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700 X 23 tires for clyde?

Old 07-04-19, 09:12 PM
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Funnycarrot
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700 X 23 tires for clyde?

Seriously considering buying a vintage steel frame bike. The wheels are decent I believe but is a 700 X 23 tire out of the question for a 240lb rider? In northern Kentucky it's all hills and valleys so there is aggressive climbing and fast descents. Also, the roads are not always pristine either... lots of gravel and smaller pot holes.
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Old 07-04-19, 09:39 PM
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I've ridden 700x23 at that weight, and while I didn't have any problems with it, I'm much happier with fatter meat on the wheels.
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Old 07-04-19, 10:32 PM
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At your weight, 700x23 is more than fine. ~240 is the lightest I've been in my adult life at 6'5" and I've been happily riding 23s all the way up and over 300lb.

From what you say re road surface however, larger rims and tyres may be worth serious consideration. Larger tyres mean lower riding pressures mean better puncture resistance and nicer ride quality, but going too wide, like >32mm will likely not be as fast rolling, but that might not matter too much to you. I like fast, ride zero gravel on my road bike and love my 25s
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Old 07-05-19, 05:37 PM
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I had more tire and wheel issues at 220 pounds as opposed to 300+. But I also rode ALOT more then than now. Being under 260 again, I've a set of wheels with 28s and 25s. And I admit I like the 25s better. I do have 23, on a trainer wheel...

I won't ride 23s, but that is a personal reason, and while wasn't likely the reason I crashed, I choose to stay clear...
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Old 07-05-19, 07:33 PM
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Originally Posted by Funnycarrot
Seriously considering buying a vintage steel frame bike. The wheels are decent I believe but is a 700 X 23 tire out of the question for a 240lb rider? In northern Kentucky it's all hills and valleys so there is aggressive climbing and fast descents. Also, the roads are not always pristine either... lots of gravel and smaller pot holes.
I had a vintage aluminum Trek 1500 with very narrow rims and very little tire clearance. It came with 700 x 23s and I weighed in the same neighborhood that you currently do. To prevent pinch flats on rough roads/potholes I had to keep the tires pumped up to near rock hard. Out of the question, no, but not the best ride. I found the bike squirrely on less than perfect road surfaces and fast downhill turns. Road buzz was a killer, partially due to the tires and partially due to the stiff aluminum frame.

My newer road bike, a Motobecane Gran Premio, has a wheelset with wider rims and easy clearance for 700 x 25s or barely enough for 700 x 28s. With the wider rims, the Bontrager AW3s that I have look and feel more like 28s. Much more sure-footed and comfortable. My mutt bike has 32mm AW3s and is even more comfortable with only a slight penalty on hills.

So I would not say they are out of the question, but I would highly recommend you find a frameset with room to go up to 25 or 28 mm tires. Some people still hold on to the notion that the narrower tires are faster, but the research isn't supporting that assumption.
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Old 07-05-19, 07:49 PM
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I am in the 350# range and ride 23's on my Scott cr10. I used to do 25's but in any tire that runs wide, they didn't fit. they work fine and ride fine though I am sure a wider tire would be smoother. I run max pressure all the time.

DaveW
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Old 07-05-19, 07:52 PM
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keep air pressure high

ive seen larger people on the trail running 23s, and i had no issues when i was 220 just ran 95psi or max in rear
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Old 07-06-19, 01:50 AM
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I appreciate the opinions folks!
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Old 07-06-19, 09:18 AM
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I currently ride 23's on a couple of my bikes.
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Old 07-06-19, 10:23 AM
  #10  
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On a bike I just finished building I have a 23 on the front and a 25 on the rear. Its the biggest tire I could stuff under this particular frame. I normally ride 28 on the rear and 25 on the front. On the hand full of rides on have on the 23/25 set up its been no issue and I don't expect to have any either. The tires are a bit harsher but it rolls just fine and it feels great.

