Go Back  Bike Forums > Bike Forums > Road Cycling
Reload this Page >

Bike Tire sizing conversion oddity?

Notices
Road Cycling “It is by riding a bicycle that you learn the contours of a country best, since you have to sweat up the hills and coast down them. Thus you remember them as they actually are, while in a motor car only a high hill impresses you, and you have no such accurate remembrance of country you have driven through as you gain by riding a bicycle.” -- Ernest Hemingway

Bike Tire sizing conversion oddity?

Old 10-13-15, 07:21 PM
  #1  
Sy Reene
Advocatus Diaboli
Thread Starter
 
Sy Reene's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: Wherever I am
Posts: 8,416

Bikes: Merlin Cyrene, Nashbar steel CX

Mentioned: 14 Post(s)
Tagged: 1 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4596 Post(s)
Liked 1,455 Times in 944 Posts
Bike Tire sizing conversion oddity?

from the following, and supported by eg. Schwalbe's website, why do size equivalents go like this? :
40-622 = 700x40
38-622 = 700x38
37-622 = 700x35
32-622 = 700x32
25-622 = 700x25

etc.. ie. why does only the 37-622 tire have a different width when in the 700x## sizing (French sizing) of 35mm..? It only came up because I had ordered some 700x35 tires, and had a momentary concern when the box was labelled 37-622. I thought I had a return possibly on my hands.
Sy Reene is offline  
Old 10-13-15, 07:25 PM
  #2  
NormanF
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 5,737
Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 147 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 7 Times in 7 Posts
Bike tires often measure smaller than the listed size.

Don't overly worry about it.

I suspect my Schwalbe Marathon Dureme 40-622 = 700 X 40, are really closer to 700 X 38 in actual diameter.

Very few bike tires run true to nominal size.
NormanF is offline  
Old 10-13-15, 07:44 PM
  #3  
rpenmanparker 
Senior Member
 
rpenmanparker's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Houston, TX
Posts: 28,682

Bikes: 1990 Romic Reynolds 531 custom build, Merlin Works CR Ti custom build, super light Workswell 066 custom build

Mentioned: 107 Post(s)
Tagged: 1 Thread(s)
Quoted: 6556 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 58 Times in 36 Posts
I would view it more as a reasonable substitution than as an equivalence
__________________
Robert

Originally Posted by LAJ
No matter where I go, here I am...
rpenmanparker is offline  
Old 10-13-15, 08:03 PM
  #4  
Sy Reene
Advocatus Diaboli
Thread Starter
 
Sy Reene's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: Wherever I am
Posts: 8,416

Bikes: Merlin Cyrene, Nashbar steel CX

Mentioned: 14 Post(s)
Tagged: 1 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4596 Post(s)
Liked 1,455 Times in 944 Posts
Originally Posted by rpenmanparker
I would view it more as a reasonable substitution than as an equivalence
But isn't width, width? Just curious that just for this one size, the values differ.. Nothing too serious, just an oddity I'd be curious if someone could explain.
Sy Reene is offline  
Old 10-13-15, 08:20 PM
  #5  
rpenmanparker 
Senior Member
 
rpenmanparker's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Houston, TX
Posts: 28,682

Bikes: 1990 Romic Reynolds 531 custom build, Merlin Works CR Ti custom build, super light Workswell 066 custom build

Mentioned: 107 Post(s)
Tagged: 1 Thread(s)
Quoted: 6556 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 58 Times in 36 Posts
Typo.
__________________
Robert

Originally Posted by LAJ
No matter where I go, here I am...
rpenmanparker is offline  
Old 10-13-15, 11:49 PM
  #6  
a1penguin
Senior Member
 
a1penguin's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Silicon Valley, CA
Posts: 3,209
Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 139 Post(s)
Liked 33 Times in 20 Posts
Sheldon Brown's site has a great article about tire sizes: Tire Sizing Systems
a1penguin is offline  
Old 10-14-15, 05:13 AM
  #7  
Sy Reene
Advocatus Diaboli
Thread Starter
 
Sy Reene's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: Wherever I am
Posts: 8,416

Bikes: Merlin Cyrene, Nashbar steel CX

Mentioned: 14 Post(s)
Tagged: 1 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4596 Post(s)
Liked 1,455 Times in 944 Posts
Originally Posted by rpenmanparker
Typo.
No..
Vittoria

Schwalbe

Michelin.. which actually has some additional width different sizing also in the 40 and 42-622 sizes.


A1penguin.. I've been to Sheldon's site, I'm pretty sure he says the width should be the same also.. though he highlited that 1 3/4 is not the same as 1.75
Attached Images
Sy Reene is offline  
Old 10-14-15, 05:24 AM
  #8  
rpenmanparker 
Senior Member
 
rpenmanparker's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Houston, TX
Posts: 28,682

Bikes: 1990 Romic Reynolds 531 custom build, Merlin Works CR Ti custom build, super light Workswell 066 custom build

Mentioned: 107 Post(s)
Tagged: 1 Thread(s)
Quoted: 6556 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 58 Times in 36 Posts
Originally Posted by Sy Reene
No..
Vittoria

Schwalbe

Michelin.. which actually has some additional width different sizing also in the 40 and 42-622 sizes.


