700x20c tires?
02-19-13, 09:40 PM
#1
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700x20c tires?
While digging through a box of parts and things I had stored away (and lost during a move) a few years back I came upon a pair of NOS Michelin Hi Lite Comp tires in the 700x20c size. I remember having a set of Hi Lite SuperComps on my DX-5000 about ten years ago and they were tiny. I also recall having to literally cut them off the rims when it was time to change them as the term "tight" didn't even begin to describe the fit.
So as I sit here looking at these Hi Lites, I have to wonder who the heck actually uses tires this size? Anyone? Anyone? Bueller?
So as I sit here looking at these Hi Lites, I have to wonder who the heck actually uses tires this size? Anyone? Anyone? Bueller?
02-19-13, 09:46 PM
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I would if I had tires in that size. 23c just isn't narrow enough.
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02-19-13, 10:07 PM
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The funny thing is that I bought a bunch of these Hi Lites years ago when Nashbar was blowing them out. I think I gave away six sets of them to friends (most 700x23) and had three sets of the 700x20.
02-19-13, 10:09 PM
#5
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I'm rollin 20's on my colnago super. I love skinny tires
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02-19-13, 10:11 PM
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I still had two sets of Specialized Turbo/R's from the late 80s that were narrower! 18mm and 16mm.
02-19-13, 10:35 PM
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I have. I've even ridden on 18mm tires. I didn't find them terribly hard to control, but there really isn't much point to them, either. I rode that bike to my car mechanic, and his eyes bugged out looking at the tires.
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02-19-13, 10:38 PM
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I have at least 4 700x19c folding tires I picked up with a bulk parts purchase. I believe they are a name brand, but are several years old. I'm not sure when I'll try them.
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02-19-13, 10:43 PM
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Ah, the Turbo R's! That was the first decent set of slicks I had on my '85 Panasonic Team back in the day. I tried Avocet Fastgrips at some point but quickly renamed them to FastSlips... I've never crashed more in my life than on those Avocets!
02-20-13, 12:43 AM
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The Hutchinson Atoms (1st gen) presently on my only clincher wheelset is labeled as "700 x 21C" but actually measures at 19mm wide when installed and inflated. They are so narrow that they look more like rim protectors that tires when installed on rims. Not sure if they have lower resistance than my wider tubs (it's been proven that super narrow tires can actually result in more sidewall flexing /deflection which results in more rolling resistance), but they do have a harsher ride than most tires I ever used. Only real advantage I see with them is that at 170 grams each, they could be the lightest foldable clincher tires I ever used which makes them easier to accelerate....
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02-20-13, 02:41 AM
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I've ridden 20s but prefer 23 for any downhill with curves.
Anything less than 20s on a roadie is weight-weenie-ism.
Anything less than 20s on a roadie is weight-weenie-ism.
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02-20-13, 03:22 AM
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I had a set of Continental 700x19's on a bike I picked up once. Promptly got rid of them. Wasn't enough rubber on the road for me.
02-20-13, 07:51 AM
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What caused the crashes?
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02-20-13, 08:06 AM
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Rode some 18c wide Continental tires, actually quite nice. But studies show that the optimum lies at 23 mm, so even the pro's shied away from lower sizes.
02-20-13, 08:22 AM
#17
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Well, I was partially young and dumb for starters (probably 13 yo). Back then, my friends and I would all try to take corners as low and as quickly as possible. In fact, this sounds stupid but I remember all of us sweeping the corner at the end of the street so we wouldn't be surprised by loose sand etc. Once that was done we'd come flying around the corner as fast as we could without kissing the curb. Sounds slightly nuts, but I grew up in Iowa and there wasn't much else to do. 
Two of the crashes that I can recall happened when my rear wheel just slid out from under me while in pursuit of a friend on his Bianchi. I remember he had Turbo R's and I had my groovy looking FastSlips.
Got caught in the rain with the Avos once or twice and remember them being squirrely as can be. (Not that Hi Lite Comps were ever great rain tires either.)
I sold the Avos to a friend with a C'dale who liked the look and I bought Turbo R's which I loved for all of two months before the bike was stolen from my garage. Grrr.
Two of the crashes that I can recall happened when my rear wheel just slid out from under me while in pursuit of a friend on his Bianchi. I remember he had Turbo R's and I had my groovy looking FastSlips.
Got caught in the rain with the Avos once or twice and remember them being squirrely as can be. (Not that Hi Lite Comps were ever great rain tires either.)
I sold the Avos to a friend with a C'dale who liked the look and I bought Turbo R's which I loved for all of two months before the bike was stolen from my garage. Grrr.
02-20-13, 09:03 AM
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I bought a used Moto Le Champ that was converted from Sew-ups to clinchers with Rigida 1320's. Put the Turbo's on to mimic the sew-ups. Needed to do expereince that as I was running sew-ups on my then departed Peugeot UO-8. I really like the Turbo's, but now I am back on tubulars.
02-20-13, 10:09 AM
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Me too. We used to set up an Evil Knievel type ramp and jump over other kids lying down with our Stingray type bikes. Seriously like five or six kids... it's a wonder none of us lost our spleens or something.
02-20-13, 10:57 AM
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incazzare.
Apparently many race teams are now moving to 700 x 25. The super skinny tire phase is beginning to go away.
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02-20-13, 10:59 AM
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My Nishiki Modulus came with 700X20's. I got one ride out of them before the ancient sidewalls started splitting threads, but I didn't find them to be insanely different from 700X23 as far as ride quality. Faster accelerating though.
