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Gator Hardshells run big?

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Singlespeed & Fixed Gear "I still feel that variable gears are only for people over forty-five. Isn't it better to triumph by the strength of your muscles than by the artifice of a derailer? We are getting soft...As for me, give me a fixed gear!"-- Henri Desgrange (31 January 1865 - 16 August 1940)

Gator Hardshells run big?

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Old 07-16-12 | 06:19 PM
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Gator Hardshells run big?

Do these tires run big? I got a 28c to go on my Leader S803 fork, but it's rubbing a bit on the crown fork. It's barely rubbing, in fact it's really just the extra rubber sticking up the middle of the tire that's rubbing, but it's still a little too close for comfort. My question is whether I'd have better luck with a different 28c tire, such as a Randonneur.

And, for part two of my question, would I be better off with two 28c Randos or a 28c hardshell in back as a 25c hardshell up front. My main concern about the Randos are the low psi rating. I'm a bigger guy (250lbs) and am not sure if I'd be better off with a higher psi tire like the Hardshell in a 25c size, or a wider 28c tire that has lower psi like the Rando.

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Old 07-17-12 | 08:00 AM
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I had to file out my fork to fit a 32C Tourguard(on a different fork). Filing is always an option if you want to run that size tire.
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Old 07-17-12 | 08:11 AM
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Filing the fork makes me a little nervous. Does anyone know of a site that has pictures and/or video of exactly how it's done?

Also, here's a couple of pics of the tire and how much it's rubbing. It mostly seems to be rubbing on the extra bit of rubber in the middle of the tire. The wheel itself is true, but the tire has the tiniest bit of up/down movement when spinning so it rubs a little bit more in certain places. These two pics show the best and worst of it. Does this look like something that could be solved by filing? I'd really like to run 28c Hardshells on this build, but I don't want to do something stupid and/or dangerous.


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Old 07-18-12 | 03:29 AM
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I know for sure gatorskins run taller (more oval shaped) than many of the tires I have used. This maybe your problem.
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Old 07-18-12 | 11:06 AM
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Originally Posted by smurray
Filing the fork makes me a little nervous. Does anyone know of a site that has pictures and/or video of exactly how it's done?

Also, here's a couple of pics of the tire and how much it's rubbing. It mostly seems to be rubbing on the extra bit of rubber in the middle of the tire. The wheel itself is true, but the tire has the tiniest bit of up/down movement when spinning so it rubs a little bit more in certain places. These two pics show the best and worst of it. Does this look like something that could be solved by filing? I'd really like to run 28c Hardshells on this build, but I don't want to do something stupid and/or dangerous.


Not to beat a dead horse, but is the amount of clearance I'm showing in these pictures really normal and/or safe? Also, this may be a stupid question, but would the tire rub anymore when I'm actually riding? I know the fork wouldn't compress, but if the tire compresses where it hits the road wouldn't it expand a little bit everywhere else?
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Old 07-18-12 | 08:25 PM
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Gator Hardshells run big?

Just realized I posted this in the wrong forum. Any way to move it to the regular SS/FG section?
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