Road Bike Commuting - TYRES???? - Page 2

Don, Don, Don,

Gator Skins yes, but not 28mm. They are for grandpa touring bikes, tandems, 120kg riders, panniers, slow riding. If you are not sure drop over Sat or Sun Afternoon and I'll put my Felt wheels in and you can see what some 23mm Contis handle like..

I have friends with FB bikes who have removed the 28s and gone to 23s, much faster and more precice handling, wet and dry.

Confirm, this one? http://www.giantbicycles.net/uk/030....004&model=9999

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Cheers,
George.

Don

Found this in another topic:

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Cheers,
George.

Yes mate that is the bike, looks like I am riding 25mm then!! I was convinced that I was 28mm - bike sales people eh! Maybe I will look at the rims when I get home...

Looks like it will be 25mm gatorskins for me - unless it would be easy and inexpensive for me to change to 23mm??

Thanks for your help. I feel like i know NOTHING.

Don,

You had me going there for a minute, 25s, ok. 23 and 25mm should be the same price. The Tube to go with the 23 or 25mm tyre is "Conti Race 700" S36 or S48 Valve.

Now, how is the gearing of the bike? Do you run out of grears when going fast? When the rear wheel is out, check the Freewheel/Freehub. From the Giant Specs, it looks like it may have a 7 speed spin-on Freewheel 14-28.

If this is so, Shimano now make a MF HG-50 11-28 7 Speed Spin-on Freewheel that will give you a top speed much higher than the original 14-28.

Changing the tyres and the gearing can make the biggest difference to bike performance. The tyre pessures I gave you earlier will be ok for 25mm. Check these pressures every 2-3 days using a floor pump with a gauge until you are familiar with their performance.

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Cheers,
George.

Hey Thornbury! I used to live in Thornbury a number of years ago, in Harold Street...which runs off that road with the tram line in the strange spot- on the northern facing side of the road, the tram line runs on the right-hand side...
do you commute into the city? that main road was always very rough and bumpy, how do you manage it?

Don
Tyre size etc will be written on the tyre sidewall, the same rim should take 23, 25 or 28. If you did not buy the bike new, tyres may not be original or in any event may not be the same size as the Giant web site says. Maybe the tyres were changed by the shop for some reason, you never know?

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George, George, George,

Don lives in London according to his first post don't think he will drop in.

Seriously though Don needs hands on help with his dilemma, & definitely does not need 23s. Speed is a perception, so if he's not complaining re his 48/14 top gear, maybe he just does not want to go as fast as you want him to

I run these tires (Gatorskin 700x28) on two of my bikes. I weigh 190 lbs and run them at 90psi. Nothing wrong with old tubes.

I have tried many tyres for commuting in London, and the best are the ones I am using now:- Schwalbe Marathon Plus and Schwalbe Marathon XR.

They are not light, but they don't let in punctures and give a much better ride than armadillos.

Yeah i commute into the city. I'm very close to the corner of Miller and Comas - so fairly close to Harold St.

I ride down St Georges Road on the shared path between the tram lines - not on the road. Then in winter I commute following the tram line on the road down brunswick st onto Collins St. In Summer I turn off in Fitzroy and take the Capital City Trail through Carlton, Parkville, North Melbourne and Docklands.

23mm tyres would be fine for dry commuting and would be preferable for your recreational rides. If you put panniers on the bike, then 25mm or 28mm would be preferable.
In the wet, a wider tyre run at lower pressure will give you better grip. Given that you are in London, you should use 25 or 28mm unless you want to run two sets of wheels or enjoy the painful task of changing tyres over.
Avoid Michelin tyres such as Carbon or Pro Race as they are notoriously slippery in the wet (but great in the dry, I'm running Pro Race 23mm on my commuting bike at present).

Sydney has less wet days than London, so us Sydney'ites probably don't need to focus as much on the wet as you London'ites. If you are confident go for 25, if you are less confident go for 28. As per Artemidorus' advice, run lower air pressures in the wet for more grip.

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Training Log

Yes - London is wet. particulary on Mondays in May it seems.

Thanks all of you... for your help though. I have taken the unprecidented step, and actually looked at what's written on the tyres!! I am riding iRC Redstorm Classics. 700x25.

Think this size will be small enough from what you have told me. Dont use panniers but every now and then I carry a backpack with Laptop, so will be some weight there. I think that what I am after probably doesn't exist - A perfect tyre that runs fast, carries weight safely and doesnt slip in the wet - Good for a commute and long rides at the weekends. I dont have a garden, so dont want to change to tyres for different conditions. I have often been told that I am after the moon on a stick?

Cheers - Don

‘If I’d asked my customers what they wanted, they would have said ‘a faster horse’ - Henry Ford

Don

The replies to your question reinforce the helpfulness of contributors to these forums, even us "Convicts" from the other side of the planet. I'm sure you would agree all the replies have merit in one way or another & some actually answer questions you didn't ask.

What is apparent is even in "Cycling Utopia" one size does not fit all.
Bye

I quite agree with you. In fact only last night did I mention to a friend the concept of THE INTERNET FORUM. Am writing an article on the subject as it happens. Essentially I know of know other place where so many strangers from all over the world will give such time and effort to help one another. If the internet has achieved one thing, it allows like minded people to join up and combine powers. The synergystic effect of the numbers involved is astonishing...

Anyway - you guys are a great help.

And ALBERT , we dont call you Aussies convicts anymore.... thanks to the ashes last summer, we dont need any put-downs!!