View Poll Results: Have you tried 28mm tires? Do you like them better than 25's? (Vote all that apply)
I tried tubeless 28's. I like them.
58
22.14%
I tried tubeless 28's. I don't like them.
5
1.91%
I tried tubed 28's. I like them.
184
70.23%
I tried tubed 28's. I don't like them.
3
1.15%
I've never tried 28mm bike tires for very long.
10
3.82%
I'm not interested in going to 28's at all.
23
8.78%
Multiple Choice Poll. Voters: 262. You may not vote on this poll
28mm tires on paved roads . . . have you tried them? Do you like them?
#127
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: TC, MN
Posts: 39,520
Bikes: R3 Disc, Haanjo
Mentioned: 354 Post(s)
Tagged: 1 Thread(s)
Quoted: 20810 Post(s)
Liked 9,456 Times
in
4,672 Posts
My new wheels should be in-hand today - I'm already happy with the 28s, but I think that I'll be happierer when they're puffed out a little more.
#128
Klaatu..Verata..Necktie?
Join Date: May 2007
Location: SF Bay Area
Posts: 17,960
Bikes: Litespeed Ultimate, Ultegra; Canyon Endurace, 105; Battaglin MAX, Chorus; Bianchi 928 Veloce; Ritchey Road Logic, Dura Ace; Cannondale R500 RX100; Schwinn Circuit, Sante; Lotus Supreme, Dura Ace
Mentioned: 41 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 10424 Post(s)
Liked 11,896 Times
in
6,094 Posts
The update nobody asked for - I tried 102/108, as recommended by the SRAM calculator, on the Battaglin MAX bike. Better than 110/120, but not as nice as 28s at 85/95 on my other steel bike. Silca's calculator recommends 96/98 for 25s for the combined weight, so that's my next magical trick.
__________________
"Don't take life so serious-it ain't nohow permanent."
"Everybody's gotta be somewhere." - Eccles
"Don't take life so serious-it ain't nohow permanent."
"Everybody's gotta be somewhere." - Eccles
Likes For genejockey:
#129
Member
Join Date: Jul 2017
Posts: 36
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 20 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 2 Times
in
2 Posts
So for the "bigger is better" crowd, what's the optimal size? You're not on fat-bikes so it can't be a truly unlimited thing. Is it 32mm? 40mm? 47mm? What would you all like to ride and say "yeah, this is the right size"?
I mean, for the record, I'm good with the 28mm Michelin Power Protection+ I use, but I'm also literally just trying to work as hard as I can every morning so the efficiency of anything isn't important.
I mean, for the record, I'm good with the 28mm Michelin Power Protection+ I use, but I'm also literally just trying to work as hard as I can every morning so the efficiency of anything isn't important.
The only reason I'm still riding 28s is because that is what fits in my frames. It wasn't until recently that you could get a real off-the-shelf road bike that fit wide tires. It feels like a chicken and an egg problem. Nobody was making the tires, so nobody was making the frames. nobody was making frames, so nobody was making tires.
Likes For noodle soup:
#131
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: TC, MN
Posts: 39,520
Bikes: R3 Disc, Haanjo
Mentioned: 354 Post(s)
Tagged: 1 Thread(s)
Quoted: 20810 Post(s)
Liked 9,456 Times
in
4,672 Posts
Likes For WhyFi:
#133
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: TC, MN
Posts: 39,520
Bikes: R3 Disc, Haanjo
Mentioned: 354 Post(s)
Tagged: 1 Thread(s)
Quoted: 20810 Post(s)
Liked 9,456 Times
in
4,672 Posts
Likes For WhyFi:
#135
Newbie
Join Date: Sep 2020
Posts: 12
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 9 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
I switched out my puny little anorexic 28mm GP40000 II's, which were a measly 30mm on my rims, and put on some Compass Barlow Pass 38mm and pumped them up real good to 35 psi in the front, 40 psi in the back. They "feel" a wee bit more sluggish, but my GPS data say otherwise. (Jan says people sometimes subjectively interpret a harsher ride as a faster ride.)
