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700 x 45 for commuting on pavement only ?

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700 x 45 for commuting on pavement only ?

Old 05-27-20, 01:23 AM
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pakeboi
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700 x 45 for commuting on pavement only ?

700 x 45 for commuting on pavement only ? Prefer Tubeless .
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Old 05-27-20, 05:43 AM
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I commuted 34 miles round trip on a mtb w 2”? slick tires & it seemed pretty good until I switched bikes. I wouldn’t do it now. don’t know your roads or distance but for me, w a 44 mile round trip (that I only do rarely) it’s best w a conventional road bike & 25mm tires. I have hybrids w wide tires, some textured, some smooth. If I had to resort to one of those in a pinch, I’d choose the slicks & expect the trip to take at least 25% longer. I think some gravel bikes w drop bars can take wide slicks, like you might be suggesting? I wouldn’t go that wide on my roads but sounds like a fun experiment. especially if the distance is only approx 10 miles & the surface is exceptionally nasty
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Old 05-27-20, 05:49 AM
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If you're ok with it, it's ok.

I just ordered (yesterday) 32c Gatorskins for commuting. Currently have 50x700 Schwalbe Big Apples which would work ok, but I work in a hilly area and I don't want to push all that tire weight uphill several times per commute.
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Old 05-27-20, 10:37 AM
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I have been running WTB 1.85 Slicks on my 26" MTB based commuter. The alternate size designation says 47-559, which I assume is 47mm. With reduced road "chatter" and supple sidewalls providing a cushy ride even at 70psi (5 over max) they don't feel fast. But a look at the speedo, and the ride data say otherwise. These are faster than any other tire I've put on this bike in the 23 years I've had it.

I say go for it!
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Old 05-27-20, 01:08 PM
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Sounds like overkill to me, even with the poor shape road streets are in within My Fair City. (But it's election year, so it's time for some serious road paving business!)
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Old 05-30-20, 12:23 AM
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How rough is your pavement? I run 28x700C gatorskins for my 35 km round trip commute and they've been solid.
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Old 05-30-20, 05:43 AM
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Running 650b x 38 gravel king slicks and its certainly as fast as the 32mm paselas i was running. Im not real fast anyway.
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Old 05-30-20, 06:38 AM
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Originally Posted by pakeboi
700 x 45 for commuting on pavement only ? Prefer Tubeless .
I do 700x47mm, urban streets, almost never off-pavement, and pavement quality ranges from stellar to marginal. Provides added comfort, added margin if striking something like a pothole or rock. And, while nowhere as nimble as lighter and trimmer "shoes" it can handle the occasional off-pavement or muddier/wetter conditions that the lighter stuff (my bike came with) generally couldn't.

A "win," if one's okay with the increased rolling weight and some reduction in handling quickness.
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Old 05-30-20, 09:03 AM
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Originally Posted by Clyde1820
I do 700x47mm, urban streets, almost never off-pavement, and pavement quality ranges from stellar to marginal. Provides added comfort, added margin if striking something like a pothole or rock. And, while nowhere as nimble as lighter and trimmer "shoes" it can handle the occasional off-pavement or muddier/wetter conditions that the lighter stuff (my bike came with) generally couldn't.

A "win," if one's okay with the increased rolling weight and some reduction in handling quickness.
Thanks ; which specific tires ?
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Old 05-30-20, 11:52 AM
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Premium , got the money?? https://www.renehersecycles.com/shop...oqualmie-pass/
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Old 05-30-20, 01:34 PM
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Originally Posted by pakeboi
Thanks ; which specific tires ?
On the Trek DS 8.5, the 700x47mm tires are the Continental Tour Ride. A bit pudgy to fit inside of full-length fenders, if you're going to be running those, but otherwise a pretty decent tire. Heavier, but stellar for avoiding punctures, for cruising along at a good clip, and with decent enough tread for inclement weather. If you don't might the weight, I'd highly recommend them. They've got a variety of sizes, 700x42mm also, which would fit with full-length fenders (without rubbing).
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Old 05-30-20, 01:46 PM
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Originally Posted by Clyde1820
On the Trek DS 8.5, the 700x47mm tires are the Continental Tour Ride. A bit pudgy to fit inside of full-length fenders, if you're going to be running those, but otherwise a pretty decent tire. Heavier, but stellar for avoiding punctures, for cruising along at a good clip, and with decent enough tread for inclement weather. If you don't might the weight, I'd highly recommend them. They've got a variety of sizes, 700x42mm also, which would fit with full-length fenders (without rubbing).
Thanks . Continental has a new line for street commuting , Contact Urban , I've been considering .
https://www.conti-tyres.co.uk/commut.../contact-urban
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Old 05-30-20, 01:50 PM
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Originally Posted by fietsbob
Aloha Fiestbob ! Which casing for riding tubeless on pavement ?
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Old 05-30-20, 02:24 PM
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Ask the seller,, via their site.. Jan Heine, also publisher of Bicycle Quarterly... I ride my Small wheel bikes mostly . and I fit tubes..
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Old 05-30-20, 02:34 PM
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Originally Posted by pakeboi
Thanks . Continental has a new line for street commuting , Contact Urban , I've been considering .
https://www.conti-tyres.co.uk/commut.../contact-urban
As compared to the Tour Ride, the Urban is about one-third lighter, a smoother overall tread, with much-reduced puncture protection, for about 70% more cash. But to get rid of the weight and if not so dependent on the toughest-level of puncture protection they offer, it looks like a decent choice.

