dkyser

I recently put some 32mm gator hardshell duraskins on my Awol and love them and looking to put some on my Trek Boone and not sure what size I want to go with.

I ride on shoulders that do have some rocks and gravel at times and want to go as small as I can and yet still be safe and stable. I currently have some basic 28mm road tires on the boone but don't think they will hold up well on these shoulders.

I am starting to do longer and longer rides so durability is a big issue.

10 Wheels

I like 28's, but it is your choice that counts.

Jarrett2

I weigh 280 and ride around on Gator Hardshell 25's like a kid on a BMX bike. I take it in gravel, off curbs and through all kinds of debris along with my normal pavement riding and they haven't puncture flatted for me. I would assume that the 28mm versions are even more durable.

adrien

How wide are your rims? What are you looking for in a tire?

Gatorskins are very tough, and I used to ride them when I was scared of flats. I'm not anymore, and won't go near them except for my fixed gear.

As for the width; it will make a marginal difference, assuming they are true to size. You'll be able to run a lower pressure (not sure how big you are) and that will give you alpaca ride, more grip on dirt, etc. But these effects will be minimized by the very-rigid carcass gatorskins use.

dkyser

Thanks, being down under 300 from 420 I love having more options available for me.

I am leaning towards the 28's since I may be riding a Demone by fall.

jsigone

more road tire selection at 28mm, they can take some abuse too

adrien

Okay, so lots to cover here. Take it for what it is -- I started here a decade ago and have used about 100 tires since.

Rims
If you have wider rims, your tires will hold more air, and you can go bigger before you get a lightbulb effect. For example, on say an H+ Son Archetype you can easily run 32+ without the lightbulb, but on a deep-V you'll get it at anything beyond a 25. The reason you want to watch this is that the more pronounced the lightbulb, the more you will feel it deform cornering.

Size matters
I have found the sweet spot for a road bike that is almost all-pavement focused to be 25s, unless you are super-wide rims in which case 23s work fine. I have very wide Enves, and they do great with 23s or 25s, even at lower pressures. For reference, I am 215 and run the Enves with 25s at 100/90, and they can go as low as 80 psi without pinching. But that's with cotton casings.

Tread
For what you describe, I'd suggest no tread or a simple file tread. It won't make much difference.


Tire construction
This is a big deal. In the world of clinchers, you basically have two options, and Gatorskins represent a more extreme option. Option 1 is like your Gatorskin, a carcass construction where the sidewall is stiff and relatively rigid. The Gatorskin is very rigid (like the Spesh armadillos) and has thick layers of protection because it prioritizes flat protection. A less extreme version with lots of flat protection but more supple feel would be say the GP 4 seasons, or even more so the GP 2000s. Then there's "open" tires, which have a cotton carcass and ship flat. These are based off tubular designs, and as a result are much, much more supple. They can tolerate lower pressures and because of this and how supple they are, you end up with a longer and wider contact patch. Which in turn gives you both a smoother ride and more grip. A great example would be Vittoria's open pave. The trade-off? They wear faster (say 30% faster than a GP 2000) and are more prone to cuts. In my experience, they flat at about the same rate as a GP4000.

What you want out of it
Tires and wheels will make by far the most difference in how your bike feels as a bang-for-the-buck. If you want bulletproof and you don't care, then Gatorskins are a fine choice. I have them on a fixed gear because a flat in the rear on that thing is a pain, as it involves re-tensioning the chain. If you want a plusher, faster ride with more grip, then you should consider something designed for more of that. Personally -- and with comfort changing flats -- I run Open Paves in 27 on the bike that sees dirt and gravel roads. It's a road bike with clearance, and I can handle almost anything a car can handle with it.

All that said, it's your bike. I would recommend staying away from same-old, and look into something a little different. A safe choice and a good one would be GP 4-seasons in a 28. Great tire, way more feel than a Gatorskin and almost as tough. If you want to leap, get the open Pave's in 27. They are cheap now (because of a new line) and they are great tires. But I'd suggest making sure you know how to change a tire in the field, and personally, I always buy 3.

Oh, and it seems personally a bit backwards to buy tires now in anticipation of a maybe bike in the future, but that's me.

Apologies for a long post. Feel free to PM me if you want more.

Svenicus

The previous post has much more detail than I can provide, but I've been riding on 28 gatorskins on a 25 rim at 275+ for two years and haven't had so much as a pinch flat since moving up to the bigger tire. I ride occasionally on gravel sections but mostly on smoother tarmac and trails. I'm just now thinking of replacing the tire after 7000+ km.

Wilfred Laurier

I use 32s and wouldn't go any narrower for riding on gravel. I could do it but I'd have to slow way down. Also, narrower tires have higher rolling resistance, which isn't usually noticable on a hard surface, but on a soft surface a big rider with a narrow tire often plows a groove into the road while he rides, greatly increasing effort and potentially decreasing fun.

I think I misread the OP... talking not about gravel roads but gravel on the side of the road, which is no problem for 28s. 25s would be fine too. 23s start to feel a little feeble on dirty shoulders, IME.

Everyone is different. Avoid big obstacles and stones and potholes when you can. 'Ride Light'

donalson

whenever I pull out my 28c wheelset I'm amazed at how much smaller/narrower it is vs the same brand/model 32c that I normally run...

I personally run a 32c on my road bike (vintage trek crit frame that JUST fits the 32c tires) because of the pressure required for proper drop when running 28c tires... (calculate aprox pressure with this handy thing) Bike pressure calculator.

but i'm also on the larger side of riders around here... (320ish when I was ridding, need to get back in the saddle)... with my weight I push the safe pressure limit even on the 32c back then with my current weight it's not even a question... I'll be riding my touring bike with 42c for a while till I can get back to my old riding weight (and lower)...

ApolloSoyuz1975

OP: For what it's worth, I find that going smaller = going less stable. A wider tire will run with less air pressure, which helps decrease the likelihood of tire punctures. AFAICT, people think they feel slower simply because they don't transmit every grain of grit on the roadway into the rider's hands and undercarriage

donalson

yup even the pros have gone wider and wider (up to 25c tires these days for most rides)... lower pressure has less rolling resistance on an imperfect road... also ironically it is more aero than narrower tiers (also has to do with the wider rims used)... also far more comfortable so less fatigue...

but I'm not racing... so I just ride what is most comfortably/works for me in general... getting back into riding so later today I plan on taking out my touring bike with 42c tires ;-)