Go Back  Bike Forums > Bike Forums > Bicycle Mechanics
Reload this Page >

700x38c Question

Search
Notices
Bicycle Mechanics Broken bottom bracket? Tacoed wheel? If you're having problems with your bicycle, or just need help fixing a flat, drop in here for the latest on bicycle mechanics & bicycle maintenance.

700x38c Question

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old 02-01-09, 08:12 PM
  #1  
jephrey93
Newbie
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Feb 2009
Posts: 4
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
700x38c Question

Hi Guys,

Please don't laugh at my ignorance and noob status. I need a new rim for a tire that says "Bontrager 700x38C". What size wheel/rim do I need to put the same tire/tube back on? I've searched around and looked at the tire sizing but I don't quite understand it. Thanks.
jephrey93 is offline  
Old 02-01-09, 08:19 PM
  #2  
CCrew
Older than dirt
 
CCrew's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Winchester, VA
Posts: 5,342

Bikes: Too darn many.. latest count is 11

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 2 Times in 2 Posts
700 is the diameter, and 38 is the mm in width. A 700 rim is actually 622mm in diameter. Proper rim is going to be roughly a 622-18 rim size. Most manufacturers will list them as 700c though.

-Roger
CCrew is offline  
Old 02-01-09, 08:23 PM
  #3  
jephrey93
Newbie
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Feb 2009
Posts: 4
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
I purchased a Mavic 700C wheel, but it is a lot narrower than my original wheel. The original tire and tube will not fit on this narrow wheel. Any ideas? Thanks.
jephrey93 is offline  
Old 02-01-09, 08:29 PM
  #4  
Panthers007
Great State of Varmint
 
Panthers007's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Dante's Third Ring
Posts: 7,476
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 15 Times in 15 Posts
You can buy a wider 700C rim. Or buy a narrower 700C tire.
Panthers007 is offline  
Old 02-01-09, 08:33 PM
  #5  
tellyho
Your mom
 
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 2,544
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time in 1 Post
Narrower tire is a hell of a lot cheaper.
tellyho is offline  
Old 02-01-09, 08:37 PM
  #6  
LarDasse74
Guest
 
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Grid Reference, SK
Posts: 3,768

Bikes: I never learned to ride a bike. It is my deepest shame.

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 6 Times in 6 Posts
You need size 700C... any rim with a 622 mm bead seat diameter, which are commonly called "hybrid," "road," or "29er".

There are further considerations - do you need front or rear, what type of braking system is used on the bike.
LarDasse74 is offline  
Old 02-01-09, 09:56 PM
  #7  
jephrey93
Newbie
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Feb 2009
Posts: 4
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
I need a front wheel and the braking is the pull type brake. Can you show me some sites where it lists the size of the wheel for sale? I can't seem to find any quality ones. Thanks.
jephrey93 is offline  
Old 02-01-09, 10:58 PM
  #8  
oldbobcat
Senior Member
 
oldbobcat's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Boulder County, CO
Posts: 4,393

Bikes: '80 Masi Gran Criterium, '12 Trek Madone, early '60s Frejus track

Mentioned: 6 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 513 Post(s)
Liked 448 Times in 337 Posts
Originally Posted by jephrey93
I need a front wheel and the braking is the pull type brake. Can you show me some sites where it lists the size of the wheel for sale? I can't seem to find any quality ones. Thanks.
Basically, you need wheel with a 700c rim that has an inner width in the 16-20mm range. Typical road rims are 13-15mm. My first recommendation is to go to your local shops and find one that can order an appropriate wheel for you. They are available.

If that doesn't work, Niagara Cycle Works has several wheels with 700c rims having outside widths of 25-35mm that should certainly be wide enough. To be sure, ask them about inside width. This one, the Alex X101l, caught my eye because the size is right and Alex wheels are a good value: https://www.niagaracycle.com/product_...oducts_id=1021

I've used Niagara for other parts and I find them reliable.
oldbobcat is offline  
Old 02-01-09, 11:15 PM
  #9  
ginsoakedboy
Banned
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 616
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time in 1 Post
Generally, tire width should be no more than 1-1/2 to 2 times the inside width of the rim (Sheldon recommended 1.45-2.0 https://www.sheldonbrown.com/tire-sizing.html). So for 38 you should be looking at rims with an inner dimension in the 19-23mm range.
ginsoakedboy is offline  
Old 02-02-09, 12:06 AM
  #10  
oldbobcat
Senior Member
 
oldbobcat's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Boulder County, CO
Posts: 4,393

Bikes: '80 Masi Gran Criterium, '12 Trek Madone, early '60s Frejus track

Mentioned: 6 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 513 Post(s)
Liked 448 Times in 337 Posts
Others on this forum have asserted that Mr. Brown's recommendations for tire and rim width compatibility are on the stingy side.

