Tired Tyres

Ben said:

I've had a Dawes Horizon for about 18 months. The bike has done about
9000 miles, and the rear tyre is looking like it could do with
replacing. Bike shops have such an enourmous range though, both in
appearance and cost. The size is 700*35C, which I assume will be
something I need to stick to,

Not really. You can reasonably go down to, say, 700x28 and still use it
for general purpose and touring (what I ran on my EBC country for > 10
years). And 38mm isn't too fat, as long as they're high pressure and
kept pumped up accordingly.

Quoted message said:

Anything to suggest?

My general purpose tyre of choice for a while now is the Schwalbe
Marathon. Tough and capable, though not the fastest option you could try.

Pete.
--
Peter Clinch Medical Physics IT Officer
Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Univ. of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital
Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK
net [email hidden] http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/

Oh - I'd assume that narrower tyres would need narower wheel rims. What
are the pros/cons of narrower tyres?

I assume its a balance between lower rolling resistance and frontal
area vs shock absorbing ability over bumps...?

Ben

Peter Clinch said:

Ben said:

I've had a Dawes Horizon for about 18 months. The bike has done about
9000 miles, and the rear tyre is looking like it could do with
replacing. Bike shops have such an enourmous range though, both in
appearance and cost. The size is 700*35C, which I assume will be
something I need to stick to,

Not really. You can reasonably go down to, say, 700x28 and still use it
for general purpose and touring (what I ran on my EBC country for > 10
years). And 38mm isn't too fat, as long as they're high pressure and
kept pumped up accordingly.

Quoted message said:

Anything to suggest?

My general purpose tyre of choice for a while now is the Schwalbe
Marathon. Tough and capable, though not the fastest option you could try.

Pete.
--
Peter Clinch Medical Physics IT Officer
Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Univ. of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital
Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK
net [email hidden] http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/

Ben said:

Hi,

I've had a Dawes Horizon for about 18 months. The bike has done about
9000 miles, and the rear tyre is looking like it could do with
replacing. Bike shops have such an enourmous range though, both in
appearance and cost. The size is 700*35C, which I assume will be
something I need to stick to, but as for the rest... All my cycling is
on roads or reasonable tracks, so slicks are in order I'd guess.
Anything to suggest? I thought I'd aske before I popped down to the
shop - I'm sure any LBS will be able to pull something suitable out
of their stock :-)

Panaracer Pasela - not truly slick but not really knobbly either. Light &
fast for the type. Go for a narrower size if you fancy a bit more speed
still. It is fairly puncture resistant, though might not be for you if
puncture resistance is all-important and you ride a lot in the wet (when any
tyre will puncture more easily).

Older versions of the Pasela were actually much smaller than the stated
sizes, but the current ones compare properly to other brands, size-wise.

~PB

Ben said:

Oh - I'd assume that narrower tyres would need narower wheel rims.

Rims can take a range of sizes. They'd have to be unusually wide not to
happily take 32C.

Quoted message said:

What are the pros/cons of narrower tyres?

I assume its a balance between lower rolling resistance and frontal
area vs shock absorbing ability over bumps...?

That's right, except frontal area is hardly relevant at sub race speeds.
Some weight is saved as well. Rolling resistant on smooth roads will indeed
be lower with narrower tyres when properly inflated. On the other hand,
wider tyres take longer to wear out, as well as providing more suspension
and speed on very bumpy paths.

I also found my tourer's handling and steering feels better with 28 than
32mm tyres. This might have something to do with trail, though I'm not
really sure, and it won't apply to all bikes (wider tyres are more
appropriate for some bikes than others).

~PB

Ben said:

Hi,

I've had a Dawes Horizon for about 18 months. The bike has done about
9000 miles, and the rear tyre is looking like it could do with
replacing. Bike shops have such an enourmous range though, both in
appearance and cost. The size is 700*35C, which I assume will be
something I need to stick to, but as for the rest... All my cycling is
on roads or reasonable tracks, so slicks are in order I'd guess.
Anything to suggest? I thought I'd aske before I popped down to the
shop - I'm sure any LBS will be able to pull something suitable out of
their stock :-)

Cheers,

Ben

Hi Ben,

rear tyres tend to wear out faster than fronts, and it's genrally best
practice to have your best grip on the front, so...

