Tire size question

frico said:

I recently purchased a Raleigh C700 as my commuting bike. The tires on it are 700C X 35. I would like to increase speed by going with a narrower tire but I'm not sure how "thin" I can go.

Would I be able to go with a 700C X 28? or is 32 the thinnest I can go? The rims are Alex R450 28h (I have no idea what that number means or how it correlates to the width of the tire). 😕

Thanks for any help out there.

Alex R450 are shown at the Alex Rim site:

<http://alexrims.com/rims/r_r450.htm>

Inside width of 13.9 mm if I read and understand their information correctly.
According to the width considerations shown on Sheldon Brown's site at:

<http://www.sheldonbrown.com/tire-sizing.html#width>

28 mm or even 25 & 23 mm wide tires would fit the rim well.

Rolling resistance won't go much lower when you reach past 25 -28 mm.

I suggest a look at Avocet Fasgrip Carbon 12 tires in 25 or 28 :

<http://www.avocet.com/tirepages/carbon12_specs.html>

Don't let the smooth tread scare you. The traction is excellent and the rolling resistance is nearly impossible to beat.

Thanks David!

That's good news. I will check the sources you listed.

frico