I am in the 290 range too for weight. I don't have many rides in on it but I don't know why it would be an issue. I have them pumped up pretty high as well.
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Old 07-08-19, 05:09 PM
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I live in New England and ride in the country. Pot holes, cracks and all that can be thrown at me, I rode 700x23 from when I was 343lbs and they did ok. I recently went with 700x26 which I thought would slow me down but they did not. I feel more control and a better ride, I have lost lots of weight but I did this after the weight loss. This was on a reccamodation from my LBS and the fellow is a Clyde as well. I do have big boy wheels though!
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Old 07-08-19, 11:37 PM
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I ride a 1980 Schwinn Sports Tourer made in Japan or Taiwan for Schwinn with ordinary 1010 steel tubing and lugged construction. The frame is 67cm tall on the seatpost and I have weighed as much as 282lbs. This bicycle is a daily rider and like zjrog's KHS it has been upgraded. VO hubs and rear 10 speed cassette. In fact everything has been changed. I did add a kickstand because at my age I don't want to bend over to pick up my bicycle or count on leaning it on something. Mild steel bicycle frames appear to be some of the best vibration damping bicycles ever made. Chrome moly tubing is stiffer and more brittle so more vibration can come through to the rider. Aluminum has a reputation for being very stiff and I'm sure the vibration can be pretty bad on a road racing setup bicycle. Wood framed bicycles may be the best vibration damping bicycles but are hard to come by. I don't run any tires less than 32mm wide. I find the wider tires to be better riding in all conditions than narrower tires. I spent many years in my youth on racing sew ups so I've tried a lot of setups. Wider tires themselves also help damp road vibration and are generally longer lasting than narrow tires. If you have never ridden very narrow tires I recommend a good helmet and a very cautious approach to learning how to ride them. It is very easy to crash on narrow tires. I love steel frames for their real world durability and longevity. Good luck with the Bianchi or any other steel bicycle you buy.
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Old 07-09-19, 12:54 AM
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Originally Posted by Funnycarrot
Seriously considering buying a vintage steel frame bike. The wheels are decent I believe but is a 700 X 23 tire out of the question for a 240lb rider? In northern Kentucky it's all hills and valleys so there is aggressive climbing and fast descents. Also, the roads are not always pristine either... lots of gravel and smaller pot holes.
Originally Posted by tallbikeman
I ride a 1980 Schwinn Sports Tourer made in Japan or Taiwan for Schwinn with ordinary 1010 steel tubing and lugged construction. The frame is 67cm tall on the seatpost and I have weighed as much as 282lbs. This bicycle is a daily rider and like zjrog's KHS it has been upgraded. VO hubs and rear 10 speed cassette. In fact everything has been changed. I did add a kickstand because at my age I don't want to bend over to pick up my bicycle or count on leaning it on something. Mild steel bicycle frames appear to be some of the best vibration damping bicycles ever made. Chrome moly tubing is stiffer and more brittle so more vibration can come through to the rider. Aluminum has a reputation for being very stiff and I'm sure the vibration can be pretty bad on a road racing setup bicycle. Wood framed bicycles may be the best vibration damping bicycles but are hard to come by. I don't run any tires less than 32mm wide. I find the wider tires to be better riding in all conditions than narrower tires. I spent many years in my youth on racing sew ups so I've tried a lot of setups. Wider tires themselves also help damp road vibration and are generally longer lasting than narrow tires. If you have never ridden very narrow tires I recommend a good helmet and a very cautious approach to learning how to ride them. It is very easy to crash on narrow tires. I love steel frames for their real world durability and longevity. Good luck with the Bianchi or any other steel bicycle you buy.
I appreciate the callout! I suggest a helmet all the time personally. I agree wider tires do soak up road vibrations. My aluminum frame Trek and Cannondale do seem quite stiff and do transmit vibrations readily. Even with 700x28. Of course my 29er soaks up vibes with 700x54. Oddly enough, I bought a second set of wheels to run 700x40 700x4at aluminum 29er.

@tallbikeman, you mention wood frames, I keep thinking I want a bamboo bike. No other reason than to have one... maybe build it my personal self...

When my old KHS was newer, on 27" rims, I rode it with 1" tires thinking they were pretty skinny. Till I rode a friend's Pinarello with 21s... Good thing I didn't have many fillings then, that ride on tires pumped to 115psi was quite harsh.
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Old 07-09-19, 08:52 AM
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Originally Posted by zjrog
I appreciate the callout! I suggest a helmet all the time personally. I agree wider tires do soak up road vibrations. My aluminum frame Trek and Cannondale do seem quite stiff and do transmit vibrations readily. Even with 700x28. Of course my 29er soaks up vibes with 700x54. Oddly enough, I bought a second set of wheels to run 700x40 700x4at aluminum 29er.