If you haven't pitched it, you can always measure the old rim.
oldbobcat is offline  
Old 02-02-09, 01:53 AM
  #11  
jephrey93
Newbie
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Feb 2009
Posts: 4
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Outer width is about 25-26mm, and inside width is about 20mm. Would that Alex wheel fit the tube and tire that I have? Thanks.
jephrey93 is offline  
Old 02-02-09, 08:40 AM
  #12  
Panthers007
Great State of Varmint
 
Panthers007's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Dante's Third Ring
Posts: 7,476
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 15 Times in 15 Posts
A 38C tire will easily fit a 25mm rim. You can fit up to about a 50C on a 25mm.
Panthers007 is offline  
Old 02-02-09, 09:33 AM
  #13  
cyccommute 
Mad bike riding scientist
 
cyccommute's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Denver, CO
Posts: 27,362

Bikes: Some silver ones, a red one, a black and orange one, and a few titanium ones

Mentioned: 152 Post(s)
Tagged: 1 Thread(s)
Quoted: 6218 Post(s)
Liked 4,217 Times in 2,364 Posts
Originally Posted by Panthers007
A 38C tire will easily fit a 25mm rim. You can fit up to about a 50C on a 25mm.
+1 Mountain bike rims are typically around 20mm width outside diameter (a Mavic XM-719 is 559x19C) and take tires as wide as 2.3". For those of you who are metrically challenged, that's 58mm. Granted the tires aren't usually pumped up to 100+ psi but I never worry about blowing one off... even if I'm hopping off of stuff.

I wouldn't even worry about putting a 38mm tire on a very narrow rim. But, then, you probably shouldn't be trying to put 150 psi in it either
__________________
Stuart Black
Plan Epsilon Around Lake Michigan in the era of Covid
Old School…When It Wasn’t Ancient bikepacking
Gold Fever Three days of dirt in Colorado
Pokin' around the Poconos A cold ride around Lake Erie
Dinosaurs in Colorado A mountain bike guide to the Purgatory Canyon dinosaur trackway
Solo Without Pie. The search for pie in the Midwest.
Picking the Scablands. Washington and Oregon, 2005. Pie and spiders on the Columbia River!



cyccommute is offline  
Old 02-02-09, 01:00 PM
  #14  
DannoXYZ 
Senior Member
 
DannoXYZ's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Saratoga, CA
Posts: 11,736
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 109 Post(s)
Liked 9 Times in 6 Posts
What do you mean by "stingy"?
DannoXYZ is offline  
Old 02-02-09, 01:14 PM
  #15  
oldbobcat
Senior Member
 
oldbobcat's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Boulder County, CO
Posts: 4,393

Bikes: '80 Masi Gran Criterium, '12 Trek Madone, early '60s Frejus track

Mentioned: 6 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 513 Post(s)
Liked 448 Times in 337 Posts
Originally Posted by DannoXYZ
What do you mean by "stingy"?
I mean that his ranges are smaller than others would allow. On the other side is generous. The sizing chart that accompanies tires in performancebike.com would be considered generous (and rather vague as to whether it's talking about inside or outside widths, too).

Incidentally, yes, I think that Alex wheel would work very well with a 35mm tire.
oldbobcat is offline  
Old 02-02-09, 02:53 PM
  #16  
Mr. Underbridge
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Reston, VA
Posts: 2,369

Bikes: 2003 Giant OCR2

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
One other thing to watch out for - some companies/retailers report their widths as the outside of the rim, some as the inside of the rim. Some give the width but don't state what they're measuring. This is incredibly irritating but something to bear in mind.

Note the widths on Sheldon's web site refer to the inner width of the rim, which is the important part and what is included with the ETRTO standard. That's the number that *should* be reported. But I've seen both. I guesstimated about a 4mm difference between the inner and outer widths, if you find an outer width reported.
Mr. Underbridge is offline  
Old 02-02-09, 03:36 PM
  #17  
adaminlc
Senior Member
 
adaminlc's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Las Cruces, NM
Posts: 328

Bikes: 2007 Surly Cross Check, 199? Novara Alpine

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
+1 on Sheldon Brown.
adaminlc is offline  

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off



Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.