If you're only replacing one tyre, remove the worn rear tyre and bin
it, move the "part worn" front tyre to the back, put the new tyre onto
the front.

You can probably go a bit smaller on the tyre size if you want, but
this depends on the width of your rim.
A chart showing "acceptable" rim/tyre width combinations, and lots of
advice on what widths suit what uses is here:
http://www.sheldonbrown.com/tire-sizing.html

hth,

bookieb.

A chart showing the range you can use

Ben said:

Oh - I'd assume that narrower tyres would need narower wheel rims. What
are the pros/cons of narrower tyres?

I assume its a balance between lower rolling resistance and frontal
area vs shock absorbing ability over bumps...?

About the size of it, though also add in narrower are lighter and fatter
tend to cope better with loose surfaces (there's more of them to find
something to get traction on). The rolling resistance thing isn't so
much of an issue if you're running at high pressure (I now run 38mm
Marathons at 100 psi[1] and don't find they're really holding things
back too much).

I think what you had is a good choice, but don't let a few mm either way
scare you off something which looks good.

Pete.

[1] IIRC the 700c version is rated to 85: do check before blowing them
up! (I'm running 16", 20" and 26" versions)
--
Peter Clinch Medical Physics IT Officer
Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Univ. of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital
Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK
net [email hidden] http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/

Thanks for the advice. I hadn't really considered a narrower tyre, but
it might be interesting to try...

The front tyre looks absolutely fine. The rear has worn completely
smooth and is starting to crack - having said that its still working
fine. I've got a tour coming up though, so I thought it might be worth
replacing. I assume the rear would wear quicker as it takes all the
luggage load and a majority of the "me" load.

I'll certainly have a look at that link,

Cheers,

Ben

bookieb said:

Ben said:

Hi,

I've had a Dawes Horizon for about 18 months. The bike has done about
9000 miles, and the rear tyre is looking like it could do with
replacing. Bike shops have such an enourmous range though, both in
appearance and cost. The size is 700*35C, which I assume will be
something I need to stick to, but as for the rest... All my cycling is
on roads or reasonable tracks, so slicks are in order I'd guess.
Anything to suggest? I thought I'd aske before I popped down to the
shop - I'm sure any LBS will be able to pull something suitable out of
their stock :-)

Cheers,

Ben

Hi Ben,

rear tyres tend to wear out faster than fronts, and it's genrally best
practice to have your best grip on the front, so...

If you're only replacing one tyre, remove the worn rear tyre and bin
it, move the "part worn" front tyre to the back, put the new tyre onto
the front.

You can probably go a bit smaller on the tyre size if you want, but
this depends on the width of your rim.
A chart showing "acceptable" rim/tyre width combinations, and lots of
advice on what widths suit what uses is here:
http://www.sheldonbrown.com/tire-sizing.html

hth,

bookieb.

A chart showing the range you can use

Ben said:

Thanks for the advice. I hadn't really considered a narrower tyre, but
it might be interesting to try...

If you're touring (particularly if carrying much luggage), there's
probably little to be gained, and possibly lots to be lost by going to
a narrower tyre.
32 and 28 would be the next two common sizes down from your 35. The 28
in particular would likely have to be run at significantly higher
preassures than your 35s, which may not do much for your comfort. If
it ain't broke, etc. etc.

Quoted message said:

The front tyre looks absolutely fine. The rear has worn completely
smooth and is starting to crack - having said that its still working
fine. I've got a tour coming up though, so I thought it might be worth
replacing.

<snip>

Yep, do it now. Do not risk invoking the wrath of Murphy && Law.

Haven't used 'em myself, but Schwalbe Marathon tyres are available in
that range of sizes, and are well liked in the group for
touring/commuting.

regards,

bookieb

One final thing...

Can anyone here advise on tyre width pros/cons?

It seems that narrower = lower rolling resistance = faster

but

narrower also = more fragile, less cushioning

Currently I ride with 700*35, and they have been fine. It seems that I
could use 32's or 28's, but is there any concensus on whether it would
be worth it? All my riding is on roads or well prepared paths, mainly
commuting or touring...

