Heya .

I've been doing some searching on this and finding a lot of conflicting information. 99% of my riding is on pavement and 95% of that pavement is smooth. There are the occasional bumps and gravel on the road from repaired pot-holes, etc. I've found my stock 25c tires are pretty comfortable with my carbon frame but I know my frame does support 28c tires.

I am going to ride these 25c's until they're wore out or otherwise not in good shape anymore but when the time comes to replace them I'm thinking about going with 28c just for a little more cushion/contact area especially considering some of the pavement I ride isn't as smooth as it could be.

I'm mostly looking for first-hand experiences from people that have gone from 25 to 28 or 28 to 25 - was the change noticeable/large or minor?

I do have a Trek hybrid that rocks 35c's that has a pretty plush ride and I use it when I'm going on roads/trails that are really poorly maintained so I'm not looking to make my road-bike into a comfort or hybrid bike but just looking to optimize it a bit for the riding I do. I did buy the Synapse because it was capable of mounting the 28c's just in case I decided to go that route but was unsure at the time as I had never been on 25c's before .

Small difference.

I started out riding on 28c tires and then switched to 25c when I raced. I haven't raced in a while and I'm back to 28c. It is a bit cushier and more comfortable. Plus I don't think twice about gravel and/or rough stretches on my bike. The bike is plenty fast enough with 28c tires.

I know that 25c vs 28c won't make much [if any] difference in speed so long as they're aired to the right pressures but if it helps with gravel on the path that would be great .

I can ride over the gravel now without feeling unsteady but it does worry me a bit that I'll get a flat which I suppose would be a worry with any higher pressure tire.

I know my Trek just rolls right over it with those cushy 35c's without a concern . On the road bike I've found myself taking the lane when needed when the shoulder is terrible with gravel .

who makes a good 28?

Michelin P4SC are 25 but measured 27 on my bike.

GP4000s II

28s don't seem to be available yet though.

Continental gatorskin

Conti 4 seasons

I just went with 25 instead of my current 28. They carried both in these tires.

I would pass on these. I have had these on my bike now for 1.5 seasons (3000 miles). I think the sidewall is too soft and flexy, they require higher pressures when compared to other 700x28 tires to get same road feel and negate the advantage of riding a 28 in the first place. I paid almost $50/tire and I can't wait till they wear completely so that I can ditch them. They do wear well which is a plus I guess, but flat resistance is sub-par when compared to Bontrager Racelite Hardcase or Specialized Armadillo Elite.

gatorskins

I switched from Continental Gatorskin 700x28 to Continental Grand Prix 4000S II 700x25. The difference in feel and performance was phenomenal.

I have a pair of Clement Stradas which I find to be very nice. Forget Gatorskins.

I think that there's a huge difference between the 28s that I'm using now (Rubino Pro Tech III) and my old Rubino Pro 25's. The 28's are a lot smoother, primarily because I'm running them at 75-80 psig. The minimum pressure on the sidewall is 70 psig.

3 mm. Pretty small indeed.

Not even that when I had mis-matched rims. The "25" measured 26 on the rim, while the 28 was in practice 27 mm wide, so it was 1 mm.

Now that my rims are the same at least my 25's are both actually 25 mm wide, but I can't tell any difference between those and 28. Speed, weight, cushion, traction, literally I don't see a difference. So to me they're the same, whatever I feel like putting on at the time.

Much depends on what you want out of the tire. If you want a long lasting flat resistant tire I'd look at Schwalbe or Clement. For a supple performance tire I'd go with Compass or Grand Boise. I'd second staying away from Gatorskins unless you enjoy a rock like ride.

How good are these Contis?
2 Pack 2014 Continental Ultra Race 700 x 25c Road Bike Tire Pair New Clincher | eBay
The tires on my FX are slow and HEAVY. Looking for faster and lighter but not willing to pay much more than 50-55 for 2 tires.

Low end tire. Probably not very flat resistant. You are better off going with the new AWS Hardcase from Trek.

I really, really like gatorskins. And I have found the continental gatorskin 700 x 28c to be a very good all purpose tire given the sorts of roads (paved and unpaved) that I like to ride on. YMMV of course.

Ditto with the Endurance version, plus they stick well enough for crits. Yes, I do.

There's a much better choice of tires in 25 than 28, though this has been improving as of late.

That's what I'm planning to try next on my Roubaix on the rear. They're available, just not at very attractive prices.

Completely agree. I tend to run Gatorskins in the winter, but can't wait to pull them off come Spring. I run the Grand Boise tires as well and I find them to be nearly as quick as typical 23's but much, much more comfortable. They are as light as 25's and they make an extra light version that will be as light as a decent 23. They don't have specific flat protection, but with the higher volume, I think flats aren't nearly as common as high pressure, lower volume tires.

What I love about these tires is how comfortable they are and surprisingly how quick they feel. I actually run the 32's but have been thinking of running 28's since then I could get rid of the Gatorskins and run fenders. I need 28's if I want fenders.

So as said above, you need to be honest with yourself on what type of riding you're wanting to do. I gave up on winning the tour so for me, it's just getting some exercise in, enjoying the scenery and exploring. Speed isn't my driving motivation.

I'm happy with 25's but when the time comes to get new tires I was just curious if I should give 28s a try. I'll definitely give the Grand Boise tires a try .