#136
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2015
Posts: 15,488
Bikes: 2015 Workswell 066, 2017 Workswell 093, 2014 Dawes Sheila, 1983 Cannondale 500, 1984 Raleigh Olympian, 2007 Cannondale Rize 4, 2017 Fuji Sportif 1 LE
Mentioned: 144 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 7652 Post(s)
Liked 3,473 Times
in
1,834 Posts
Experiment. personal taste is more at play here than hard data. Find the widest tires you can fit on your rims and give it a try. Play with different pressures. I am not convinced that three is all that much more comfort gained from soft 38s over soft 32s .... but it depends upon the roads you ride and your definition of "comfort."
As for speed .... if your wheels and tires weigh more, they will feel a little more sluggish when accelerating (when accelerating forward, for the physics sticklers) but you might not mind or might not even notice. How important is speed? Everyone has a different answer.
I think the last line about subjective interpretation is all-important. Everyone has different interpretations of how their ride should "feel" (in quotes because it is a combination of factors and purely subjective---indefinable) and for some, the "feel" is fine with wider tires, heavier wheels, harder tires, whatever .... So the only real answer is "Try some stuff and see for yourself."
As for speed .... if your wheels and tires weigh more, they will feel a little more sluggish when accelerating (when accelerating forward, for the physics sticklers) but you might not mind or might not even notice. How important is speed? Everyone has a different answer.
I think the last line about subjective interpretation is all-important. Everyone has different interpretations of how their ride should "feel" (in quotes because it is a combination of factors and purely subjective---indefinable) and for some, the "feel" is fine with wider tires, heavier wheels, harder tires, whatever .... So the only real answer is "Try some stuff and see for yourself."
#137
Newbie
Join Date: Sep 2020
Posts: 12
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 9 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Experiment. personal taste is more at play here than hard data. Find the widest tires you can fit on your rims and give it a try. Play with different pressures. I am not convinced that three is all that much more comfort gained from soft 38s over soft 32s .... but it depends upon the roads you ride and your definition of "comfort."
As for speed .... if your wheels and tires weigh more, they will feel a little more sluggish when accelerating (when accelerating forward, for the physics sticklers) but you might not mind or might not even notice. How important is speed? Everyone has a different answer.
I think the last line about subjective interpretation is all-important. Everyone has different interpretations of how their ride should "feel" (in quotes because it is a combination of factors and purely subjective---indefinable) and for some, the "feel" is fine with wider tires, heavier wheels, harder tires, whatever .... So the only real answer is "Try some stuff and see for yourself."
As for speed .... if your wheels and tires weigh more, they will feel a little more sluggish when accelerating (when accelerating forward, for the physics sticklers) but you might not mind or might not even notice. How important is speed? Everyone has a different answer.
I think the last line about subjective interpretation is all-important. Everyone has different interpretations of how their ride should "feel" (in quotes because it is a combination of factors and purely subjective---indefinable) and for some, the "feel" is fine with wider tires, heavier wheels, harder tires, whatever .... So the only real answer is "Try some stuff and see for yourself."
I suppose I will end up trying 32mm and 38mm in the end, but was hoping someone would say “I have found my 38s to be just as fast, like Rene Herse said, so slap on the 38s so you don’t have to change your tires when you ride with your road mates THEN your gravel mates.”
#138
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2015
Posts: 15,488
Bikes: 2015 Workswell 066, 2017 Workswell 093, 2014 Dawes Sheila, 1983 Cannondale 500, 1984 Raleigh Olympian, 2007 Cannondale Rize 4, 2017 Fuji Sportif 1 LE
Mentioned: 144 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 7652 Post(s)
Liked 3,473 Times
in
1,834 Posts
I have read all the threads on this here ... and some people Will say exactly what you want to hear .... whatever that may be.
If I had some definitive answer .... but I don't believe there is one.
And I know .... good tires are expensive. And switching tires is a pain.
If you plan to ride a lot of gravel, you can certainly use 38s, and certainly keep up with pretty quick road rides on 38s .... you might have to work a little harder, but if you want to not compromise by changing tires then you have to compromise performance, either on- or off-road.
If I had some definitive answer .... but I don't believe there is one.
And I know .... good tires are expensive. And switching tires is a pain.
