#1
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25 or bigger?
Since it was given to me by the bike shop last September I have
changed (in chronological order) the crankset, saddle, bottom bracket, downtube shifters, brake levers, handlebars, fork, cassette, chain, rear derailleur, wheelset, crankset, bottom bracket, front derailleur, and stem. It still has the original frame, headset, seat post, handlebar tape, brakes, pedals and front inner tube. Triple up front, mountain bike 11-28 on back, friction downtube for the front derailleur, indexed downtube for the rear derailleur. The current tires are 700x23 Bontrager Race X-Lites. I'm thinking of going with wider tires and another new fork that is a little bit taller and that has eyelets for a front rack so I can be prepared in the event of ever having the time to do a fully loaded tour. The current Bontrager tires can then be spares for the race bike and I'll be less worried about flats (and more comfortable) when I take the bike on the bad roads. Before spending the last two weeks in Qinghai I had this idea (hope/dream/plan) of maybe riding this bike to Tibet some day but I did not altitude adapt well when I was up there and I'm not sure that I'll ever be able to go high like that by bike. The bike shop says I can go as wide as 700x25 without changing my current brakes. I'm willing to change my current brakes. On an aluminum Giant frankenbike with Dura Ace bolts holding the Ultegra granny gear to the FSA octalink crankset, a Brooks saddle, a Tiagra front derailleur an Alivio rear derailleur and 105 wheels ... there are very few reasons against changing the brakes. Why not go Tektro? Seriously, how big a comfort difference am I going to get by changing the tires from 700x23 to 700x25? Would it be a better idea to go even wider or are 25s wide enough for roads that haven't been repaved or maintained since the mid 1960s? I've done these same roads with the 23s and while it hurt it was doable. -M |
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#2
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25 or bigger?
On Jul 24, 10:54 am, "
wrote: Seriously, how big a comfort difference am I going to get by changing the tires from 700x23 to 700x25? Not much, but you'll be able to run a few psi lower. I find 28mm to be the point where the width difference is truly palpable. I run a bike with 23mm tires and one with 30mm tires. While the 23mm tired ride feels a bit nippier off the line, the 30mm tired bike feels much more confident and comfortable. Mount the fattest you can fit, which hopefully will be a 28mm tire. It does sort of shock me that modern road bikes have gone to such unnecessary tight clearances that we have to have this conversation at all. |
#4
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25 or bigger?
On Tue, 24 Jul 2007 15:54:09 -0000, "
asked: \ Seriously, how big a comfort difference am I going to get by changing the tires from 700x23 to 700x25? Would it be a better idea to go even wider or are 25s wide enough for roads that haven't been repaved or maintained since the mid 1960s? I've done these same roads with the 23s and while it hurt it was doable. Personally, given enough clearance, I'd go to at least 28mm for the loads and roads involved in touring. I've toured on 1 1/8" and 1 1/4" tires and found the 1 1/4" less troublesome. So, if you've got room for 32mm don't be a weight-weenie over the issue. It's easier to save weight by leaving stuff at home when you're touring. -- zk |
#5
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25 or bigger?
On Jul 25, 12:38 am, Booker C. Bense bbense+rec.bicycles.misc.Jul.
wrote: In article .com, wrote: The bike shop says I can go as wide as 700x25 without changing my current brakes. I'm willing to change my current brakes. You can't change brakes w/o changing the bike frame. The bike frame is designed to a specific brake reach and size. If you put on brakes with a longer reach, you have to get smaller wheels ( See various 650B rants. ) I'm not changing the frame. I've changed too much on this bike already. Why not go Tektro? I dunno, I've been very happy w/mine. They lack snob appeal and the chrome bits are subject to cosmetic rust, but they stop the bike just fine. Ahh, that was tongue in cheek. I've got so many other brands on this bike, and if I could, in fact, figure out something to make Sora I'd have the entire Shimano road line-up represented. Seriously, how big a comfort difference am I going to get by changing the tires from 700x23 to 700x25? Depends how much you weigh, if you can run 25's at a lower than average PSI ( like 90 or so ) you might get a significant benefit. The quality of the tire matters as well, some tire are bricks[1] and some are much nicer. The other thing to be attentive to is that tire sizing is often very misleading. Two tires marked 700x25 can actually have significantly different widths when mounted on the rims. I'm hovering around 90kg. My current 700x23s are ~100rmb Bontrager Race X-Lites and they're quite nice compared to, say, the ~30rmb Chen Shin Tires I had on before. Would it be a better idea to go even wider or are 25s wide enough for roads that haven't been repaved or maintained since the mid 1960s? _ Not for me, I like 32mm tires for bad roads, I can live with 25mm tires if the sections aren't too long, or are all uphill. The specific bad road that I am most likely to ride this bike on is a 415 km stretch of semi-coastal highway with some mountains going from Sanya to Haikou. The 280km route is currently being repaved. The 310km route is half mountain. Also, I'd like to take this bike touring some day and that could mean bad roads. (Tibet plans were previously a in-the-future thing and have since been put even more on hold until we find out why my heart rate and blood pressure and EKG were normal but I still managed to collapse in the middle of the street from oxygen deprivation while walking in Qinghai) I've done these same roads with the 23s and while it hurt it was doable. There is a tire made for exactly your problem, it's called the Rivendell Rolly-Polly. It's about the biggest tire that will fit in current short reach brakes ( most true 28mm are too tall ). http://sheldonbrown.com/harris/tires/622.html _ Booker C. Bense [1]- Generally the more "puncture resistant" the tire claims to be the worse it rides. Stiff sidewalls make for poor riding tires. I don't seem to get many punctures. Pinch flats. Sidewall blowouts. But not punctures. -M |
#6
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25 or bigger?
