Tire Width "sweet spot"?
 

I gotta replace the 700x23 tires on the Kilo and I am considering something wider like perhaps Gatorskins in 28's. In your experience for general riding & commuting, whats the perfect width?

Some months ago I mounted a pair of 700x32 touring tires and the bike felt sluggish. The current 23's have served well, but can be torture on our ratty Pennsylvania roads.

I'd suggest 25mm front and 28mm rear.

I have Gatorskin 28s on my Team Fuji and I find them quite good for commuting, after coming to the same conclusion regarding 23s.

I went to 28's

32s, but good 32s. I really like the Clement Strada but the Compass offerings are very good as well.

Your touring tires felt sluggish because they were touring tires, not because they were wide. They're generally built for flat resistance and durability.

25s front and rear for me

The 32's I had *barely* fit on the Kilo. And I had to use the stock wheelset as my cheapie aftermarket wheels were too narrow.

I'm leaning toward 28's at this point.

I would think that for general riding you'll find the 28s fast enough yet capable of riding confidently on a variety surfaces you may encounter. If you have mostly smooth pavement, then go 25s.

28s are the sweet spot for me.

Another vote for 28s.

Funny thing is I'm surprised how easy that is to read.

If i had to get ONE tire size for all my bikes, I'd probably get 28's

25's but the roads in Georgia don't get frost heaved.

But what 32's? Not all measure the same. The Compass tires (which I LOVE) measure about 2mm narrower than labeled. I have both the 32's and 28's. (so 30 & 26) There is no reason I'd go any narrower.

It very much depends on the rim. My compass tires measure almost 3mm over what they are labeled because they are on WIDE rims.

Makes sense. What size are you running? (tire & rim)

Compass 35mm tire on 32mm rim.

Here is a fairly precises example of the role rim width plays. I have Schwalbe Kojaks (35mm) on some rims that measure 24mm outside width. I have the exact same tires on a different set of rims that measure 32mm outside width. The tires measure slightly under 32mm on the narrow rim and almost 38mm on the wide rim. Huge difference. Also, because of the added volume of the wide rim/tire combo, air pressure requirements are VERY different between the two sets. Even though the narrow rims weigh less, the wide rim set up feels faster, grippier, turns better, and handles bumps better. I think it's because the contact patch is wider and shorter, so less rolling resistance even with less PSI. Kinda like the best of both worlds.

I think the "wider shorter" contact patch is the reason I like my 32's better than the 28's. And yes, the 32's are on wider rims. Plus, being a light weight I get to run lower pressures no matter what combo I ride.

I actually feel sorry for those pushing 100+ psi. :p

28s but not Gatorskins.

Get something that rides better if you can give up some durability. Clement Stradas are nice. Paselas. Compass if you have the cash.

Pretty much anything besides Vittoria Randonneurs will ride better. Can run at lower pressure. It's like getting a new bike.

35 front 38 rear.

i ride schwalbe marathons, which are notoriously sluggish but pretty much bomb proof. i compensate for the sluggishness with 170mm cranks and a relatively moderate gearing (46x17). it basically floats over everything.

when my 23s wore out I switched to 25s. but more important than width, I think, is the actual tire you select. I went with Michelin PRO4 Endurance 700x25. they are sweet

28s for my commuter as well.

Thanks for the replies. I have a pair of 28 Gator's on the way.

25C would be good starting point but I don't need those 25C or higher because I have wide rim that automatically expanding 23C into 25C when fully inflated to 120 PSI width measurement

Its work perfect for me

25C or fatter tires would be more comfortable but in sacrifice with speed and accelerate due to weight

Update: My Gatorskins arrived yesterday and I hope to install them later today after I'm done with some cooking chores. I also found an old rack I may install on the Kilo, just to see how it looks.