Originally Posted by
spudston
I recently purchased Continental Gatorskin tires in 700 x 28c to replace the Bontrager Race Lite Hardcase tires in 700 x 32c on my Trek hybrid, but I'm wondering if I made a good choice in downsizing. They don't make Gatorskins larger than 28c, so I took what the shop had. After reading many posts here about tire sizes & commuting I'm thinking that returning the unused Contis and getting some Panaracer Pasela Tourguards in 32c might be a better match for my riding conditions. My commute is 7.5 miles round trip in suburban streets and MUPs, usually in dry weather. I also ride about 30 miles most weekends. Any advice would be appreciated.
I do 24 miles round trip each day 4 days a week and like the same tires I would for any other riding
Unless riding on gravel:
At 145 pounds, I preferred a 23 around 95 front and 100 rear. With or without 15 pounds of back pack. Rolls fast, absorbs small stretches of chip seal, corners fine.
At 185 pounds, I like a 25 around 95 front and 100 rear. With or without a 15 pound pannier.
At 215 pounds, a wider tire would have been better than an extra 10-15 PSI.
The Continental Gatorskins are sufficiently puncture proof (I've put one piece of tire wire through one in the 2000+ miles since changing from Continental Ultrasports in April 2010) and roll well for such a durable + long lasting tire. They're also good enough in rain.
As foot notes:
1. The same tire is faster in a wider width at the same pressure until the lower rolling resistance (increasing with speed) is offset by aerodynamic drag (increasing with the square of speed).
2. There's a 20 Watt difference at 18-19 MPH in rolling resistance between the best and worst slick tires which can make a 15% difference in how much effort you need.
If your weekend rides are with groups, you may want a "fat" version of a fast tire which limits you to 25-28mm in 700C.