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700/23 vs 700/25 tires ?



 
 
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  #1  
Old January 29th 09, 04:27 AM posted to rec.bicycles.tech
jeffreybike
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Default 700/23 vs 700/25 tires ?

Is there any real difference between 23mm and 25mm tires as far as
speed. Will 2mm make you that slower or faster?
thanks, Jeff
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  #2  
Old January 29th 09, 04:38 AM posted to rec.bicycles.tech
Chalo
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Default 700/23 vs 700/25 tires ?

jeffreybike wrote:

Is there any real difference between 23mm and 25mm tires as far as
speed. Will 2mm make you that slower or faster?


There is no significant difference in speed between those two sizes of
tire. Too narrow a tire will slow you down quite a lot when you get a
pinch flat and have to stop and repair it.

Instrumented tests have shown that for tires of equal construction,
wider tires have slightly less rolling resistance at the same
pressure. Narrower tires have slightly less aerodynamic drag. While
these factors mostly offset each other, all other benefits (rim
protection, ride quality, wear life, pinch flat resistance, traction)
give the advantage to the wider tire.

Sport road bikes generally work best with the widest tire that will
fit under the brakes and between the chainstays with adequate
clearance. This is often a 28mm tire.

Chalo
  #3  
Old January 29th 09, 05:03 AM posted to rec.bicycles.tech
John Forrest Tomlinson
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Default 700/23 vs 700/25 tires ?

On Wed, 28 Jan 2009 19:38:42 -0800 (PST), Chalo
wrote:

Instrumented tests have shown that for tires of equal construction,
wider tires have slightly less rolling resistance at the same
pressure. Narrower tires have slightly less aerodynamic drag. While
these factors mostly offset each other, all other benefits (rim
protection, ride quality, wear life, pinch flat resistance, traction)
give the advantage to the wider tire.


This depends on how much one weighs and what sort of roads the person
is riding on.

  #4  
Old January 29th 09, 05:07 AM posted to rec.bicycles.tech
John Forrest Tomlinson
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Default 700/23 vs 700/25 tires ?

On Thu, 29 Jan 2009 04:03:49 GMT, John Forrest Tomlinson
wrote:

On Wed, 28 Jan 2009 19:38:42 -0800 (PST), Chalo
wrote:

Instrumented tests have shown that for tires of equal construction,
wider tires have slightly less rolling resistance at the same
pressure. Narrower tires have slightly less aerodynamic drag. While
these factors mostly offset each other, all other benefits (rim
protection, ride quality, wear life, pinch flat resistance, traction)
give the advantage to the wider tire.


This depends on how much one weighs and what sort of roads the person
is riding on.


And also the speeds at which the person is riding.

  #5  
Old January 29th 09, 01:07 PM posted to rec.bicycles.tech
Pete Biggs[_3_]
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Posts: 177
Default 700/23 vs 700/25 tires ?

Chalo wrote:
jeffreybike wrote:

Is there any real difference between 23mm and 25mm tires as far as
speed. Will 2mm make you that slower or faster?


There is no significant difference in speed between those two sizes of
tire. Too narrow a tire will slow you down quite a lot when you get a
pinch flat and have to stop and repair it.


The rider will never get a pinch flat if it can be inflated highly enough to
support his weight when the tyre is slammed into potholes, etc.

Instrumented tests have shown that for tires of equal construction,
wider tires have slightly less rolling resistance at the same
pressure.


But wider tyres should not be inflated so highly to provide the same
suspension and traction, so then they are slower on the smoothest surfaces,
though faster on bumpy surfaces.

Narrower tires have slightly less aerodynamic drag.


And less weight.

While
these factors mostly offset each other, all other benefits (rim
protection, ride quality, wear life, pinch flat resistance, traction)
give the advantage to the wider tire.

Sport road bikes generally work best with the widest tire that will
fit under the brakes and between the chainstays with adequate
clearance. This is often a 28mm tire.


Often 25mm too, sometimes only 23mm.

~PB


  #6  
Old January 29th 09, 03:42 PM posted to rec.bicycles.tech
[email protected]
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Default 700/23 vs 700/25 tires ?

