Comments on: The 700C x 25 debate

By: Switching to 25s « Bike Noob

Switching to 25s « Bike Noob — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 01:49:48 +0000

[...] 25s? I mentioned a couple of months ago that one of our club members had switched to them, and liked them. That [...]

By: curtis corlew

curtis corlew — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 03:26:10 +0000

I used to get 18s in the 80s. I don’t know what happened to such slight tires. I just remember I rode them on my all-aluminum (yes, forks too) Cannondale Black Lightning and, being younger then, felt fine.

By: Arlyn

Arlyn — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 02:49:40 +0000

25s are probably just a tiny bit heavier than 23s, but the weight is in the worst place, at the outside of a spinning wheel.

I ride 23s cause it never rains here. Wait, it’s been raining all week

By: Apertome

Apertome — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 18:51:18 +0000

I like wide tires. My old road bike came with 25s and when I wore them out, I put 28s on there. I felt much more confident with the 28s, especially on rough roads, and they cornered better. I didn’t notice being any slower; if anything they gave me the confidence to ride faster. Then again, I don’t really ride for speed.

I currently have a touring bike with 37s on it, and I love them. I contemplated keeping the road bike as my “fast” bike, but ultimately sold it. It was only moderately faster, and I can do everything on the touring bike I could on the road bike, and more.

We have horrible roads around here, so the wider tires are great. And I can ride the same bike on gravel roads, or even trails, as long as they aren’t too technical. The bike also did very well in snow last night — it’s very versatile.

But, if you only ride on smooth roads in good weather, maybe skinny tires are fine.

By: rainycamp

rainycamp — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 15:29:35 +0000

LizzyLou, I noticed that, too.

By: Lizzylou

Lizzylou — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 15:16:43 +0000

I think the 23s are slimming.

Also in those pics, the tire on the left looks bigger, the one that is supposed to be smaller.

By: dvicci

dvicci — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 14:02:49 +0000

My first inclination is that the difference between 25 and 23s for most of us is psychological. The creme de la creme of the cycling world will likely notice a difference and be able to take advantage of it, but for the rest of us (the bottom 99.5%), it’s most likely an academic (or better yet, a religious) argument… something to feel strongly about for the sake of having something to feel strongly about.

I can definitely say that I feel a difference between my 23s and my 37s, but that’s a much larger spread.

By: Al

Al — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 13:19:10 +0000

I don’t have any science to back this up, but I rode 23s for the first time this past season and while they felt slightly faster, the stability was lacking. I don’t know how two milimeters can make that big of a difference, but I do know that I’m putting 25s on in 2009.

By: Red

Red — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 12:30:16 +0000

I generally ride with wider tires than most. I believe if you read Uncle Al at roadbikerider.com he generally encourages wider tires.

I rode a 200 mile bike race once on 700 x 35 tires. I used to ride my bike regularly on club rides with those tires.

I think my Roubaix has 25 tires or maybe even wider.

I also remember seeing a site once that guaged the resistance based on tire size and there seemed to be very little.

It all goes back to what I have maintained. It’s not about the bike.