Mismatched Tire sizes yes or no
04-14-20, 03:59 PM
#26
Senior Member
I put Vittoria Rubino Pro Tech 700x28s on my '86 Miyata 710. Why? because as a near-Clyde, I like the shock absorbing benefit of the 28s. The rear has plenty of clearance, both width and height. The front -- again fine side-to-side, but < maybe > 1mm between the top of the tire and the fork crown. I'll put a 25 on it (good thing that I had the foresight to buy sets of the Rubinos in both 28 and 25! 
)... and keep the 28s for the rear...
Pic of the 28 on the front -
...
I had ridden through some fresh grass clippings that a homeowner directed to the road - and enough got picked up by the front tire that I came to a stop within a hundred feet like someone had applied the brakes! Yep, grass wedged between the tire and fork crown! I popped the quick release loose, cleaned the grass out, closed the release and rode home... 25mm tire coming soon to the front!!!
)... and keep the 28s for the rear...Pic of the 28 on the front -
...
I had ridden through some fresh grass clippings that a homeowner directed to the road - and enough got picked up by the front tire that I came to a stop within a hundred feet like someone had applied the brakes! Yep, grass wedged between the tire and fork crown! I popped the quick release loose, cleaned the grass out, closed the release and rode home... 25mm tire coming soon to the front!!!
That being said, your photo and story of the front wheel being stopped by grass clippings reminded me that on my previous bike I rode 28mm GP4K tires on the front for a while but the gap was so incredibly fine that I'd gear scraping for a short time after riding over some sand... There was a polished spot on the underside of the fork crown from the tire hitting it sometimes. Yeah, that got changed back to a 25mm tire too, so I had 28s in the rear and 25s up front. To nobody's surprise that mixed sizing presented zero issues. My current bike (new to me since 2017) has plenty of space and I'm running nominal 32mm tires measuring out to 34mm both fore and aft, and loving it.
04-14-20, 04:46 PM
#27
Senior Member
Yeah, we're responding to a 5-year old thread resurrected by a new user. Presumably the OP figured it out five years ago.
That being said, your photo and story of the front wheel being stopped by grass clippings reminded me that on my previous bike I rode 28mm GP4K tires on the front for a while but the gap was so incredibly fine that I'd gear scraping for a short time after riding over some sand... There was a polished spot on the underside of the fork crown from the tire hitting it sometimes. Yeah, that got changed back to a 25mm tire too, so I had 28s in the rear and 25s up front. To nobody's surprise that mixed sizing presented zero issues. My current bike (new to me since 2017) has plenty of space and I'm running nominal 32mm tires measuring out to 34mm both fore and aft, and loving it.
That being said, your photo and story of the front wheel being stopped by grass clippings reminded me that on my previous bike I rode 28mm GP4K tires on the front for a while but the gap was so incredibly fine that I'd gear scraping for a short time after riding over some sand... There was a polished spot on the underside of the fork crown from the tire hitting it sometimes. Yeah, that got changed back to a 25mm tire too, so I had 28s in the rear and 25s up front. To nobody's surprise that mixed sizing presented zero issues. My current bike (new to me since 2017) has plenty of space and I'm running nominal 32mm tires measuring out to 34mm both fore and aft, and loving it.
04-14-20, 07:04 PM
#28
Senior Member
BTW, that pic I posted of my Miyata clearance was taken in AZ! I bought that bike so I'd have something to do when on my 1-2x / yr visits to my mother out in Gold Canyon (waaaaay east PHX area). It is now home with me in Ohio... and the grass clippings. Also note the vintage Tire Savers - to help with the 'stickers' out in AZ - both natural and man-made. Natural from cactus and ocotillo, and man from glass shards and steel-belted-radial wires... Not enough rain out there to wash the road shoulders clear of that!
04-14-20, 08:25 PM
#29
Senior Member
I bought the Miyata from a graduating ASU student that didn't want to incur the cost of shipping it to the east coast where he'd gotten a job...
Rode it from to Mesa to Falcon Field to the CAF museum. Also hit the Waffle House at Idaho and the 60 and this was across the street
Yes, this is a 'private' golf course on a barren half-mile by half-mile square of land near the freeway... If you look at the upper right part of the sign, you can even see a golf cart of people playing the course...
Rode it from to Mesa to Falcon Field to the CAF museum. Also hit the Waffle House at Idaho and the 60 and this was across the street
Yes, this is a 'private' golf course on a barren half-mile by half-mile square of land near the freeway... If you look at the upper right part of the sign, you can even see a golf cart of people playing the course...
04-15-20, 11:55 AM
#30
Senior Member
I bought the Miyata from a graduating ASU student that didn't want to incur the cost of shipping it to the east coast where he'd gotten a job...
Rode it from to Mesa to Falcon Field to the CAF museum. Also hit the Waffle House at Idaho and the 60 and this was across the street
Yes, this is a 'private' golf course on a barren half-mile by half-mile square of land near the freeway... If you look at the upper right part of the sign, you can even see a golf cart of people playing the course...
Rode it from to Mesa to Falcon Field to the CAF museum. Also hit the Waffle House at Idaho and the 60 and this was across the street
Yes, this is a 'private' golf course on a barren half-mile by half-mile square of land near the freeway... If you look at the upper right part of the sign, you can even see a golf cart of people playing the course...
Btw, cycling where I'm at here is pretty decent because it can be done year-round. During the winter the challenge is getting it done during the short daylight hours, but temperature-wise it's usually fine, at least with long-sleeve jersey and bibs, and maybe a cycling windbreaker. During the summer the challenge is doing it early enough in the morning before someone turns the dial up to Broil, or else get used to riding at night when it's still freaking hot, but at least the sun isn't shining anymore to make it even worse. I think the hottest it's been when I started a bike ride here was like 114 F or so. Ouch.
04-16-20, 09:34 AM
#31
Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Yonkers, NY
Posts: 111
Bikes: 74 Raleigh Grand Prix fixie,85 League Fuji w/ flat bars, 87 Cannondale ST400, League Fuji Fixie, Raleigh Pursuit Fixie, 93 Cannondale M500, Kabuki Submariner 12, 90 Fuji Suncrest, Peugeot Mixte project
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Mismattched tires look cool
The fat one has to be on the back, though.
04-17-20, 01:33 PM
#33
Banned.
this
04-17-20, 02:39 PM
#34
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: northern michigan
Posts: 13,317
Bikes: '77 Colnago Super, '76 Fuji The Finest, '88 Cannondale Criterium, '86 Trek 760, '87 Miyata 712
Mentioned: 19 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 659 Post(s)
Liked 595 Times
in
313 Posts
I’d like to see a fatty bike with a 23 on the front. And yes, that would work fine as well.
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
FordTrax
General Cycling Discussion
8
02-18-19 11:28 AM
Barrettscv
Cyclocross and Gravelbiking (Recreational)
6
10-20-16 02:23 PM
