Dumby question.
 

Yeah, I'm a noob. But just wondering. I'm getting a bike with 700x32c tires. If I wanted to go with 700x23/25c tires, all i need to do is order those tires and put it on correct? Or would the whole wheel need to be changed.

It is likely that all you have to do is swap tires, but, it really depends on the width of the rim. What rims are on your bike?

^^^
what he said. Rims can handle a range of tire sizes but it depends on what rim you have.

why did you want to size down on your tires? Its probably more comfortable with 32s

it is not a dumb question if you do not know the answer...

take the bike to your Local Bike Shop, tell them what you want your bike to feel like, and they will be happy to get you going in the right direction

you will learn more from a face to face with a bike mechanic, and you will get to know a bike mechanic :)

support your LBS even if dont buy a bike from them

Review the Sheldon Brown tire - rim size chart
Enjoy

Your answer is in this chart:
http://www.sheldonbrown.com/tire-sizing.html#width

i would first ask the reason why?
what kind of bike do you have? do you know what kind of wheelset/rims?

my friend has an SE singlespeed that came with 700x32s....im just going to assume you got a stock bike like that with 700x32s....so chances are you could go down to 700x28s, or some 700x25s, but im thinking 23s would push it.

Alex DA19 are the wheels my bike comes with. Any idea whether 25s fit? I want to change tires for looks and also I guess for speed. heh

im not familiar with those rims. try emailing/calling whoever you bought the bike from and asking them.

in all likeliness i would think 25s would fit. but dont hold me to it.

Do you mean DC19? I don't see a DA19 rim listed on the Alex website.

http://www.alexrims.com/


If the DC19 is the right rim, its a bit wide for 25s. You could probably go down to 28mm tire but I wouldn't want to go any narrower on that rim.

I have yet to find a set of wheels that come stock on a bike that will not handle tire sizes from 23s to 32s. I guarantee you that 23s will fit unless you choose a tire that for some manufacturing error they are too narrow. For instance my cross bike's wheels came stock with 30s, I've had 23s up to 35s without issue.

"Speed comes from fitness, not hard & skinny tires."


http://www.rivbike.com/article/components/tires


I agree with their philosophy.... I like a comfortable ride.... Cheers..!!

Yes, 23mm tires will fit, no question, but not optimal for a rim of that width (if it really is the DC19 rim). At any rate, narrower tires aren't going to make the bike faster or make it look any better.

This is a tired argument. Obviously the rider is the most important factor in determining speed. But tires can and do influence speed in a variety of ways. The most obvious benefit of narrower tires is the increased aerodynamics. But, depending on the tire pressure, weight of the rider, road conditions, and other aspects of the tire's construction, a narrow tire may actually not roll as well as a wide tire. Its difficult to say without more information. In the OPs case, I'm betting the 7mm difference between 25s and 32s is not going to make a real difference. However, depending on what tires are presently on the OPs bike, a pair of higher quality tires, even of the same width, may significantly improve performance.

I wasn't trying to 'argue', just sharing information the OP and others might not know.... :)

and I fully agree with what you said.... it's just amazing to me how sooo many people think
an extremely narrow tire will help them go (noticably) faster, on the street especially....
a little bit bigger tire will roll just as smooth for 'most' people, and be a lot more comfortable
with less chance of pinch flats, etc..... :thumb:

I would add to this question... How do you determine what size tires your wheels can handle? It doesn't seem to turn up in specs on manufacturer's websites. My rims are 32H Alex SUB 700c... They have 38's on them now.

See post #7. BTW, that chart is somewhat conservative.

Oh, great. Missed that, thanks.

yea i put 29x1.75s on my deep-vs for ****s on my old cross check frame... they work if a bit sketch some times lol!