Vaportrail56

Hi all,the last time I rode was about three years ago on a MUP on weekends about 25 miles from where I live and one day through the week out at the beach one day after work. Since then I retired a couple years ago and turned into a couch potato so a couple months ago I decided to get back on the bike. I no longer have a car so I found a good route from the house I could ride early in the mornings with my road bikes. I really like my road bikes (Cannondale CAAD 10/Synaspe) but they were so uncomfortable when I road them with all the vibration in my hands and groin area I was getting. I put new gell padded seats on them and that helped some but not at all in my wrist. I got three flats on my Kenda Kountach 700x23s not long after I started riding again on my CAAD. These roads around where I live have all kinds of hazards on the shoulder. I decided to try a puncture proof and wider tire on my CAAD 10 now that I am riding in an urban environment. I went with Goodyear Eagle Sport 700x25 front, 700x28 back. I took it out for my morning ride and man oh man what a difference a tire change made. I have always run 23s on my road bikes but not no more. That ride was the best ride I have ever had on that bike. No numbness what so ever in my wrists or groan area. It was a wonderful ride! I just can`t get over how smooth the ride was, I was smiling all day. My Synaspe had the original Vittoria Zaffiro 700x23s on it from 2010, they had tiny cracks in them, so I figured that if it made that much of a difference on my CAAD then maybe I should go wider. I put some Continental Contact Speed 28 front 32mm rear. Well the same results, I took it out on my route and it was a very smooth ride too. I didn`t feel any numbness in my hands or buttocks. What a great ride. I have been riding these bikes on and off for a little over ten years and the last four rides, two with the CAAD and two with the Synaspe have been the best rides ever with them. I just can not believe the difference what a tire change can do for your bike.
The Goodyears seem to roll fast and have really good grip on the dry pavement. The Continentals have mini knobbies all over them and them seem to grip better in all kinds of surface, gravel, sand, pavement and small dirt piles at intersections. They also have a reflective strip around the tire for safety at night. The Continentals shoot pebbles off in all directions when I run over them, lol, it is the funniest thing, the pebbles will be going zing,,ping pow as I`m riding through them. I haven`t road in the rain so I can`t comment on that.
If you haven`t tried a wider tire on your road bike I would say go for it. I am late to the wide party, I wish I had done it long ago.
One problem is that it is such a tight fit that the 32mm on the rear of my Synaspe is rubbing just a little on both sides. It looks like the tire is just a little out of round but I can`t be sure






. It doesn`t look like the rim is bent but when I spin it, it rubs in one spot just a little on each side. I aligned the wheel in the bike as best I could to where it rubs on both side just a tiny amount evenly, not sure if that is a good thing? You can see where the frame has rubbed some of the knobbies off one small (closeup picture) section right above where it says Continental. I let some air out and that helped get some clearance to where it barely rubs now. I hope it will be ok? I can not send it back because of the missing knobbies so I guess I will keep and eye on it, I might be taking a chance running it and maybe I might have to put a 28mm on the rear later but I really like the look and ride of the 32mm.
I like both tires and am going to see how they do in the rain. So I say if you still have your 23s on your road bike go as wide as you can, I think you will like the ride much better. If you have went wider too let me know how it went for you?

SpedFast

Tire rubbing is asking for a problem when you know you have one. The widest I can go on my fave bike is 28mm, and only certain mfg.s. I find the 28 over the 25 to be a tremendous difference in ride. If I needed anything more than that I would be considering a gravel bike.

Vaportrail56

Thanks for the reply, I was kinda thinking the same thang too. Just needed a second opinion. That side wear is from about 38 miles of riding. Well I guess I will order a 28mm for the back as bad as I hate to. The bad thing is that I probably wore some paint off my frame I do have a hybrid bike with a front shock to ride but I just like riding my road bikes more especially now with the wider tires.

Ogsarg

I'm surprised you could fit a 32 on the Synapse so no surprise it's rubbing. I'd switch to a 30 or 31 before you run into a problem with the rubbing.

andrewclaus

I'm surprised the 32 fit through the brake caliper, too. My wife's road bike won't even take 28, and 25s rub the brake shoes on the way in.

I saw a titanium frame hanging in a shop with a large hole rubbed in a chain stay, just from the wheel being crooked. Imagine all the work that went into that. The story is that the bike was being ridden on a XC tour and they were over 1000 miles into the ride.

79pmooney

There is a very unpopular way to get real comfort with much narrower tires. Tubulars aka sewups. 28c quality sewups are a cush ride. (The Vittoria Corsa G+ or G2.0. Requires different wheels and rethinking everything. I have those on my Mooney and it is simply plush. At nearly 90 psi though they would be perfectly safe to ride at my weight (155) below 70.

I just rode the week long Cycle Oregon on a stiff, pure 1980s race bike. 25c in front "23c" (22.3 actual) in back. 90 and 110 psi. Yes, I felt everything, But I did not get beat up and much of the ride, including many miles of chip seal was sublime. I thought that 110 psi actual 22c was going to get really old as the week went on. No. I just acquired areal love for that bike.

