uprightbent

Since the huge shift to wider tires running at lower pressures, I'm still not giving up my 28's. We've been told that narrower tires just "feel" faster, due to vibrations, and I believe that. So if the wider tires are just as fast, I'm gonna take the ones that feel faster, even though it's all in my head.

I've been riding two vintage Miyatas with 700 x 32's and 35's, the other having 27" wheels running a 28 width. Of course there are many variables involved here, but I can't get over how much faster the narrower feels. I should add this is pavement only for me. I know it's just a feel, but isn't "feel" what theses bikes are all about. How the steel-leather-wool feels. If you're not racing, why not extend that feel bias to the tires as well? I guess I'm in the minority here surrounded by all the fat rubber I see online and in the street.......

Cyclist0108

brianmcg123

gugie 

The undeniable thing about fatter, supple tires is that my rear end approves. Size isn't everything, material and construction is probably more important. You mentioned 32's and 35's, which specific tires did you try?

But if you're happy on your 28's, maybe wider tires are a solution looking for a problem.

specialmonkey

I put some folding 27" 1.25 (31.75mm) Paela ProTites on my '87 Trek 520, they look pretty fat but are true to size.

They seem quite fast and smooth on my commute. I run them at max 95 psi since I'm usually carrying a heavy back pack. I'll bet they'd be downright cushy at lower pressure and with no heavy load.

My 23mm GatorSkins do feel faster, but then they are on a faster bike. I'm less inclined to jump a curb with these.

Wildwood 

jimmuller 

FWIW, I like the skinny tires. My go-fast bikes wear 23mm, my more utilitarian bikes wear 25mm. Even if they aren't faster (and I think they are) how they feel is part of the game.

Classtime 

mountaindave 

catgita

Chombi1 

I haven't gone any fatter than 23's.....and that was a big jump for me from the days I rode 19's.....
Maybe, one day, I will try 25's but I will be sad if they suddenly stop making 23's as they're the ones I feel comfortable with on all my bikes....

Wildwood 

At the rate I'm NOT wearing out tires, My extra Conti Sprinters 22mm (for the DeRosa) may out live me.

The Golden Boy 

I've got some fluffy 35mm Compass tires, I'm running them around 40. They're swell.

DrIsotope

Better for what? My 43mm wide Gravelkings are a helluva lot better on sandy access roads than 25mm slicks. Out on the road the 25s are measurably faster than the 43s. They don't feel faster. They are faster.

As has been mentioned, 28s aren't exactly skinny.

ColonelSanders

I'd be getting a bike computer and putting the issue of speed to rest, once and for all.

davester

Back in the day, when the old racer's wive's tale was in force that ultra-skinny was faster, I was always riding the skinniest tires I could buy (19 to 23 mm typical width). In the last three years I've totally switched to much wider tires at lower pressures (either 28s or 32s) and have gone the Jan Heine supple tire route in lieu of armored gatorskin-type tires. Guess what...I ride with the same guys on their carbon bikes limited to max 25 mm tires as I was before and I'm still coasting down the same hills pacing or passing them. No speed has been sacrificed. Not only that, I'm vastly more comfortable on my typical 60 to 70 mile weekend rides. Another plus of the wide low pressure tires is that they have way more grip when descending through the hairpins. I am no longer in fear of skittering across the road into the path of an oncoming car. Consider me converted to the wide tire set. I am never going back. That "feeling" of going fast is only the feeling of your bike bouncing up and down on tires inflated to over 100 psi.

gugie 

Would your rather feel faster with skinnier tires or go faster with wider ones?

Cycling is so much about feeling that I'd be hard pressed to try and convince somewhat otherwise. In the meantime, my 33.333's through 42's on the road will stay on my kit. If nothing else, it's a hell of a lot more comfortable.

Abu Mahendra

is it all or mostly about speed? can you also say that narrower are more comfy and plush? Fine, narrow is faster. Does the five-minute disadvantage outweigh the comfort and traction benefits?

McBTC

If I could fit a 28 on the rear of my bike... I'd do it real fast.

canklecat

Depends on the rims and other stuff. I don't think we can just willy-nilly slap on tires without regard to the rims and overall design.