Ben

bookieb said:

Ben said:

Thanks for the advice. I hadn't really considered a narrower tyre, but
it might be interesting to try...

If you're touring (particularly if carrying much luggage), there's
probably little to be gained, and possibly lots to be lost by going to
a narrower tyre.
32 and 28 would be the next two common sizes down from your 35. The 28
in particular would likely have to be run at significantly higher
preassures than your 35s, which may not do much for your comfort. If
it ain't broke, etc. etc.

Quoted message said:

The front tyre looks absolutely fine. The rear has worn completely
smooth and is starting to crack - having said that its still working
fine. I've got a tour coming up though, so I thought it might be worth
replacing.

<snip>

Yep, do it now. Do not risk invoking the wrath of Murphy && Law.

Haven't used 'em myself, but Schwalbe Marathon tyres are available in
that range of sizes, and are well liked in the group for
touring/commuting.

regards,

bookieb

Ben said:

Hi,

I've had a Dawes Horizon for about 18 months. The bike has done about
9000 miles, and the rear tyre is looking like it could do with
replacing.

The reviews of Horizons from around then tended to say the original
tyres weren't very good, but they can't be that bad if you got 9000
miles out of them!

Quoted message said:

Bike shops have such an enourmous range though, both in
appearance and cost. The size is 700*35C, which I assume will be
something I need to stick to, but as for the rest... All my cycling is
on roads or reasonable tracks, so slicks are in order I'd guess.

There is very little difference between full slicks and mild patterns.
Just avoid anything actually knobbly. As for size, a friend of mine has
moved to 700*32 on his Horizon and that seems to have worked very well.

Quoted message said:

Anything to suggest? I thought I'd aske before I popped down to the
shop - I'm sure any LBS will be able to pull something suitable out of
their stock :-)

I'd go with something like this:
http://www.dotbike.com/ProductsS16C81P127K179.aspx?Track=PMP
I have several sets of this tyre's predecessor and they're fine. They've
lasted so long I haven't actually had to buy any of these, so I hope
they haven't decided to build in some obsolescence.

Also, I'd replace both tyres and keep the remaining reasonable one as an
emergency spare.

--

JimP

Knee dye same ore.

Ben said:

Hi,

I've had a Dawes Horizon for about 18 months. The bike has done about
9000 miles, and the rear tyre is looking like it could do with
replacing. Bike shops have such an enourmous range though, both in
appearance and cost. The size is 700*35C, which I assume will be
something I need to stick to, but as for the rest... All my cycling is
on roads or reasonable tracks, so slicks are in order I'd guess.
Anything to suggest? I thought I'd aske before I popped down to the
shop - I'm sure any LBS will be able to pull something suitable out of
their stock :-)

Cheers,

Ben

Don't forget to check online for cheaper deals, evans, wiggle, stif,
jensonusa, chainreaction or even ebay.

laters,

Marz

"Marz" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Don't forget to check online for cheaper deals, evans, wiggle, stif,
jensonusa, chainreaction or even ebay.

Settle and spa are both online and both real shops too.

cheers,
clive

In article you said:

Ben said:

I've had a Dawes Horizon for about 18 months. The bike has done about
9000 miles, and the rear tyre is looking like it could do with
replacing.

The reviews of Horizons from around then tended to say the original
tyres weren't very good, but they can't be that bad if you got 9000
miles out of them!

I had the bike shop replace my (2004) Horizon's tyres before the bike
was out the door. The orginals were pretty poor as I recall.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Anything to suggest? I thought I'd aske before I popped down to the
shop - I'm sure any LBS will be able to pull something suitable out of
their stock :-)

I'd go with something like this:
http://www.dotbike.com/ProductsS16C81P127K179.aspx?Track=PMP
I have several sets of this tyre's predecessor and they're fine. They've
lasted so long I haven't actually had to buy any of these, so I hope
they haven't decided to build in some obsolescence.

