathons. The 45c's are quite strongly preferred. They're not quite as fast, but much more comfortable. Getting somewhere comfortably in 32 minutes vs uncomfortably in 30 minutes, I'll take the extra 2 minutes.

I had not, actually. Is this common? I guess since the front tire is the first to "hit", I would think having a beefier front tire would be advantageous..?

I'm definitely going for more comfort, my commute is only about ten minutes anyways. Don't think anything bigger than 40c will fit on my bike, though.

I gotta swing by my LBS and pick up some skewers I left there like a dummy, will see if they have any 38c or 40c tired bikes on the floor that I could check out.

For a 10 minute ride I'd definitely be looking at a different bike, like a Dutch city bike. Much more comfortable and efficient. If you stick with your bike then make sure to leave plenty of clearance between the tire and everything else (fenders, etc), especially if you ever have mud or snow.

My Tourist came with 32's and I ran it that way for a few years. Last winter I installed 35's and hated the way it rolled. Went back to the 32's. But that was just me.

More of the weight is on the rear on most modern geometries, plus most front wheels are laced 3x vs a 2x for rear. The smaller tire on front also allows for more nimble steering while you get the benefit of better grip leaning into a turn on rear to push you through the turn. This setup has worked really well for me, and in that tradition my uptown has a 26x1.5 in front and a 26x1.75 in back. I may get a 2.00 for the back for winter if i can find one with a reflective strip.

- Andy

I've used those before and they are excellent tires. Good on road/off road performance. They also have puncture protection which most CX tires don't have.

I think you are doing it backwards... A lot of mountain bikers, BMX'ers and free riders put bigger fatter tire on the front for better handling and cornering and smaller tire on the rear for faster and easier acceleration.

I think the big front is more to do with handling obstacles, not really an issue on pavement. Smaller rear means more suspension travel, i suspect.

- Andy

I definitely love my bike, plan to use it for more than just my short commute, including some light off-road/trail riding. Haven't decided on fenders yet, one of the reasons I'm capping it off at 38c instead of 40c.

Good to know, thanks!

Appreciate all the responses, folks...

I went from Kenda 32's to Marathon Supreme 40's and really disliked it. The tires rode like wood and the height difference was very noticeable. After two rides, they were gone and I went back to 32's. Now I have just started using Clement X'Plor 35's and I really like them so far. They were great in the city and I took them on some trails and they worked like a charm. I like the volume and the versatility being able to go from street to gravel to trails which is something I couldn't and wouldn't do with the Marathon 40's. Then again maybe with the Clement 40's it would have been a different story.

Your Marathon Supremes rode like wood? What pressure were you running? I have CT issues,and DC has crappy streets,and I don't have any issues running 55f/60r in the 2"ers on my all-alloy Pt Reyes.