I know this isn't going to change any minds, so I"m just saying ...

Vaportrail56

After watching a couple Youtube videos it appears you have to use a lot more watts for the 32s over the 28s so I just ordered a 28mm for the back. The 28 had plenty of clearance on the CAAD rear. I still can not get over how much more cushy of a ride I have now. I run over stuff where before would have beat me to death. My Synaspe and CAAD have brakes that have a lever on the side that I can pull to open them up whenever I want to change a tire. I put yellow tape on it in the pictures, down is closed and up is open. I also don`t put all the air in till after I get the wheel on the bike. I thought all road bikes had that but not sure. It is so close to clearing that I think if the 32 tire was perfectly straight it would fit with out rubbing but oh so close. Anyway I do agree with some other folks on here that 28 is the sweet spot for comfort, just wish I had switched sooner.

Vaportrail56

I wish they made this tire in a 30 or 31 but they don`t so I just got a 28 coming for it. These tires has transformed this bike to an urban trainer and I like the ride so much better now. It makes me want to get out and ride every day where before I was kinda dreading the workout.

SpedFast

If you adjust your brake caliper with that lever in the open position, you can push it closed and it will work like a parking brake for while you quickly run into that Quick Mart for a beer. You just have to have the tire deflated both going on and off the bike. Glad it's working out for you.

ofajen

I’m skeptical. Did these videos involve someone with a clue, like RChung? What did they suggest is a “lot” more watts and did they measure the total resistance (including energy dissipated in the rider) on the kind of surface you ride? It doesn’t sound like 32s will work out for your bike, but I find the suggestion that a 32 uses a lot more watts than a 28 rather dubious when you have seen comfort benefits from going wider. Just my two cents.

Otto

PeteHski

I would guess they were talking about differences in aero drag with aero wheels optimised around 28 mm tyres. None of which would be relevant in this case.

The fact that pro teams now often use 32 mm tyres at cobbled classics like Paris Roubaix shows that any losses must be very marginal and outweighed by the benefits of a more compliant ride.

Vaportrail56

Well I searched through my Youtube history to find that video but to no avail but if I recall correctly they said you would need about 10 more watts going from 28 to 32 mm which they said was quite a bit more than going from a 25 to a 28 but who knows. To be honest, I don`t know that much about wattage usage.I couldn`t get the 32 to stop rubbing so the biggest that will fit is a 28 so I am fine with that, I am just going to be working out anyway while dodging potholes and broken glass as I ride lol.. I do like to go as fast as I can when I ride so having a tire that is more comfortable is a plus that I have missed out on for far too long

RB1-luvr

at 59 I have upped all my old race bikes from 23c to 25c and at 85 psi rear/80 psi front, I find them quite comfortable (I weigh 170 lb). I rode them at 110 psi with 23c tires until about four years ago.

Vaportrail56

I guess the air pressure is something I am going to have to figure out. Iam 67 and weigh 180lbs. I am running 80lbs front 25mm/85lbs rear 28mm on the CAAD and that rides really good but I might drop the air in the rear 5lbs, we will see. It is almost like I have a different bike now.

RB1-luvr

^^ I felt the same way with my Kestrel. The steel bikes were not as noticeable, but still worth it.

jimincalif

I went tubeless with wider tires/lower pressure in 2018. From all the research I did then plus now over five years of personal experience, I’d say the power gain/loss attributable to wider tires depends greatly on the road surface. Here in the Boise area, the road agencies are addicted to chip seal, so I’ve now increased to 32mm tires on my primary bike. My older Roubaix will not fit any larger than 25mm, and the rims do not support tubeless. Running the big tires at 65-70 psi vs the narrow tires at 90-100 psi is a huge difference. Riding group rides on chip seal, I feel comparatively faster with the 32s. Probably because my 205# of body mass is not vibrating so much and dissipating energy.

John E

Warning regarding tire sizes: not all tires with a 700Cx28 callout size are equal in width or height. My Bianchi can take Continental 28s, which run a couple of mm small, but no way can it accommodate Specialized 28s.

79pmooney

Putting calipers on your tires is both enlightening and sometimes discouraging. I like the Vittoria Corsa Gs and Panaracer Paselas. Often, but not always, their dimensions are spot on. That Vitt 25c tubbie that rubbed on my old race bike was 25mm exactly. A true 24c would be tight but work. The 23c was so small it looked like it was hanging out in a touring bike. (22.3 mm) I bought a pile of those 23s. (Cheap and required to keep that bike going.) Haven't measured the rest but I put all on rims and inflated them and they all look identical. (Great QC. Just not what I really want. But they do ride great.)

Note - the above tires were tubulars where rim width has no effect at all on tire width. In fact, the rim isn't even needed to inflate the tire to full pressure. It's just a poor practice to inflate tubulars not mounted because the hoop they form turns inside out and stretches the stitching.

ofajen

.