@tallbikeman, you mention wood frames, I keep thinking I want a bamboo bike. No other reason than to have one... maybe build it my personal self...

When my old KHS was newer, on 27" rims, I rode it with 1" tires thinking they were pretty skinny. Till I rode a friend's Pinarello with 21s... Good thing I didn't have many fillings then, that ride on tires pumped to 115psi was quite harsh.
When rebuilding my 1980 Schwinn Sports Tourer I contemplated switching to 700C because parts/tires would be hard to come by for 27" wheels. To my surprise everything old is new again and there is no problem getting anything 27" for repairs or tires. I kept the bicycle 27" and have not been disappointed with that choice. Zjrog the bamboo bicycles I've seen used a lugs to hold the ends of the bamboo pipes. Very much like lugged steel construction except the lugs were longer. There was also an outfit in the SF Bay area that mad beautiful hardwood bicycle frames. These frames were made of exotic and beautiful woods that were shaped both outside and hollowed inside. The frame was built in two halves then glued together. I read some test ride descriptions and the bikes performed very well with little or no road vibration present. They were very light and very durable. Can't remember the name of the outfit making them. I believe you could actually build a bamboo bike if you can get the specific lug set and species of bamboo best for bicycle construction. No welding or brazing. A few wood working tools will do.
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Old 07-09-19, 10:00 AM
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bought a used bike w 23mm tires. it was fine. but when it was time to get new tires I switched to 25mm & I like them better. for reference, I'm 223 lbs but my trunk bag & other junk I carry add some weight, also winter clothes
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Old 07-09-19, 10:47 AM
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Originally Posted by Funnycarrot
Seriously considering buying a vintage steel frame bike. The wheels are decent I believe but is a 700 X 23 tire out of the question for a 240lb rider? In northern Kentucky it's all hills and valleys so there is aggressive climbing and fast descents. Also, the roads are not always pristine either... lots of gravel and smaller pot holes.
whoa...just switched from 25s to 28s on my new giant...so much smoother, even with very similar pressures. This weekend i will experiement with lowing pressure in the 28s to 75/95 front/back for an even smother ride...

Cant even think about how rough 23s must be...i'm 240lbs with gear/bike/water/shoes.

JAG
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Old 07-09-19, 05:19 PM
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23 will work, use high pressures.... but 25 or 28 if you can fit will be better.

also remember the ride on one 23 does not equal the ride on another. I could not believe how much better the rides was when i got good tires. Get good tires and tubes...
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Old 07-11-19, 02:39 PM
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I am a bigger guy, was over 100kg at one point. I rode 23s without a problem, but at high bar, meaning the ride was rock hard. I'd find every bit of width you can. Even fitting 24s might allow you to drop a little pressure.
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Old 07-14-19, 09:07 PM
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I have ridden 700x23 tires at 350 lbs without a problem for years. I use Velocity Deep V rims. I now ride 700x25 because the ride is a little smoother and a little more tire on the ground. I ride 4 days a week at around 100 miles per week16-19 mph ave.
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Old 07-15-19, 01:40 PM
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I have a pair of tires that fell into my lap, and I figure I'll put 'em on my Ramp Rat, which I'm thinking about re-converting into a multi-geared bike.
Rear is a 25, front a 23.
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Old 08-12-19, 12:49 PM
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I am 6'7 300lbs and i had 23s on my bike until recently. I didnt mind them at all.
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Old 08-13-19, 06:14 PM
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they work fine

At 265 I rode RAGBRAI on 700 x 23's, they worked fine, but needed to be aired up every morning. I did replace the rear one after that, I'm much happier on 700 x 28's just for comfort reasons and it seems more stable as well. Ideally I like 700 x 32 if the frame will fit it.
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Old 08-13-19, 06:20 PM
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If you have used tires, ride them till they're dead.

If you're buying new, and clearance isn't a huge issue, buy 700x25.
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Old 08-15-19, 08:57 PM
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We have bad roads here in the NW, if and when they go to fix the roads they use chip seal most of the time. So on my 700c bikes I run 38 wide tires.
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Old 08-16-19, 12:43 PM
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at my 369 pounds I prefer the 700x25mm tires (Maxxis Padrone) over the 700x23mm tires.
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