Personally, I just plonked a pair of Marathons on, but there are
plenty of reasonable choices out there. Plus point for the Marathons:
haven't had a puncture in them yet! Although I probably only do 2000 -
2500 miles a year, which is nothing compared to some people around
here.

Quoted message said:

Also, I'd replace both tyres and keep the remaining reasonable one as an
emergency spare.

A sound plan.

Phil

--
http://www.kantaka.co.uk/ .oOo. public key: http://www.kantaka.co.uk/gpg.txt

Phil Armstrong said:

Quoted message said:

Also, I'd replace both tyres and keep the remaining reasonable one as an
emergency spare.

A sound plan.

Phil

Not really. Tyres age, even if you are not using them. Put the old
front on the rear if it's really OK (take it off and flex it to check
for cracking - IF 'Cracked' THEN 'Bin'😉.

Thanks for the advice.
In the end I ordered two Marathon 700*32C tyres from the edinburgh
cooperative. I'll
decide what to do with the partly worn tyre when I get around to
fitting them.

Cheers,

Ben

squeaker said:

Phil Armstrong said:

Quoted message said:

Also, I'd replace both tyres and keep the remaining reasonable one as an
emergency spare.

A sound plan.

Phil

Not really. Tyres age, even if you are not using them. Put the old
front on the rear if it's really OK (take it off and flex it to check
for cracking - IF 'Cracked' THEN 'Bin'😉.

Ben said:

Thanks for the advice.
In the end I ordered two Marathon 700*32C tyres from the edinburgh
cooperative. I'll
decide what to do with the partly worn tyre when I get around to
fitting them.

Put them in the bin. What price no punctures? Keep life simple.

--
Arthur Clune

In article <[email hidden]>

squeaker said:

Phil Armstrong said:

Quoted message said:

Also, I'd replace both tyres and keep the remaining reasonable one as an
emergency spare.

A sound plan.

Phil

Not really. Tyres age, even if you are not using them. Put the old
front on the rear if it's really OK (take it off and flex it to check
for cracking - IF 'Cracked' THEN 'Bin'😉.

If tyres are stored in cool dry dark conditions they generally age very
little, and cracks usually aren't a problem unless they're in the bit of
the tread that contacts the road (although cracks in cotton or silk
tyres can make them vulnerable to water damage). In the good ol' days
it was common to let tubular tyres mature for a while before use to make
them harder wearing and more puncture-resistant, but with the newer
polymers used in tyre contruction these days it probably doesn't have
much effect.

I think the biggest problem wrt cracking has been the last year the
bike has been housed outside overnight. I keep it dry(ish) most nights
using a tarp, but its not ideal :-)

Ben

Rob Morley said:

In article <[email hidden]>

squeaker said:

Phil Armstrong said:

> Also, I'd replace both tyres and keep the remaining reasonable one as an
> emergency spare.

A sound plan.

Phil

Not really. Tyres age, even if you are not using them. Put the old
front on the rear if it's really OK (take it off and flex it to check
for cracking - IF 'Cracked' THEN 'Bin'😉.

If tyres are stored in cool dry dark conditions they generally age very
little, and cracks usually aren't a problem unless they're in the bit of
the tread that contacts the road (although cracks in cotton or silk
tyres can make them vulnerable to water damage). In the good ol' days
it was common to let tubular tyres mature for a while before use to make
them harder wearing and more puncture-resistant, but with the newer
polymers used in tyre contruction these days it probably doesn't have
much effect.

Quoted message said:

Can anyone here advise on tyre width pros/cons?

It seems that narrower = lower rolling resistance = faster

but

narrower also = more fragile, less cushioning

Currently I ride with 700*35, and they have been fine. It seems that I
could use 32's or 28's, but is there any concensus on whether it would
be worth it? All my riding is on roads or well prepared paths, mainly
commuting or touring...

Not sure about them being more fragile, but narrower tyres definately have
less rolling resistance and are lighter, making them easier to accelerate.

Having said that, if your cruising speed on the flat is around 15mph or
less I'd be mildly surprised if you could notice the better performance.
The comfort, on the other hand, will be noticeable. The narrower tyres may
also handle better, but one man's responsive is another man's twitchy.

--
Mark.