If you plan to ride a lot of gravel, you can certainly use 38s, and certainly keep up with pretty quick road rides on 38s .... you might have to work a little harder, but if you want to not compromise by changing tires then you have to compromise performance, either on- or off-road.
Likes For Maelochs:
#139
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: TC, MN
Posts: 39,520
Bikes: R3 Disc, Haanjo
Mentioned: 354 Post(s)
Tagged: 1 Thread(s)
Quoted: 20810 Post(s)
Liked 9,456 Times
in
4,672 Posts
thanks for the reply. Try some out myself? Isn’t that was taking hours reading opinions on the internet is for? Joke.
I suppose I will end up trying 32mm and 38mm in the end, but was hoping someone would say “I have found my 38s to be just as fast, like Rene Herse said, so slap on the 38s so you don’t have to change your tires when you ride with your road mates THEN your gravel mates.”
I suppose I will end up trying 32mm and 38mm in the end, but was hoping someone would say “I have found my 38s to be just as fast, like Rene Herse said, so slap on the 38s so you don’t have to change your tires when you ride with your road mates THEN your gravel mates.”
Likes For WhyFi:
#140
Newbie
Join Date: Sep 2020
Posts: 12
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 9 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
I've taken 35s and 38s (both Schwalbe G-Ones, very good tires) out on the group road ride (on short notice when I've had problems with the road bike or road wheelset). They're pigs in that setting. At steady speeds they rolled just fine, so paceline situations were no problem. Accelerating out of corners or even up little kickers was a noticeably different, and not in a good way, even though I'm of the sprinter-type and can usually close a gap in my group pretty easily. If your group is pretty steady in pace, maybe you'll happy with them. If your group is spirited and has frequent surges, you're probably not going to like them, unless you're too strong for your group and you need to spice things up because you're bored out of your mind.
my situation is that it’s getting close to Being time to replace my road bike, but I recently got this shiny titanium “gravel” bike. My gravel bike leans towards a road geometry....so, if I could keep up on 32mm slicks on my gravel bike, maybe I don’t need a new road bike.
#141
Occam's Rotor
Join Date: Jul 2013
Posts: 7,248
Mentioned: 61 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2366 Post(s)
Liked 2,331 Times
in
1,164 Posts
thanks for the reply. Try some out myself? Isn’t that was taking hours reading opinions on the internet is for? Joke.
I suppose I will end up trying 32mm and 38mm in the end, but was hoping someone would say “I have found my 38s to be just as fast, like Rene Herse said, so slap on the 38s so you don’t have to change your tires when you ride with your road mates THEN your gravel mates.”
I suppose I will end up trying 32mm and 38mm in the end, but was hoping someone would say “I have found my 38s to be just as fast, like Rene Herse said, so slap on the 38s so you don’t have to change your tires when you ride with your road mates THEN your gravel mates.”
I have 55mm Antelope Hill tires on another bike (a touring bike). I haven't tried other tires on it yet, but my kid can ride it and kick my arse, so they aren't slowing him down substantially.
Last edited by Cyclist0108; 10-01-20 at 08:10 AM.
#142
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: TC, MN
Posts: 39,520
Bikes: R3 Disc, Haanjo
Mentioned: 354 Post(s)
Tagged: 1 Thread(s)
Quoted: 20810 Post(s)
Liked 9,456 Times
in
4,672 Posts
thanks. I think I’ll try some Continental GP5000 32mm on my gravel bike first and see if I can keep With my road group. I have 28mm GP5000 on my road bike, so I will be comparing apples to bigger apples at least.
my situation is that it’s getting close to Being time to replace my road bike, but I recently got this shiny titanium “gravel” bike. My gravel bike leans towards a road geometry....so, if I could keep up on 32mm slicks on my gravel bike, maybe I don’t need a new road bike.
my situation is that it’s getting close to Being time to replace my road bike, but I recently got this shiny titanium “gravel” bike. My gravel bike leans towards a road geometry....so, if I could keep up on 32mm slicks on my gravel bike, maybe I don’t need a new road bike.
