Tire sizing...
 

Question: what width of tire do you run on your fixed/street rig? Conti Gator Skins and Specialized Armadillos get name-checked a lot. How wide?

I bought 700x25 slicks today for my fixed project-- the idea is to use the bike in both urban streets and on smooth, hard-pack, non-technical trails.

The only problem: tire is too tall for my front fork. Rubs. Not good. Guess it's time to start swapping forks...or...

Anyone wanna trade for something a bit smaller? It's a Specialized All-Condition pro. Brand new.

I've tried both 23 and 25 mm on the street. I've used 23 during milder weather and 25 during the winter season. I haven't flatted on either, so I can't vouch for one being more reliable than the other. Both are Contis for what it's worth.

I really like Continental Gator Skins but flatted twice with them. Armadillos seem bulletproof but ride like wood. Now I ride Vredestein TriComps on both bikes and love them. They're 700x23 and I think I'm hooked for life.

Jim

I am at 28 right now but want to go thinner some time in the nearish future. Do you feel you get the grip you need out of 25's during the winter?

26x1.25" irc metros - no flats yet.

I use Continental Contact 28's. No flats, but a huge perception of speed difference from my 23 slicks. I'll likely scale back to 23's in the near future and take my chances with flats and keep the contacts for touring/winter.

The 25s I have are kevlar bead Continental Ultra 3000s that I purchased off Performance when they went on sale for 19.99. They've gotten nicked up by me travelling through a few loose gravel alleys regularly, but all in all I haven't had any control issues with them in inclement weather. I set my bike up with a front brake and wide MTB platforms at the time though. I'm not sure if you would find more faults if you ride brakeless.

I like my 700x28's because they are comfortable and the resistance is not bad as long as i keep them properly inflated.

Thanks for the info