Is this adequate tire clearance?
 

Would you guys say that my frame has sufficient enough clearance to run this tire? It's close, but I couldn't detect rubbing on my shakedown ride. I'm just worried that hard, high torque efforts like sprints will flex the frame enough to have it rub.

As for my riding style, I like to ride fast and hard at times, and have no reservations taking this cross bike on pretty gnarly terrain.

Are those Continental Speed Rides, or Cyclocross Speed tires? If those are the 700x42 Speed Rides, you can try the Cyclocross Speeds at 700x35 and get a little more room. Same tread pattern. The wider Speed Rides are great tires, I run 'em on my mountain bike for mixed pavement and gravel. I'd like 'em even wider but there's only a 1/4" clearance with the front derailer as it is now.

If those are Clement LAS 700x33, that's probably about as narrow as you can find in that tread style.

No

Yeah no. That's way inside the flexability of the both the frame and the wheel, not to mention that if you get mud on the tire you'll be looking at a hole in the frame real soon. I usually like 10mm on both sides, but that's just me.

Double No

Minimum tire clearance is "FAIL" (worst case: Dangerous)
 

It is Best to Always have enough clearance between the tires, forks, frame, rim brake mechanism, Chainrings etc. So that bike is still Ridable should you break a Spoke, or two.

... This is of EXTREME IMPORTANCE for bikes taken OFF road. Where even * IF * you have Cell Phone Coverage, your " Call Of Shame " may NOT do you much good. Unless " Homebase " has access to a 4 wheel drive. Or, worst case, a Rescue Helicopter ( if in boondocks single track ).

... Looking at your Picture. YOU Could be facing a long hike (best case), packing your bike out, if You do suffer a 'Popped Spoke' or two.

... Never forget the Outdoors Persons adage. It's good to ' Hope For The Best '. Much better to Always be prepared for " Murphy's Law " to Open Wide It's Fang Lined, Rabies Foam Covered Jaws, to bite you in the ass.:innocent:;).
... ... ... cue: Darkening forest scene, ... cue: light drizzle of sleet/snow, ... cue: middle distance Coyote Pack howls, ... Coming closer. .. ... ...Fade to Black:rolleyes:




/

I'm running about the same on two bikes. 32mm tires on Raleigh International, and 38mm tires on Viner CX frame.
here's a parallel thread on C&V - http://www.bikeforums.net/classic-vi...ce-needed.html

Hit a pothole hard enough to knock the wheel out of true and you're going to have a problem.

Try it. If it works, it works. I went from 23s to 32s on my '83 Nishiki International, and they occasionally scrape the fork "crotch" and whatever that bridge thing is in the rear between the seat stays. I'm noticing it more and more as the tires get older and possibly more pliable. Twenty-eights next time.

Too little clearance for my comfort.

Are you prepared to CARRY your bike if/when you have a problem? Because you sure as hell won't be able to roll it. You could let some air out of the tire to get it to rub it's way past the stay, but you won't be able to ride it like that. How comfortable are your riding shoes? You might have to walk a long way.


-Kedosto

Close only counts in horseshoes. If it clears, there's enough clearance. The only way to know if it will clear in hard cornering is to ride it as hard or harder than you plan to.

Of course, more clearance is helpful in that it gives you added room for error. That can come in handy if you break a spoke, or otherwise have the front wheel go untrue. But that's not something I tend to lose sleep over. (except when planning for long distance, multi-day touring).

In my opinion no. A small twig or stone could really cause a problem. Hit a bump and get it a little out of true same deal. If you only ran it on the road, maybe....maybe.

Open it up a drop with a rounded rasp...

That looks like CF. If so, then filing might be problematic. If not, then filing the sides won't be an option either.

I think it's CF as well but don't think it would hurt down there.

Just touch up the clear coat and you are good to go...

Not having any idea of the thickness there, nor how close to the surface critical structural plies are, I wouldn't advise filing blindly. The benefit gained will be minimal and meaningless unless at least 1mm is removed from each side, and that 1mm may be critical to the bike.

If you've ever broken a spoke miles from anywhere you'll get the gist of my earlier post.

Filing the stay for clearance?! Seriously? Riiiiight.


-Kedosto

If those are the tires I'm thinking of -- Continental Cyclocross Speed or Speed Rides (nearly identical tread, just different widths) -- it might be more practical to file down the side knobbies and leave the frame alone.

Those Contis have a peculiar design. It's mostly a shallow diamond or file pattern tread. It does most of the work on pavement, trails and grass when not making tight turns. Good compromise between grip and smooth rolling.

There's a single row of knobbies along the edges, which come into play only on hard cornering. Unless you're riding cyclocross with tight turns on mostly dry grass you'll probably never miss the knobbies. I've dug into the knobbies once or twice on tight turns on pavement and they feel squirmy.

So if you don't mind taking a rasp to the knobbies you can knock 'em down a bit to provide more clearance.

Or go ride round and round and round in really tight curves on some abrasive terrain for a few hours, first NASCAR style, then the unAmerican direction.

http://blobs.continental-tires.com/w...ross-s1-01.png
Continental Cyclocross Speed 700x35

http://blobs.continental-tires.com/w...e-ct-s1-01.png
Continental Speed Ride

All these suggestions to modify either the frame or tire, are (IMO) too much work for not enough benefit.

I think this is a case where the OP needs to decide for himself whether he can live with this or not. If not, the right solution is a tire that's narrow enough to give him the clearance he believes he needs.

If all else fails, then the best answer is a frame with enough room to give the OP the clearance he wants with the tires he prefers.

So in the words of the canal boatmen, either raise the bridge or lower the water.