Originally Posted by
bikemig
I just installed 700 x 35c Schwalbe Marathon Racer tires on an early 70s Raleigh Gran Sport I'm rebuilding. I may do one day of Ragbrai (the day heading into Des Moines) and that is the bike I would take. I'd be happy with 32c tires as well. The neat thing about wider tires is that you don't have to watch your line as much and that is a good thing when there are that many people around you.
Yep, that's a good thing. With the 28s I slipped into a concrete rut yesterday and came close to wiping out. Haven't done that in years.
In related news...I took the 28s off today. In switching up the tires I found that a true 35mm tire barely fits into the front fender (I.E., not well enough for me to avoid scraping in real world riding). But it fits well in the back fender. I re-installed the nominal 35 (33 actual) that had been on the front previously. The rear now measures 32mm. Should be closer to what I'm used to.