liampboyle

Okay, I picked up a used Kona Caldera that I want to modify for "commute" cycling. It has the original Sun Black Eye rims 559x22mm - What is the thinnest tire width that would fit these rims properly? I was thinking of getting some Schwalbe Marathon Plus HS tires because of flat resistance.

Bill Kapaun

Whatever size, I want to be at least a couple mm wider than the exterior width of the rim minimum.

dsbrantjr

Here is a chart with some tire/rim width suggestions, scroll most of the way down to see the chart. https://www.sheldonbrown.com/tire-sizing.html Note that the suggestions are not hard-and-fast. Thinner tires are not necessarily faster and are IMO less comfortable with the requisite pressure. Here's some info:
https://janheine.wordpress.com/2010/...-and-pressure/
https://janheine.wordpress.com/2016/...ure-take-home/

Jeff Wills

If you want to stick with the Marathon Plus, the narrowest goes for your rim is 1.35" or 35mm: https://www.schwalbetires.com/node/377

Also: https://www.universalcycles.com/shop...4&category=178

I agree with the others: narrow tires are not necessarily faster than fatter tires for the equivalent tire pressure. If your commute's pavement is rough, you may want to step up to the 1.50" or 44mm width.

hokiefyd 

I have some Michelin Proteks in my basement in the 26 x 1.4" size (35-622). I used them on an older MTB for about a minute. They were rock-hard and didn't really serve to make biking easier (like I had hoped). Their replacements (26 x 1.75, or 44-559) Michelin Country Rock tires were much more comfortable and seemed to be just as fast.

alcjphil

Another vote for a wider tire. The Schwalbe Marathon Plus HS is available in a 26 x 1.75 width which would be a better match for your bike. The narrower the tire, the higher the pressure needed, the harsher the ride. Back when I commuted on a 26" wheel bike, I found that anything under that size was brutally stiff to ride on and no faster than the wider tire it replaced

liampboyle

Thanks for all the advice everybody, I think I'm going to go with the Marathon 26"x2"

Wilfred Laurier

Good choice. Your smiles/mile will be fantastic.

WizardOfBoz

I'll take issue with some of the folks above. I'd say it depends. On the road quality you face (as was pointed out above) but also on your weight. I'm a big guy, and trying to fit 23mm tires on a 22mm rim would be insanity (For both comfort and practicality/reliability). If you weigh 120 lbs, you could start considering smaller tires. But as others have pointed out, smaller isn't necessarily faster, easier to pedal. And narrow tires won't be as comfortable over bumps.

So if you're smaller (e.g. less heavy) than average, you might want to consider pushing it and going smaller, but for that rim (I can't find interior rim width, so I'm assuming that 22mm is outside with, minus 2 mm per side for rim thickness, to give an inside rim width of 18mm) a tire of about 28mm would work fine. And you could push it if you're light and go to 25mm. I'd probably ride that wheel with 32 or 35mm because I'm a big guy. For practicality, comfort and reliablity I'd likely ride it with 32mm tires.

liampboyle

I'm not a huge guy, but I'm not exactly small either and I do have some rough roads, so I think the wider tires would work best, thanks to the advice everybody gave me

WizardOfBoz

liampboyle (gee, are you Irish?), I weigh 245# more or less. When I was a kid (and knew nothing) working in the bike shop and was a bikie it was all about getting 22mm tubular tires and such. We were idiots. With age comes perspective. I think you'll be very happy with moderately sized tires - more comfort and the same or even less rolling resistance.

For my road bike (pretty smooth pavement, out in the country, few stops) I use 26mm tires. I probably could go 28mm. For some other bikes I'm refurbing I'm using 1-1/8 (28mm) and 1-1/4 inch (32mm or so) tires. Very comfortable.

liampboyle

Wizard, no not Irish at all .... what would ever give you that idea </sarcasm>

yeah, Irish descent family.

WizardOfBoz

We have a family next door with names like Thomas, Colleen, Brendan, Aidan, Declan and Quintan. Seeing Liam reminded me of that.