The new ETRTO standards set a few years ago expect tires to be mounted on wider rims than was expected under prior standards.

Continental appears to have adjusted tires to the new spec, so new 28mm tires will not measure as wide as previous ones did, both tires being mounted on the same (presumably old and narrow) rim.

Otto

canklecat

I have a set of the wire bead Conti Contact Speed II in 700x32 on one hybrid. They're fine for all weather, most terrain casual riding on that bike.They're surprisingly grippy in wet despite having minimal tread, long wearing, and so far puncture-proof.

I chose them mostly because it's the widest tire that will fit inside my old fenders. And I snagged the pair several years ago for something like $10 from a Nashbar closeout sale when they were clearing the Tennessee warehouse after being acquired by another conglomerate. Without the fenders that bike will clear 700x38 tires -- I can and have fit Continental Speed Rides which are nominally 700x42 but actually measure 700x38. I prefer the Speed Rides but Conti has discontinued them.

I wouldn't want the Contact Speed II on my road bikes. They ride like lead filled garden hose, comparable to the Gatorskin Hardshell. Due to worsening neck pain from old injuries I'm increasingly picky about tires, so I prefer supple tires and latex tubes, even if it means some compromise in puncture resistance.

My older road bikes (1998 Centurion Ironman, 1992 Trek 5900 OCLV, Diamondback Podium 2012) have limited clearance. They'll all handle 700x25, but 28's will rub the rear brake bridge with some brake sets. I've considered using a moto tool to remove a bit of material under the old Suntour GPX rear brake, but I'll probably just swap brakes and save the GPX for the parts bin.

On the 2012 Diamondback Podium I'm currently I'm running 700x28 Continental Ultra Sport III, a bargain in durable road or sport/hybrid tires. Not exactly supple, but tolerable with latex tubes and 55 psi front/65 psi rear (I weigh 160 lbs, no problems with tire pressure in years of running lower than recommended). I wanted to be sure the bike would clear 700x28 before buying a more expensive set of Soma Supple Vitesse, my favorite supple tire.

Several years ago I snagged a few pairs of 700x23 Soma Supple Vitesse SL, their super light "open tubulars," which are about the lightest weight clinchers available anywhere. Despite having paper thin sidewalls and thin tread they've been remarkably durable and puncture resistant. With latex tubes they feel subjectively better than the 700x28 Conti Ultra Sport III, although wider tires still have some advantage in stability on bad roads with creases, seams and cracks running parallel with or diagonal to the wheels. At the time the Supple Vitesse SL cost only $15 each from Soma, but after the pandemic and inflation Soma's best tires (probably made by Panaracer for Soma) cost about $50 each now. And still well worth the price. I'll probably get the slightly heavier duty Supple Vitesse EX. The SL were terrific back in 2019-2020 when I was in top shape and cracked a few Strava top tens on climbs, despite being an old dude. But my health and fitness have taken a nose dive and I won't be aiming for any Strava KOMs anymore, so the heavier duty EX will do fine for me.

I'm also a big fan of Continental GP Classics, alas, also discontinued. These were retro classic style with translucent root beer colored skinwalls and raised center tread, a great compromise between supple and durable. They were available only in 700x25. I hope they'll bring 'em back, but I suspect the cost of labor for the handmade tires would push the price closer to $100 each now. They cost only $35 when I bought a few pair back around 2019.

As other folks mentioned, wider tires on rims designed for 1980s era skinny tires (700x23 was considered wide back then) can affect handling. I've noticed some slightly squirrely handling on fast turns on rippled pavement with 700x25 and 700x28 tires on my old school 622x13 or 622x14 rims. I'm considering wider rims for my 700x28 tires. But I no longer ride fast enough on sketchy pavement for it to be a serious issue. It was occasionally a concern on fast group rides when drafting with other riders at my shoulders. But I had to give up fast group rides around 2020 after some health problems and pain from old injuries slowed me down. I mostly ride solo or casual groups now, so handling is less critical at 15 mph than at 20-30 mph.

rsbob 

Go to the Silca site and use their tire pressure calculator and it will tell you exactly what your pressures should be.

rsbob 

I would take the rubbing tired bike to the bike shop and have them true the wheel. If its too wide for the frame, they will let you know

Vaportrail56

Thanks for letting me know about that site. I will have to check it out.

t2p

might depend on the specific tire and surfaces - but in controlled tests the 32mm GP5K tested as well or better than the smaller sizes

Continental Grand Prix 5000 Comparison: 23, 25, 28, and 32 mm Compared

https://www.bicyclerollingresistance...000-comparison

.

Classtime 

Vaportrail56 I know your focus is tires but I noticed the angle of your saddles and suggest that you make them at least level which will take some of the pressure off your hands. Maybe even point them up a genre or two. Also do some work on your core. We have to manage ride quality as a system more carefully at our age. But ya, commuting on my 86 Cannondale that only fits 25s is not as relaxing as on my old steel Peugeot on 28s.