Road Bike Commuting - TYRES????

[Albert 50]

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
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?

 

[Albert 50]

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/030.000.000/030.010.000.asp?year=2004&model=9999

.
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

 

[fish156]

If I stick to 700x28 and use the Conti Ultra Gator Skins, what sort of pressures should I use? Also - do i need new tubes or will the old ones keeep going for a while?

Sorry for being a newbie

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.

 

[Dondare]

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.

 

[parawolf]

do you commute into the city? that main road was always very rough and bumpy, how do you manage it?

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.

 

[artemidorus]

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).

 

[mikesbytes]

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.

 

[oxford_don]

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.

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

 

[Albert 50]

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

 

[oxford_don]

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!!

 

[oxford_don]

An update...

Thanks for all your help. After all the deliberation I went for 25mm conti Gatorskins on Thursday. Used them once, seem sound but not been fast on them yet.

Then on Sunday as I got my bike out for the London-Brighton ride I discovered nice big knife slashes in each tyre. I guess someone doesn't appreciate my bike being chained under the stairwell in my apartment block. BSTRDS!!!!

So now, £80 and 4 tyres later I am riding 23mm Conti GP3000's. They are awesome. So light and faster than a gnat's ass.

so.. until next time..

Don

 

[Deanster04]

The Armadillo is far from the lightest tire, far from the plushest tire and to some looks butt ugly. BUT, they are virtually indestructible and last forever, plus they aren't too expensive either. I use them on my winter bike because they hold up on the mag trainer and are good when there is excess road junk to run over.

Amen brother...I went to Armadillos for my road bike after a nasty crash 5 years ago and have been riding this same set for winter tyres ever since...I haven't had even a single flat. I normally ride Conti GP 3000 but have found Conti Ultra gator skins very durable. Can't do wrong with Armadillos.

 

[Burble]

Amen brother...I went to Armadillos for my road bike after a nasty crash 5 years ago and have been riding this same set for winter tyres ever since...I haven't had even a single flat. I normally ride Conti GP 3000 but have found Conti Ultra gator skins very durable. Can't do wrong with Armadillos.

Highly reccommend these too - i've run them on both my road bike and old mountain bike (they were slicks) highly reccommend them - they are tough as nails. I had specalised pro tyres on the road bike - i didn't even wear them out - i kept getting flats (like 2-3 a week) so i changed to the armadillos - never had a problem since.

 

[Albert 50]

Highly reccommend these too - i've run them on both my road bike and old mountain bike (they were slicks) highly reccommend them - they are tough as nails. I had specalised pro tyres on the road bike - i didn't even wear them out - i kept getting flats (like 2-3 a week) so i changed to the armadillos - never had a problem since.

I have a specialized pro 25 on the front with 5k klms & no flats in 3500 ks since I dropped from 125 to 100 psi during the first 1500 I had 2 Fs........I am currently using an armadillo 25 on the rear with 3500 Ks & 3 Fs but many cuts, about another 1000 ks [I think] before replacement. This front/back arrangement keeps me lighter at the front with longevity & puncture resistance for the rear.

 

[Albert 50]

Highly reccommend these too - i've run them on both my road bike and old mountain bike (they were slicks) highly reccommend them - they are tough as nails. I had specalised pro tyres on the road bike - i didn't even wear them out - i kept getting flats (like 2-3 a week) so i changed to the armadillos - never had a problem since.

I have a specialized pro 25 on the front with 5k klms & no flats in 3500 ks since I dropped from 125 to 100 psi during the first 1500 I had 2 Fs........I am currently using an armadillo 25 on the rear with 3500 Ks & 3 Fs but many cuts, about another 1000 ks [I think] before replacement. This front/back arrangement keeps me lighter at the front with longevity & puncture resistance for the rear.