JOEPIPPAS

I have the 23mm and was wondering if there is a major ride difference between the 23mm and the 25mm. I know it's only 2mm. diff. but what is your take on this issue.

SDRider

Beats me, I've been riding on the Conti GP4000s for about a year now and have had almost zero flats with the 700x23. I had to replace my front with very little wear on it due to a cut in the sidewall (didn't flat on my ride-I noticed the tube bulging out after I arrived home) but otherwise it's been a very durable tire. I'll definitely buy them again.

jimblairo

I weigh 230 and I tried 23's but I had to inflate them to 120 while the 25's I inflate to 110 or 105 which gives a more comfortable ride.

JOEPIPPAS

Cool. How do they corner, sprint, desend and flat out feel when you are in TT mode?

John Wilke

I can feel the difference between a 23 and a 25. Typically I run 25's in the spring before we've had enough rain to wash the winter grime away and when riding gravel "Rail to Trail"'s. I find the fatter tire gives a smoother ride on bumpy roads and they do give a little more float on soft gravel. They aren't quite as nimble when on the open road in the summer though. A nice trade off is 23 front / 25 rear. Flats? I dunno, I watch where I'm riding and don't flat that often. I tried 19's once ... I couldn't even complete a single ride without a pinch flat ... roads are too bumpy here I guess.

jw

johnny99

The main advantage of wider tires is that you can (and should) run them at a lower air pressure without risking pinch flats. If you are running 23mm and 25mm tires at the same pressure, then one is over-inflated or the other is under-inflated. A lower tire pressure should be noticeable to your rear end.

alanbikehouston

The difference in "feel" between 25mm and 23mm is rather subtle. If both are inflated to the proper PSI for your weight (often far, far less than the maximum PSI marked on the tires) the 25mm will do a better job of soaking up road shock, and will slightly improve cornering ability and braking ability, especially on wet or slippery surfaces.

To get a significant improvement over 23mm tires, you need 27mm or 28mm tires. Sadly, many road bikes being sold in 2007 don't provide good fork and frame clearances for 28mm tires, and some good tires are not sold in the 28mm size. But, any rider weighing more than around 180 pounds, or anyone who ever rides in the rain, or on dirt or gravel roads will appreciate the "fatter" air cushion and wider contact patch a 28mm tire provides. Not to mention far fewer flats.

As mentioned above, your "best" PSI level varies by the width of the tire. If the "best" PSI for your weight is 120 PSI with a 23mm width, your "best" PSI with a 25mm tire will be about 110 PSI, and with a 28mm tire, it will be about 100 PSI.

For a rider of a given weight, those three different PSI levels would yield an identical amount of "deflection" or sag in the tire when the rider puts his full weight onto the bike. A slight amount of 'sag' in the tire when you get on the bike allows the sidewalls to flex slightly as you ride over rough pavement. If a tire is over-inflated and has zero "sag" when you get on the bike, the tires are not going to do their job of absorbing road shock.

JOEPIPPAS

Wow that is a lot of help thanks bro.