700x25 felt splashy up front with my Ironman's Araya CTL-370 narrow rim. Felt imprecise on fast turns. Too wide for that rim. Feels fine on the back. But I prefer 700x23 up front. No problems mixing 700x25 on the rear for a little more cushion with 700x23 for handling, at least on my bike.

Lascauxcaveman 

That's kinda the whole deal for me. Descending at 40+, which I do even on my commute, the big fat 35mm tires are just the best.

Climbing back up that hill at 5mph at the end of my workday, all tires feel pretty much the same.

Fahrenheit531 

gomango

My riding style/habits have changed a great deal over the last five years.

I only have one narrow tire bike left for occasional use.

That 's my Sintesi.

Everything else runs 700x 28s up to 700 x 43s.

The roads here in the Twin Cities are not narrow width friendly and I'm riding gravel most often times anyway.

I could easily see adding a nice 650b to the small stable here.

verktyg 

THE EARTH IS FLAT!!!

Russian expression (in English shtick): You vun bleeb - bleeb... No bleeb - doan bleeb!

I rode sewups most of the time from 1974 until the early 80's - 30mm wide Clement red label cotton Paris-Robaix or 26mm Del Mundos Setas, both at 90 psi. Occasionally I'd use clinchers on a club ride when everyone else was on tubulars. I was always surprised when I'd pass them coasting down loooong decents. At first I attributed it to a weight advantage as I was 10-25 Lbs. heavier than the other riders. Then I realized that wider tires at lower pressures were much of the reason.

I was using a 1975 Wolber 700x32c Super Sport on the rear at 90 psi and a Wolber 1976 Wolber 700x28c W28 on the front at 85 psi.




They had "fine pitch long staple Egyptian cotton casings" which were stronger and more flexible than most of the European made clinchers available back then.


I still have them mounted on my touring bike and take them out for a ride once or twice a year. I check the treads and casings beforehand. The old gum rubber sidewalls have gotten hard so they're stiff riding for the first 5-10 miles but after that they smooth out. Pretty good for 40+ years old with over 5000 mile on each of them. I'll probably have to switch to some modern tires this year,



"We've been told that narrower tires just "feel" faster, due to vibrations, and I believe that"

Actually what Jan Heine of Bicycle Quarterly suggested was that tires pumped up to higher pressures transmit more road vibrations to the rider thus giving the sensation that they are going faster.

Here's what Continental says about tire size and rolling resistance. I BLEEB the results of their research over the "EXPERT" anecdotal opinions of most riders
I still have 700x23c Continental Grand Prix tires on a number of my bikes. I like the sporty feel and handling at 90 psi. I bought 24 of them on a closeout at $12 apiece around 7-8 years ago. The tread doesn't have much wrap on the casing so they tend to get cuts in the sidewalls. I'm down to a few new ones left.


I also like 700x25c Panaracer Paselas at 90 psi.

I have several bikes with stiff, harsh riding frames. I've switched to 700x28c tires on those bikes at 90 psi.

I built this frame and bike in 1992 for off road rough stuff ridding: lugged butted heavy gage Reynolds 531, 700c wheels, either cyclocross sewups or knobbies. After a while I got rid of the knobbies and switched to Specialized 700x41c Nimbus tires which were about the largest available at the time. they're great both on and off road.




I don't ride it much anymore, mainly during the winter. The Specialized 41mm Nimbus tires have held up for 25 years and still ride well on and off road.

I can appreciate why riders who've been riding 20-25mm tires pumped to 125+ psi like larger tires these days (besides age creeping up on them).

The Fat Tire Bike FAD has exceeded the point of declining returns! Buy a friggin' Harley, throw away the running gear!!!



verktyg

Kontact 

I have yet to see anything to suggest that speed and tire volume increase together. For a reasonably smooth road there is a going to be a point when the extra rubber is no longer improving the ability to roll over bumps but is just adding rotating mass.

I really doubt light weight people benefit much at all from big tires, but they definitely are affected by hauling more weight around.