So many nice tires, out there.
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Old 05-30-20, 10:27 PM
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I've been doing a 50 mile round trip commute 3-4 times a week on a Surly Cross Check with Panaracer Gravel King slicks, 700 x 38. It's heaven! I run them at about 50 psi front, 55 rear and don't feel like I sacrifice speed or handling compared to my go faster with 25mm at 90 psi. Highly recommended. Only issue is they wear pretty fast. My rear tire is going smooth down the middle after about 1000/1200 miles. And that's exclusively pavement miles.
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Old 05-30-20, 10:41 PM
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You can get Gravelking SK 700x43 for $40 or less. Medium weight, good tubeless interface. The little knobs are a little slow on pavement but they wear down quickly.
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Old 06-02-20, 04:46 PM
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Why stop at 45mm? The more volume the less vibration you'll feel and you'll get less fatigued.

There's a aero penalty over like 15mph or something like that but if you're not that fast then wider = way way way better.
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Old 06-03-20, 09:10 AM
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Originally Posted by tyrion
You can get Gravelking SK 700x43 for $40 or less. Medium weight, good tubeless interface. The little knobs are a little slow on pavement but they wear down quickly.
I've had those exact tires. Great great tire.

I'll deal with the slowness (I never noticed) but I enjoy not biting it when hitting a patch of road sand or gravel on the shoulder. My LBS is a self-described gravel bike shop. They all run these on their personal bikes and they call them "Velcro" - plus they give off that oh-so-satisfying buzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Setup tubeless, I was able to run these at about 18psi in the front and about 27 in the rear with no problems!
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Old 06-03-20, 11:11 AM
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Originally Posted by davei1980
I've had those exact tires. Great great tire.

I'll deal with the slowness (I never noticed) but I enjoy not biting it when hitting a patch of road sand or gravel on the shoulder. My LBS is a self-described gravel bike shop. They all run these on their personal bikes and they call them "Velcro" - plus they give off that oh-so-satisfying buzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Setup tubeless, I was able to run these at about 18psi in the front and about 27 in the rear with no problems!
Yeah, massive traction on a wide range of surfaces.
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Old 06-03-20, 12:08 PM
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Originally Posted by basketbro
imagine being weak enough to be concerned about a few grams of rubber.
I don't have to imagine.
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Old 06-18-20, 09:56 PM
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I went from 28mm conti gp 4seasons to 35mm schwalbe delta cruisers and now I'm upgrading to 38mm Soma gran vitesse's. I'd have run even bigger but My fork & chainstay wont permit much more.
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Old 06-18-20, 10:29 PM
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I run on a set of Rene Herse 700x38c semi-slicks as my road tire. Rode on 32c’s for a while and intended on upgrading to a Rene Herse 35c but got the 38c’s by mistake. Ended up being a happy accident. Don’t think I would go wider though. 38c is plenty wide. Nice cushy ride while offering good rolling resistance.
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Old 06-19-20, 09:05 PM
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You don't need 45c tires to commute on, especially on pavement, it's far to wide of a tire.

I have 45c's that came on my new touring bike, I'm only going to do paved touring and maybe some gravel, and I've done that before on 32c tires; so as soon as tires come back in stock I'm putting on 38's. Also I commute to work on a bike with 25c tires, been doing that for a couple of years, prior to that I commuted on 23c tires for over 40 years.
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Old 06-19-20, 09:36 PM
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Originally Posted by greatscott
You don't need 45c tires to commute on, especially on pavement, it's far to wide of a tire.

I have 45c's that came on my new touring bike, I'm only going to do paved touring and maybe some gravel, and I've done that before on 32c tires; so as soon as tires come back in stock I'm putting on 38's. Also I commute to work on a bike with 25c tires, been doing that for a couple of years, prior to that I commuted on 23c tires for over 40 years.
While you don’t need a 45c tire for pavement, some people prefer wider tires. Saying that it’s far too wide of a tire is a matter of opinion. I personally ride on Rene Herse 38’s for my main road tires. But I also have a 650B wheelset with 47mm WTB Horizons on them. I love riding on those Horizons for casual riding. Super comfy and plenty fast. Really don’t lose any rolling resistance with them being that wide.

Going wider gives you more traction, more free suspension, and a smoother ride. How wide is “too wide” is anyone’s guess. With the right tire, it really doesn’t matter how wide it is. You’ll still be able to maintain a high rate of speed regardless. What really matters is what the goals are for the rider. If they’re after a more comfortable ride then I tell them to go as wide as you can with lower pressure in a tubeless setup. Otherwise, find a middle ground that is a bit wider than normal.

Plus, what’s the goal of the “commuter bike”? What’s the purpose? Speed? Comfort? Traction? Maneuverability? You can have all those things in a tire that’s a bit wider than you think. I used to run 32c tires on my road wheelset. They worked and was pretty happy with them. But after switching to a 38c, I don’t think I’ll ever go back to a 32c. 35c is probably the smallest I would go now.
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