I am a recreational road rider. Truthfully, I am a mountain biker primarily.

I am 5'8" and weigh around 184 lbs. It is time for me to get new road bike tires for my TREK 2200. I have 700 X 23" tires now but they have never been the most comfortable.

Should I get 700 X 25" tires because of my weight? Any advise would be appreciated. Thanks.

I've been riding 23 Conti 4000s. Super tires, but I'm thinking maybe I should try 25s, after flatting from super-sharp gravel a couple weeks ago. I changed the tube and got home fine, but sometimes you just want to not have to deal with mid-ride repairs.

If you're all about comfort, look for a tire of any size that handles lower pressure. A 25 tire will definitely be more comfortable since they generally run at lower pressure than 23's, but it will also feel slower due to increased resistance. Of course, aluminum frames are harsh to begin with and there may be other things you can do to improve comfort. And a tire's durability has little to do with its width. Look for something with heavier, more durable construction if you're concerned about that.

BTW, I weigh about the same as you and run 23's with no problem. I would run 20's if I could find them.

Just to be clear, " is inches and 23/25 is mm.

On any given tire brand, 25 should be wider and more confortable (I clarify for any given brand since a 23 mm tire from one vendor may be about the same width as a 25 mm form another vendor). Yoy could even try 28mm tires, which where the tire size that my wife's hybrid came with, confort should be even better but also more resitance and thus less speed at any power output level.

Awwe, I wanted to see the OP ride on 2 foot wide tires.

Imagine the traction! The contact patches! The rolling resistance!

How hard it would be to lean into a turn!!!

Also between brands. Compare a Continental Ultra Race 23 and a Continental GP4000 23. UR is much more narrow.

The Ultra Race 25 is about the same width as the GP23.

Yep, I have a Continental Grand Prix in 25mm width that measures about the same as my Ultra Gatorskins in 23mm.

me too!!

only ~12"?

If you are concerned about comfort, I'd get the 28's - assuming they fit your Trek, and it may be close - and run 25% less pressure than you do right now.

At 185 23c tires will be fine. 25c will give you a bit more comfort. I would give it a try and not worry too much about any performance loss especially if you're just a recreation rider.

Running too high pressure will make your ride quality worse. At your weight I would run 115/104psi (back/front) on 700x23 or 105/95psi for 700x25c tires.

Just a recreation rider, you won't notice the difference.

For comfort see if 28's will fit.

Ok.
I now get it.
Thanks.
There does not appear to be much difference between 23mm and 25mm. I would assume that 23mm would be slightly quicker but again, not much difference.
Thanks again.

25mm tires can have slightly lower rolling resistance vs the same tire in 23mm.
But they also will have slightly higher air resistance.

In real life, it's probably a wash. You won't notice either lower rolling resistance or higher aero drag.
Note that there is no comfort difference if you run the 25s at the same pressure as your 23s. You have to run at a lower pressure to get the added comfort.

I don't think there is any difference in the tendency to flat.

Before you change, what psi are you running your tires at now? A lot of riders run their tires at too high a pressure because they think that higher pressure is faster. It is but only to a point, and unless you're real heavy that point is lower than the numbers printed on the side of the tire. Try following this chart:
https://www.michelinbicycletire.com/m...rpressure.view

When I did (I went from 110psi to 100), the ride got better, I got fewer flats and I couldn't feel a difference in rolling resistance.

I put about 15,000 miles on Michelin Pro2race, 25mm, and since have a couple thousand on 23mm Pro3race. I only switched because I got a good price on the 23's. I honestly cannot tell a bit of difference in them. I run about 95psi. And I can't speak to flats because I almost never have one. For sure none on the 23's.

I've had 23s on my bike for a while... I changed them back to my kevlar lined commuter tires 28, which are little less than 100g heavier each. I thought they wouldn't make much of a difference, but I did some hill repeats with a friend and got my butt kicked. Could be a placebo effect, but I felt like the wheels were heavier, slower to accelerate, and slower on cornering.

I switched them to 25s and rode a bit today. I couldn't tell much of a difference between the 23s, but I also didn't bike very much.

Easy solution - use both :-)

On my trainer I use a 25 rear and 23 front (GP 4 Season - 95/110). Works well for me.

Currently, I have been riding with both Hutchinson Carbon Comp 700 X 23mm tires inflated to 125 psi. Yes, I thought that the higher the psi, the faster one went. Of course, it has not been the most comfortable. It was not until recently that I started reading about better road bike tires and using different psi for both front and rear tires. Since I am primarily a mountain biker and weigh 184 lbs, I thought that maybe I should switch to the 25mm tires for a little more comfort and easier handling. Of course, I also think that a better tire will make a huge difference.

I never really researched the Hutchinson tires. I just bought them a good price. I would not be interested in switching to anything wider than 25 mm.

So, after reading all the posts, it does seem to me that there is just not much difference and that considering my weight and cycling background, the 25 mm will be a better choice for me. Thanks.

A wider tire is not necessarily a slower tire. Increased tire drop means a larger contact patch, but not necessarily greater resistance. Generally, wider tires with greater drop and larger contact patches will translate into a perception of increased comfort and the perception of a slower pace. The myth of the wider/slower tire has been debunked by a few studies. In short, narrow tires inflated to extreme pressures tend to transmit more vibration through the cockpit and give the rider the perception of speed.

All that being said, I doubt you will notice a great deal of difference between 23s and 25s. Determine the best psi for your weight/tire combo by consulting Frank Berto's chart, or one of the others floating around, (which I bet is less than you are currently running) and give that a try. Also, a more supple/high tpi tire will increase perceptions of comfort with minimal impact on the perception of speed. Goos luck.