danallen

Is there a fork available for a 2008 Madone with width expanded, to allow 28mm or 32mm tires?

If the largest width in the rear is 25mm, would running 28mm in the front cause a big problem?

79pmooney

Can't help you with the increased fork. Running a front tire a size larger than the rear works just fine. The bikes I use in gravel I run a 38 in front while limited by the chainstays to 35 in back. My old race bike is 24 max in back (I run 23s because I can find them) and 25 in front. Another bike has gone 28 front, 25 rear just fine.

In terms of bike handling, most of use want our best gripping tire in front and everything else being equal, that is usually the wider one. Back in the day, the word was to use your best/fastest tire in back for race speed. (Back when every one knew that skinnier and lighter was faster.)

Kontact 

A new fork is going to be a big pain that will likely look stupid. Get more supple 25c tires, get softer riding wheels, sell your bike and get the one you want, etc. 25c tires are fine. Nothing magic happens when you make the tire 10% larger.

FBinNY 

While running a wider tire tire in front won't cause handling issues, I can't see a logical reason why you would.

Both aerodynamic and weight distribution considerations argue for narrower tires in front, so what benefit are you trying to gain?

No need to answer as you don't owe me or anyone else an explanation for your choices. Consider this a suggestion that you think things through before spending serious dough on a fork.

Andrew R Stewart 

Running wider front tires is a classic BMX trick. When riding at close to the limit and cornering most would rather have the rear tire begin to slip before the front one did. The narrower rear tire allows for this. But these bikes and races are run on dirt, not the pavement that most road bikes are on.

I agree with 79pmooney in that replacing the fork is a poor way to go. But as long as you do the homework as to compatibility and geometry details I see no reason not to, not what I would do but not "wrong".

I suspect you'll find that after spending a few hundred $ and riding the bike more in conditions where the wider tire should offer greater benefits, you'll find the rear tire's width limits will soon be your next "problem". Your bike was never meant to handle the current fashion of wider tires and I suggest you accept that. Ride the bike with the OEM fork and save up for a bike that better handles your changing preferences. Andy

BTinNYC 

I'd look at 650b conversion instead of a fork.

Steve B.

Look around for a gravel fork, they often provide clearance for 45mm tires. This assumes you are disc brake currently

Kontact 

It isn't. No disc bike was ever made that is limited to 25c tires.

choddo

Doubt a 2008 Madone would have discs.

L134 

A 25mm tubular will ride like a 28-30mm clincher. Replace the wheel with a tubular wheel and mount a 25mm Veloflex tubular.

Steve B.

Yup, good point

letrebici

I have a 28mm tire on the front and 25mm on my 2005 Lemond. As alluded to above, the type of brakes may be a limiting factor, not the forks. For my double pivot Campy brakes the clearance is about 1.25mm from tire to brake caliper lower edge. I had to cut off off the tire flash and sprues from the new tire I mounted-it was buzzing loudly. My photo shows my bike in a trainer, but I occasionally use this as a backup bike when working on my other bike. Yes, I know it needs a good cleaning.

Why I did it...I loved the ride of my 40mm tires on my gravel bike on pavement and ended up getting a second wheelset with 32mm road tires. but the gravel bike has disc brakes.


1.25mm clearance above tire to brake caliper

Biker Pete 

Interesting! Is this because there is no bead in a tubular tire

Leisesturm

That looks like much more than 1.25mm clearance, but far less than the 5mm absolute minimum that is safe. In any case, I simply do not understand anything about your post. Not your reasons, not the details, nada. Feel free to try again, but I have to say, there is little you could say that would make me think it has been worth the money spent, the time/effort in shaving the tires, nor the constant risk inherent in running such minimal clearance up front on a race-bike.

L134 

It has been my "feel." I feel I can ride lower pressures than with a clincher before the tire starts feeling squirrely and at any given pressure road feel and ride comfort is better than on an equally sized clincher. The explanation for all this that I have read is that it is because one gets full suspension benefit of all of the air in a tubular whereas in a clincher much of the air is trapped in the wheel well and that tire flex is constrained by the bead and hook arrangement. I know many will contend this is all nonsense and they may be right but I'm just suggesting it as an option that I think is worth investigating and then deciding for oneself. Find a tubular wheel to borrow, ride it a bit and see if it satisfies the goal. If not, nothing lost.

SpedFast

I'm currently running 25 on rear and 28 on front. I find the 28 is much smoother and easier on me vibration wise because I can run it lower pressure than the 25. In the summer when the bike never sees the trainer I will run 28 frt and rear for the ride comfort. I would go wider, but there simply isn't any clearance. The 28's are pushing it.

Biker Pete 

Makes intuitive sense to me. I occasionally ride my 1975 Motobecane which has tubular tires. Never ridden a modern bike with sew-ups.

letrebici

Leisesturm I measured the clearance between tire and brake with a hex wrench. with the original 25mm front tire, I doubt if the same clearance was greater than 3mm.

RE: Risk...I was not suggesting that the OP, or anyone run a tire size setup like mine, but rather pointing out, that there could be a brake clearance factor which had not been mentioned prior to my post. the OP asked So before they invested in a new fork and tire they should consider that.

I was experimenting on a back-up bike. The experiment was influenced by my experience riding my other bike with bigger tires which are much more comfortable. My time spent was minimal. My Lemond Sarthe (in my photo) is not a race bike. Also, I don't race. It has done well for me on many metric century rides though. Slowly.

Cheers

squirtdad

Jan Heine of Rene herse and supple tires fame or infamy (your choice) noted to me that a 30mm tubular would ride similar to a 35 mm supple clincher

flanso 

On my Gunnar Sport road bike, Rene Herse 700 x 32 ultra-light tires and latex tubes reduced the harshness of riding on rough pavement, compared to my same inflation pressure, same-size, Panaracers.

mpetry912 

I'm afraid you may spend quite a bit of money to get very minimal benefit from going from 25mm to 28 or 32mm tires.

maybe better to think about a new bike

but what do I know ?

/markp

Kontact 

I would first at least try a supple 25c tires at the proper calculated pressure before I declared that 25s are harsh riding. I don't trust Veloflex clinchers for flats, but they would be an example, along with Turbo Cottons, Schwalbe Pro Ones, Challenge Stradas, Cayuse Pass, etc.

Crankycrank

danallen, have you measured the clearance on your current 25's? That's where I would start and you may discover that some 28's will fit without a new fork.

pdlamb

My initial thought was, "Too bad Waterford closed down, they used to make custom forks." But I suspect there are other places you could get a custom fork (Bilenky, Roderick Cycles, etc.), so that route isn't closed off to you.

If you've got a good relationship with a mechanic at an LBS, you might go see him or her the middle of January. They could look up the fork specs for your Madone (head tube diameters, rake), and help you find someone who could build you the fork of your dreams to drop into your old bike. If you don't order the fork through the LBS and have them install it, I'd urge you to drop some good money on fancy shorts or tires to make it worth their time. Just because it's the shop's slack time doesn't mean they can give you a couple hours free for what's basically web surfing/hand holding.

This! Half my bikes are newer than your 2008, so even though it's a good bike that's been fun to ride, maybe it's time to start looking for n+1.

Kontact 

So your proposal, to make the bike ride softer, is to eliminate the plush Madone carbon fork and replace it with a stiff steel fork?

This thread is luny.