chuck556

My current tires say 700x23. The ones im looking at say 700x25. They are continental ultra wire gatorskin. I see no weight limit on them....i am 250lbs....I just don't wanna spend $100 on tires if they wont fit or hold me

HillRider

They both fit on the same rims but the 25's will be slightly wider than the 23's if they are marked correctly. Look at your frame and fork with the current wheels in place. Is there a bit of clearance between the tires and the stays and fork blades and under the brakes? If so, the wider tires should fit. If the clearance is tight, they won't.

BCRider

There's no weight limit on the tire because there is no such limit. The only limit that comes into play is if you ride onto hard edges such as curbs or big potholes or road debris and cause a hard impact. When that happens you can experience a pinch flat where the tire deforms enough to actually pinch the tube between the tire and the rim. By going to a wider tire you lessen the chances of such pinch flats. That and it's a good idea to avoid such riding or at least when you can't avoid it to get light in the saddle hopping over the obstruction or at least stand up with bent elbows and knees so the bike can pivot under you more easily. So all in all your choice to go to a 25mm wide tire is a good one for durability and ride quality.

And while what Hillrider says about the fit is very true you would have to own a really extreme sort of bike to not be able to fit 25's instead of 23's. The Conti's you chose are a nice all around daily ride tire. You're going to like 'em. I've got a set on one bike and they compare well with the other tires I've ridden.

chuck556

Thanks for the info guys. Cycling is a whole new language to learn......model airplanes are fun....been flying those for 25the years now....not lately though...been riding

DCB0

I am a little heavier than you and I have Ultra Gatorskin 700 X 25 tires and I think they are the cat's meow. As above, if they will fit in your frame, which is likely, then they will work well. Keep them inflated to 100 psi at least. I actually inherited y set from the father-in-law who died of cancer (unrelated to the tires). He had put quite a few 100s or a couple 1000s of kms on them and they are still going strong.

chuck556

That is the one thing I keep reading....they last a long time. That would be nice too along with less flats

jbkirby

I just ordered a pair of 700x23C Ultra Gatorskins for my 1972 International to replace flat-treaded, worn Bontragers. I began riding at 230 pounds but am down to 202, and have not experienced a flat after 570 miles of riding on the used Bontragers. You should do very well with the 700x25c Ultra Gatorskins, and I am looking forward to trying out mine as well!

BCRider

Just to give you a bit more comfort zone....

For the past 18'ish years since I became a "born again cyclist" I've had about 3 to 5 bikes sharing ride time at any point. Tires varied a lot over that time as the bikes came and went and I tried different options. During my daily year round commuting I found that I averaged about 1 flat every 6'ish weeks on the bikes that didn't have the flat resistant belts. On those bikes with the flat resistant tires I can't say that I actually had a puncture related flat ever. But I do know that whenever I was giving the bike a once over to clean and lube things up that I pried the odd bit of glass and wire out of the rubber that likely would have produced a flat in the non resistant tires. My main flat resistant tires during those days were mostly the Panaracer TG tires of one type or the other. But it made me a believer in flat resistant tires.

Oh, I did get ONE flat.... when the hard plastic Michelin rim strip I had on that wheel blew out and let the tube herniate into a spoke hole....

hybridbkrdr

lol, thanks for the info on Michelin rim strips.

joejack951

One minor detail about running 25mm tires on a road bike, if you often remove a wheel (putting the bike in the trunk for example) 25mm tires might make wheel removal/installation slightly more difficult. You might need to force the tire past the brake pads (even with the quick release opened) or deflate the tire (depending on how tight to the rim you run your pads, how wide the tire is, and how far the quick release opens). 23mm tires usually slide right past the pads in my experience.

Also, I don't know about Gatorskins, but Grand Prix Four Seasons that I commute on are considerably more narrow than your average tire. The 28mm Contis on my commuter are more narrow than the 25mm Specialized Armadillos on my wife's bike. Depending on what you are replacing, those 25mm tires might be basically the same as your current tires. I realize this contradicts the first part of my post a bit but it illustrates how loose bike tire specs are.

JiveTurkey

I'm about 205# and find 28s much more comfortable and flat-resistant than 25s. Running Continental Grand Prix 4 Seasons on the road bike. Most road bikes/forks can handle 28s, but that's usually the upper-limit.

BCRider

I never had any issues with the caliper brakes with 25's. Although if one put 25's on rims intended for 19's then I don't doubt it would become an issue in a hurry. I never had rims that narrow though.

8Fishes

I just changed out two flats today, and I am feeling pretty unlucky about getting them.
I have 25 tires, and for my calipers, you just have to give the tire a little squeeze to get them past because they are wider than the rims (naturally right?).
My tires are stock too.. low grade specialized all conditions. Can't wait to switch over to the gatorskins I bought

fietsbob

It's all about keeping the PSI in the tire up..

Bontrager hardcase adds to the sisewall, some, but so does the Gatorskin,
just different approaches..

chuck556

when for a ride this morning...another flat.. UNREAL. This one shredded the tire...My front tire looks like it was in a prison gang fight and got shived (sp). Nursed it home 12 miles though!!!! Went to the LBS and bought the continental gatorskins blah blah blah. I hope these do the trick cause this is gettting crazy

8Fishes

Gatorskins are not known for sidewall protection. They certainly don't feel like it either but I am not sure what I am trying to 'feel' for.
Hardshells I have seem just a little bit thicker than gatorskins while armadillos are noticeably thicker.

If your tire looked like it gotten shanked in some prison fight, I don't think there's any sort of road tire that would be able to survive that.
Pictures if you still have the tire? I'd like to see this