On Jul 25, 2:37 am, Zoot Katz wrote:
On Tue, 24 Jul 2007 15:54:09 -0000, " asked: \ Seriously, how big a comfort difference am I going to get by changing the tires from 700x23 to 700x25? Would it be a better idea to go even wider or are 25s wide enough for roads that haven't been repaved or maintained since the mid 1960s? I've done these same roads with the 23s and while it hurt it was doable. Personally, given enough clearance, I'd go to at least 28mm for the loads and roads involved in touring. We've taken a closer look at the frame. No problem with the front tire. That can go as big as I want. But the brake bridge on the seat stays is way too close for anything bigger than 25mm. Now comes the question, if one were so inclined, and one actually rather liked the frame, what are the chances of completely destroying an aluminum frame if one were to remove that brake bridge and try putting in a new one higher up? And the next question, is it worthwhile to have a wider tire up front (cause I can) and just have a 25 in back (cause it's the best I can)? -M |
#7
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25 or bigger?
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#8
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25 or bigger?
In article .com,
wrote: We've taken a closer look at the frame. No problem with the front tire. That can go as big as I want. But the brake bridge on the seat stays is way too close for anything bigger than 25mm. Now comes the question, if one were so inclined, and one actually rather liked the frame, what are the chances of completely destroying an aluminum frame if one were to remove that brake bridge and try putting in a new one higher up? You might as well trash the frame at that point. Steel can be rebrazed, but aluminum alloys require special inert gas welding techniques. It would be far cheaper just to buy a new frame. And the next question, is it worthwhile to have a wider tire up front (cause I can) and just have a 25 in back (cause it's the best I can)? Better than nothing. I've run bikes that way and it does reduce the vibration to the hands. See http://www.sheldonbrown.com/tires.html#mixing You might also consider various shock absorbing seat posts. They add weight, but the good ones do take some of the harseness out of the road. _ Booker C. Bense |
#9
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25 or bigger?
On Jul 26, 1:27 am, Booker C. Bense bbense+rec.bicycles.misc.Jul.
wrote: In article .com, wrote: We've taken a closer look at the frame. No problem with the front tire. That can go as big as I want. But the brake bridge on the seat stays is way too close for anything bigger than 25mm. Now comes the question, if one were so inclined, and one actually rather liked the frame, what are the chances of completely destroying an aluminum frame if one were to remove that brake bridge and try putting in a new one higher up? You might as well trash the frame at that point. Steel can be rebrazed, but aluminum alloys require special inert gas welding techniques. It would be far cheaper just to buy a new frame. ****. This particular bike is special to me and with having a race bike and mountain bike in my stable the niche it currently fits into is daily bike and trainer. I was hoping I could make it fit into touring category as well because even if I'm not likely to do real loaded touring for a while yet I don't want to need a fourth bike to do it And the next question, is it worthwhile to have a wider tire up front (cause I can) and just have a 25 in back (cause it's the best I can)? Better than nothing. I've run bikes that way and it does reduce the vibration to the hands. See 28? 32? if I can't go wider than 25 in back, how wide can I go in front before things are wonky. http://www.sheldonbrown.com/tires.html#mixing You might also consider various shock absorbing seat posts. They add weight, but the good ones do take some of the harseness out of the road. I've got a Brooks saddle so I'm pretty good on shock absorbing. -M |
#10
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25 or bigger?
On Thu, 26 Jul 2007 02:36:20 -0000, "
wrote: On Jul 26, 1:27 am, Booker C. Bense bbense+rec.bicycles.misc.Jul. wrote: In article .com, wrote: We've taken a closer look at the frame. No problem with the front tire. That can go as big as I want. But the brake bridge on the seat stays is way too close for anything bigger than 25mm. Now comes the question, if one were so inclined, and one actually rather liked the frame, what are the chances of completely destroying an aluminum frame if one were to remove that brake bridge and try putting in a new one higher up? You might as well trash the frame at that point. Steel can be rebrazed, but aluminum alloys require special inert gas welding techniques. It would be far cheaper just to buy a new frame. ****. This particular bike is special to me and with having a race bike and mountain bike in my stable the niche it currently fits into is daily bike and trainer. I was hoping I could make it fit into touring category as well because even if I'm not likely to do real loaded touring for a while yet I don't want to need a fourth bike to do it MIG welding isn't that hard to find these days. I don't know that I'd want to weld a new brake bridge so close to where the other had been. More frequently tubes break adjacent to the weld and that metal in the seat stay has already been distorted by the previous welding. And the next question, is it worthwhile to have a wider tire up front (cause I can) and just have a 25 in back (cause it's the best I can)? Better than nothing. I've run bikes that way and it does reduce the vibration to the hands. See 28? 32? if I can't go wider than 25 in back, how wide can I go in front before things are wonky. The wider front tire should always give you better steering and braking on loose surfaces. When running one studded tire on snow, it's the front one. http://www.sheldonbrown.com/tires.html#mixing You might also consider various shock absorbing seat posts. They add weight, but the good ones do take some of the harseness out of the road. I've got a Brooks saddle so I'm pretty good on shock absorbing. When I started reading this group leather saddles were widely disparaged by the masses. Lately I've been seeing them and hearing of other people using them more and more frequently. A Brooks boinger usually cuts weight over most suspension seat posts sporting a gel-filled wide saddle. -- zk |
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