A1penguin.. I've been to Sheldon's site, I'm pretty sure he says the width should be the same also.. though he highlited that 1 3/4 is not the same as 1.75
Like in "Shakespeare in Love"..."It's a mystery".
__________________
Robert

Originally Posted by LAJ
No matter where I go, here I am...
rpenmanparker is offline  
Old 10-14-15, 08:48 AM
  #9  
gsa103
Senior Member
 
Join Date: May 2013
Location: SF Bay Area
Posts: 4,401

Bikes: Bianchi Infinito (Celeste, of course)

Mentioned: 19 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 754 Post(s)
Liked 104 Times in 77 Posts
The ERTO is for the rim interface and is basically a legal requirement to ensure proper rim fitment. The 700c x 35mm size should properly be called "something vaguely resembling 35mm". It represents the typically tire width when mounted on a "standard" rim for that size tire. For whatever reason, Schwalbe recommends the 35mm tire mounted on a slightly wider rim.
gsa103 is offline  
Old 10-14-15, 09:19 AM
  #10  
Bike Gremlin
Mostly harmless ™
 
Bike Gremlin's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Novi Sad
Posts: 4,339

Bikes: Heavy, with friction shifters

Mentioned: 20 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1059 Post(s)
Liked 136 Times in 95 Posts
Originally Posted by Sy Reene
from the following, and supported by eg. Schwalbe's website, why do size equivalents go like this? :
40-622 = 700x40
38-622 = 700x38
37-622 = 700x35
32-622 = 700x32
25-622 = 700x25

etc.. ie. why does only the 37-622 tire have a different width when in the 700x## sizing (French sizing) of 35mm..? It only came up because I had ordered some 700x35 tires, and had a momentary concern when the box was labelled 37-622. I thought I had a return possibly on my hands.
ISO (x-622 etc) is the correct way. 700xY is the blast from the past. Just like we often say 28" wheels for wheels with rim tyre bead diameter of 622. Just like we say 29" wheels, for the same rim width, just with a fatter tyre mounted on it.

All explained in detail, with cross reference of old standards:

Tyre dimensions
Bike Gremlin is offline  
Old 10-14-15, 05:10 PM
  #11  
Sy Reene
Advocatus Diaboli
Thread Starter
 
Sy Reene's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: Wherever I am
Posts: 8,416

Bikes: Merlin Cyrene, Nashbar steel CX

Mentioned: 14 Post(s)
Tagged: 1 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4596 Post(s)
Liked 1,455 Times in 944 Posts
Originally Posted by Slaninar
ISO (x-622 etc) is the correct way. 700xY is the blast from the past. Just like we often say 28" wheels for wheels with rim tyre bead diameter of 622. Just like we say 29" wheels, for the same rim width, just with a fatter tyre mounted on it.

All explained in detail, with cross reference of old standards:

Tyre dimensions
Thanks! Makes sense and that was my guess.. that somehow width measurement in ETRTO system was contingent upon some sort of assumed rim width, while the 700x?? system maybe not so. That said, even this link offers maybe some outdated into.. ie suggesting that even a 25mm tire is incompatible with a 19mm rim width (internal), when the flavor of the month seems to be to run 21mm(25mm external width) with 23 to 25mm tires. Their chart seems to imply that to run a Hed Ardennes rim, you need a minimum of a 35mm tire.
Sy Reene is offline  
Old 10-14-15, 11:01 PM
  #12  
Bike Gremlin
Mostly harmless ™
 
Bike Gremlin's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Novi Sad
Posts: 4,339

Bikes: Heavy, with friction shifters

Mentioned: 20 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1059 Post(s)
Liked 136 Times in 95 Posts
Originally Posted by Sy Reene
Thanks! Makes sense and that was my guess.. that somehow width measurement in ETRTO system was contingent upon some sort of assumed rim width, while the 700x?? system maybe not so. That said, even this link offers maybe some outdated into.. ie suggesting that even a 25mm tire is incompatible with a 19mm rim width (internal), when the flavor of the month seems to be to run 21mm(25mm external width) with 23 to 25mm tires. Their chart seems to imply that to run a Hed Ardennes rim, you need a minimum of a 35mm tire.
ETRTO is based on actual rim diameter. Unlike other, older standards.

Chart on rim widts is conservative - on the safe side. If one really knows what they're doing, it can be exceeded. Some rim producers, like Mavic for example, note on their rims what minimum and maximum width tyre rim takes, and what are maximum pressures it can take - the widest tyre having the lowest pressure allowed for the rim to hold.
Bike Gremlin is offline  
Related Topics
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
Robert P
Bicycle Mechanics
12
01-19-15 08:07 PM
katit
Bicycle Mechanics
6
06-15-14 06:00 PM
DougG
Fifty Plus (50+)
4
08-07-11 12:17 AM
MakerMark
Bicycle Mechanics
2
03-07-10 10:06 PM
Nobodyetal
Commuting
5
12-17-09 11:09 AM

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off


Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service - Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information -

Copyright © 2023 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.