On Jan 28, 9:27*pm, jeffreybike wrote:
Is there any real difference between 23mm and 25mm tires as far as
speed. Will 2mm make you that slower or faster?
thanks, Jeff


I used to use 23 mm tires exclusively. Fashion I suppose. I now use
mostly 25mm tires. I can't tell any difference in speed, comfort,
traction, flat rate, or anything else.
  #8  
Old January 29th 09, 04:54 PM posted to rec.bicycles.tech
Frank Krygowski[_2_]
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Default 700/23 vs 700/25 tires ?

On Jan 28, 10:27*pm, jeffreybike wrote:
Is there any real difference between 23mm and 25mm tires as far as
speed. Will 2mm make you that slower or faster?
thanks, Jeff


The first thing to realize is that tire sizes are nominal, not
actual. For many, many years tire manufacturers have mislabeled their
tires.

Why? Because many cyclists think any tiny difference will make
tremendous changes in their riding - especially differences in
weight. So Company X makes a 23 mm tire, but labels it a 25 mm tire.
And the deluded consumer looks in the catalog and says "Wow, Company X
makes a 25 that's fifteen whole grams lighter than that of Company
Y!" He buys it under false pretenses.

One of my riding buddies has always been very evenly matched with me.
In the past ten years, he's gradually gone to carbon fiber everything,
and his tires are now down to 19 mm that he says he inflates to 160
psi, to avoid pinch flats. I'm still on the same touring bike, riding
(actual measurement) 26 mm tires. He's still evenly matched with me.
It takes a big change in weight or rolling resistance to be
detectable.

Keep in mind, tires not only support your weight and give traction,
but they also provide suspension. Narrower tires are more like solid
rubber tires. A thin coating of solid rubber would have the lowest
rolling resistance on a perfectly smooth surface, but only track
racing takes place on perfectly smooth surfaces. On our roads, my
friends 19s are probably slower than my 26s.

- Frank Krygowski
  #9  
Old January 29th 09, 05:21 PM posted to rec.bicycles.tech
landotter
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Posts: 6,336
Default 700/23 vs 700/25 tires ?

On Jan 29, 9:29 am, Peter Cole wrote:
wrote:
On Jan 28, 9:27 pm, jeffreybike wrote:
Is there any real difference between 23mm and 25mm tires as far as
speed. Will 2mm make you that slower or faster?
thanks, Jeff


I used to use 23 mm tires exclusively. Fashion I suppose. I now use
mostly 25mm tires. I can't tell any difference in speed, comfort,
traction, flat rate, or anything else.


I went through the same process, then went on to 28mm, 32mm, and now
35mm on one bike. Fatter tires might be slightly slower, but it's small
enough to not be obvious. The difference in comfort is pretty obvious.


I like 28-32s for road riding, whether I'm on my fixed gear or my
racked up bike. Being able to run 80psi up front makes a whole world
of comfort open up. I weigh about 170 at 6'1", another factor to
consider, and I can't understand why anyone heavier would want to ride
a 23 except for two reasons: they came with the bike, or perhaps
caught a great sale on some Vredesteins and couldn't pass em up. ;-)

To be more accurate--I like tires that weigh around 350g. With
Panaracers--that's nice puffy 32mm that rolls super fast due to the
flexible carcass. I've ridden 35-38s that are a hundred grams more--
and I do feel a bit slower. There are also terrible skinnier tires
that have a lot of rolling resistance. Worst are the "armored up"
tires that feel like garden hoses and need four tire levers to
install. They can be wide and fairly low pressure--yet still ride
terrible.

At any rate, to the OP: ride 25s for crying out loud. If you weigh
more than I do and can fit 28s, go for it. If you're not racing, the
durability and longevity is worth the tiny tradeoff in psychological
benefit that one gets by mounting ridiculously narrow tires. ;-)
  #10  
Old January 29th 09, 05:31 PM posted to rec.bicycles.tech
Clive George
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Posts: 5,394
Default 700/23 vs 700/25 tires ?

wrote in message
...

I used to use 23 mm tires exclusively. Fashion I suppose. I now use
mostly 25mm tires. I can't tell any difference in speed, comfort,
traction, flat rate, or anything else.


Didn't tyre sizes become more realistic recently? So yesterday's 23 is
today's 25, or something like that?


 




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