#143
Pointy Helmet Tribe
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Offthebackistan
Posts: 4,338
Bikes: R5, Allez Sprint, Shiv
Mentioned: 4 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 519 Post(s)
Liked 627 Times
in
295 Posts
Hi. I now have a bike that can fit wider tires than the 28s I've been on and see you have gone from 28mm to 38mm. Strictly for road surfaces are you just as fast on your 38s as you were on your 28s? I'm thinking I'll go to 32s, but if you don't lose any speed going from 32 to 38, why not get the comfort? I've read plenty of "scientific" input, but wondering what your real world input may be.....thanks. First post.
On hill climbs, the steel bike feels sluggish. Whether this is due to the steel frame or the wheels, I cannot say. Next week, I should build up my Factor and i will give it a go on a carbon frame and with fat tires - that should provide me with more clarity.
As of now, I think 37mm is a bit too wide unless you are riding really rough roads. I plan to settle on 30mm WAM on my Factor for daily riding.
Likes For guadzilla:
#144
Senior Member
I run 28mm Mavic Yksion Elite Guard tires at 6bar and I like them. Previously I ran Continental GP4000 23mm at 7bar.
I noticed the difference in comfort, but haven't noticed any loss of speed. I also noticed they grip better when cornering.
I noticed the difference in comfort, but haven't noticed any loss of speed. I also noticed they grip better when cornering.
#145
Junior Member
Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 180
Bikes: Look 765 Gravel RS, Lynskey Cooper CX, Lynskey R260
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 5 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 12 Times
in
6 Posts
thanks. I think I’ll try some Continental GP5000 32mm on my gravel bike first and see if I can keep With my road group. I have 28mm GP5000 on my road bike, so I will be comparing apples to bigger apples at least.
my situation is that it’s getting close to Being time to replace my road bike, but I recently got this shiny titanium “gravel” bike. My gravel bike leans towards a road geometry....so, if I could keep up on 32mm slicks on my gravel bike, maybe I don’t need a new road bike.
my situation is that it’s getting close to Being time to replace my road bike, but I recently got this shiny titanium “gravel” bike. My gravel bike leans towards a road geometry....so, if I could keep up on 32mm slicks on my gravel bike, maybe I don’t need a new road bike.
Last edited by pennstater; 10-02-20 at 04:43 PM.
#146
Newbie
Join Date: Sep 2020
Posts: 12
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 9 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
My Rene Herse 38mm Barlow Pass tires aren't any slower on the road than my 28mm GP4000II tires they replaced, and they behave MUCH better off-road. They also ride much better on the road.
I have 55mm Antelope Hill tires on another bike (a touring bike). I haven't tried other tires on it yet, but my kid can ride it and kick my arse, so they aren't slowing him down substantially.
I have 55mm Antelope Hill tires on another bike (a touring bike). I haven't tried other tires on it yet, but my kid can ride it and kick my arse, so they aren't slowing him down substantially.
Do you use a ride tracker for speed and it shows you that your 38mm are just as fast, or do you keep up with the group just as easily?
Thanks for the input.
#147
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: TC, MN
Posts: 39,520
Bikes: R3 Disc, Haanjo
Mentioned: 354 Post(s)
Tagged: 1 Thread(s)
Quoted: 20810 Post(s)
Liked 9,456 Times
in
4,672 Posts
I would be willing to be that they're referring to a setting outside of a spirited group ride. On solo road rides, which I've also done on 35s and 38s, the time/power results that I've gotten haven't been obviously out of the normal range that I'd see with 28s or 30s... but solo rides are a lot different, much smoother, less dynamic and punchy. Being a few bike lengths slower out of a corner when solo means nothing; with a group, it can mean losing a wheel and getting dropped or having to dig deep to claw your way back.
Likes For WhyFi:
#148
Newbie
Join Date: Sep 2020
Posts: 12
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 9 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
good point. The wheel set will have a great effect. The I9s on my gravel bike are way better than the Giant hoops that came on my Defy though. Should actually be an advantage for my gravel bike.
#149
Occam's Rotor
Join Date: Jul 2013
Posts: 7,248
Mentioned: 61 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2366 Post(s)
Liked 2,331 Times
in
1,164 Posts
I commute to work and back on them (well, at least pre-COVID) so I have many miles of the same trip logged (Garmin) with each. Others here have done far more careful studies. I don't hardly ever do group rides. I am also not particularly fast, so it is possible there are differences that simply don't show up for me as I grind up hills.