djdelarosa25

My Giant road bike's stock tires were 28 mm which I think are the sweet spot for the kind of roads I ride on but they're pretty **** in my opinion. They're heavy (wire bead) and I notice some wheelspin when putting out some power even in dry conditions. Luckily, I got a relatively new pair of Continental Ultra Sport IIIs (folding) from another bike here in our house and transferred it to my bike. While not a top model, it's certainly a much better tire than the Giants. The Bicycle Rolling Resistance website says it's the best budget tire they tested, etc. but the problem is it's in 25 mm. I have the money right now to buy another pair of Ultra Sport IIIs in 28 mm if I wanted since it's pretty affordable and our scholarship allowance just landed, but of course I want to keep spending to a minimum, if possible.

I am planning on selling one or both pairs, and just using the money I get from there to buy the 28 mm Conti pair. The question is, which tires should go? Also, I'm beginning to wonder if I should keep the 25 mm Contis instead since I'm a pretty light guy anyway (I weigh around 55-60 kg) but on some rides where we come across really bad roads, the vibrations are pretty bad at speed and I'm worried something on my bike would break.

Apologies for the stupid thread. Being a student cyclist sucks lol. Thanks in advance

WhyFi

You're light, broke and new to road cycling - ride the 25s, at appropriate pressure, and get your moneys worth out of them. Your bike isn't going to break because you're riding 25s instead of 28s.

mercator

I've seen people selling used tires, so maybe someone will buy them, but I agree with the above - ride them and replace when worn.
As for the Ultra Sports, they do have a fairly low rr for a cheap tire, but the trade off is that they don't last very long.

MoAlpha

When I think of all the dirt, gravel, washboard, and just plain crap we rode on year after year on 20 mm tires...

Think of the aero penalty of 28s over 25s and be happy.

Koyote

So, apparently my previous response to this was offensive to an administrator, so let me try this again: are you really claiming that you can spin your rear wheel? Because that doesn't seem right, unless you have ungodly power output -- or there is some other issue here.

Anyway, the difference between 25mm and 28mm tires is not that large. Even if you could easily afford to swap over to 28s, I would recommend that you keep the 25s 'til they are worn out.

HTupolev

What PSI are you pumping your tires to?

Bigbus

I spin my rear wheel heading up the drive to the highway every time I go for a ride and it really doesn't take much effort. On my MTB, I'm constantly spinning my rear wheel and it's much larger at 2.5" than the 25C I have on the road bike. It also has some serious knobs while the road is almost slick. I know I don't have unGodly strength. And I find it really hard to believe that you offended an administrator.

Koyote

Oh, I'm very offensive.

I don't think going from 25 to 28 will help with wheelspin, and I'll even bet that it'll be unnoticeable in other regards. I'm basing this on my own experience in going up one size on a couple road bikes. So if you are short on cash, and the 25s are otherwise good tires, I'd recommend sticking with them. And shift your weight back a bit when riding up that hill.

Bigbus

Sounds like time for a Fat Tire bike.

unterhausen

I had a set of 25mm Bontrager tires and replaced them with Bontrager 28mm tires to get a bit bigger tire. I swear they used the same casing

DeadGrandpa

I can't believe that no one else has suggested this, but my warped advice is to put a 28mm tire on the rear, and a 25 on the front. That's what I put on my fiancee's bike, and she hasn't noticed. Or at least, she hasn't complained. A little wider is a little more cushion, and that's a good thing on rough roads. Moderate the pressure to get the most advantage.

Myself, I run 40 on the rear and 35 in front. Trying to wear out a previous purchase of durable but heavier tires, and next time I'll get lighter, more supple tires.

DeadGrandpa

Strongly disagree. Maybe "poor road conditions" are different for you than for me, because on her bike, 25/28mm front/rear, I pump weekly to 80/85 psi or slightly higher. Might lose ~10 pounds each maximum over a week, probably less. Not enough to pinch on the roads we ride, even on the occasional 1 inch bump where the road meets the bridge. There's more weight on the rear wheel, so a wider tire is more cushion on the rear, where it's needed.

WhyFi

Uh, no.

Bigbus

On my road bikes I would never consider putting different sized tires frt and rr. but on my MTB I have a much softer Bontrager and a much harder, gnarlier and heavier tire on the rear. The softer tire up frt gives me much more control and overall comfort when shredding down a trail at high speed.

Toespeas

i ride 23s on road because i can take my race tires over to my commute bike , but i would suggest just getting some gp5000s if you are going to run US3s , for me , tires are all about the price , i can get US3s on amazon for 50 usd or wait for a sale on gp5000s for less than 80 a pair , and thats usually how i shop , always get the tire thats on sale , shwables lower lines are pretty affordable too , where as the Pro1s can be about 90 bucks a pair , and i guess BREXIT is official because MERLINCYCLE doesn't seem to have the same deals and their shipping seems to be up to 25 bucks no matter what , they used to be my go-to for gp4000s for 68 bucks usd .
but really i just wish conti would bring back the gp4000s and just sell them for 30 bucks , id still ride them exclusively , and maybe just race on gp5000s , but NOOOOO stupid cont has to push these new tires out with every shill on youtube telling us how much better they are , REALLY GCN , the tires we road for almost a decade are not obsolete , give me a marketing BS break LOL !!!!
but my price points in the USA re around these marks

gp5000 85 and under
ultrasport 3 60
shwalbe pro1 addix clincher non tubeless 70
vittoria corsa g 80

thats all ive tried , dont trust any other tires really good luck !

merlinextraligh

1)Tires are wear items wear them out, then consider the best replacement.

2) you’re delusional if you think you’ll see any real money from selling the tires you think are crappy. The market for used bike tires is only slightly better than that for used condoms.

3) if you’re spinning your rear tire on dry pavement, it’s like more your technique( i.e. weight balance, pedal stroke and gear choice) than your tires.

You’re a broke college student; run the tires to the cords, and save money for beer.

Seattle Forrest

​​​​​​When I went from 23 to 28 my arm grew back so...