Tire size

[reub2000]

I'm using a Fuji Absolute LX. The bike came with 700x28c tires, and I currently have 35c tires that I have on for more traction in slushy conditions.

Now I want to go back to thin tires for the summer. I can go with the original 700x28c tires, or get a pair of either 25 or 23. I rember the tire skidding a couple of time with the 28c when braking on a wet pavement. Would the problem get that much worse with even skinnier tires?

 

[kdelong]

Your problem might get a little worse but not much. Braking a bike is like braking a car. Pump or feather your brakes so that you don't stop the wheel rotation when braking in wet weather. Your bike does not come with ABS so you have to do this part manually.

If you are going to ride in wet weather, you might try reducing your air pressure in your tires a little so that you have a larger contact patch between the tire and the road.

 

[artemidorus]

I rember the tire skidding a couple of time with the 28c when braking on a wet pavement.

Front or back tyre? Go 23mm and learn to brake with the front.

 

[reub2000]

Yeah, I was talking about the back wheel. I do use the front break when I need to come to a fast stop. But most of the time I use the rear brake out of habbit. I can definitly see it in the way that the break pads have worn down.

I have a friend who says that the thin wheels on his bike once slipped while turning in the rain. Yeah, my rear wheel has skidded a few times. Nothing serious, just spooked me, and I quickly learned to allow myself more time to stop in rainy conditions.

 

[artemidorus]

Yeah, I was talking about the back wheel. I do use the front break when I need to come to a fast stop. But most of the time I use the rear brake out of habbit. I can definitly see it in the way that the break pads have worn down.

I have a friend who says that the thin wheels on his bike once slipped while turning in the rain. Yeah, my rear wheel has skidded a few times. Nothing serious, just spooked me, and I quickly learned to allow myself more time to stop in rainy conditions.

You can skid your front in the wet while braking and if you do, you'll go down. The higher the pressure of the tyre, the more likely the skid. That said, most skidding is due to back wheel braking.