Originally Posted by
holybinch
After much oohing, aaahing, toing, and froing... I have come to the realisation that I can't use 25s at the front, i need 23s.
BOTHER. That's what you get for having a 12 year old frame i suppose.
If ever there was a reason to get another bicycle...
Seriously though, I've been a roadie for over 25 years (yikes) and this whole "wider is better" thing really surprises me and is one of the best changes to road cycling (IMHO) that has come about in recent times. Most of my cycling days were spent on 23C tires and the change to 25C made me feel like I was riding around on motorcycle tires. However, my latest bike has 32C tires and rims with a 25mm internal width and I absolutely love the combination... and I didn't think I would. If you're into "
Everesting", then perhaps this combination won't work due to the added weight, but for normal people on normal roads (or gravel) on normal rides, there's a reason why wider wheels and tires are becoming popular. While average speed isn't a great indicator of anything, I find that my average speed on my daily rides hasn't really suffered at all with my new fatty wheels and tires. I think part of the reason for this is that I can now ride over the nasty, bumpy rides I normally ride on with more comfort which eventually equates to more speed. My 2 cents.