Tires; 700x23 vs. 700x25

i recently replaced the stock tires (700x23) with the same tires but wider (700x25).

is it just the voices in my head or do these wider tires feel slower? i'm running them at the same psi i normally would.

are there any advantages/disadvantages to one size vs the other?

or does this fit the same mold as: 'man, my new saddle is 12g lighter. i'm so much faster now.'

thanks.

 

Increased width of the tire equates to an increase in the surface area of the tire in contact with the road. This will obviously lead to an increased friction coefficient and more energy expended (by you) over the course of a ride. The tires are also a bit heavier and rotational weight (even 10-20 gms) is an issue. I don't know if you feel more comfortable with the 25's but most good 23's have an extra grippy carbon cornering surface on them. They are a bit more expensive, but worth it.

 

I recently read in an article that wider tyre have less rolling resistance because of the smaller amount of sidewall deflection. A wider tyre has a short and wide contact path, with a small amount of deflection and a short area of working sidewall. A thin tyre has a long and narrow contact path which causes a high amount of sidewall deflection and working area. Also, click here and read the article.

You should always buy the best tyres you can afford, as cheap tyres are heavy and don't have the built-in technology of higher-end tyres.

 

learnt my lesson the expensive way. whent through a number of tyres and tubes cause I was buynig the cheap stuff and they puntured very easily

 

thanks for the article VO2.

AH HA! i'll bet i've got to back off the pressure since i'm running the same pressure that i was with the 23s. i'll give that a try.

i'm wondering if you reach a point of diminishing returns with a wider and wider tire though.

i'm a firm beliver in buying the best you can afford too. even if i have to wait until i can afford it. the tires are the bontrager race x-lite silica ($49) which came on the bike new. since it is my first road bike and i had nothing to compare them to i stuck with them. from what i read about them, they seem to be quite the performance tire.

oh well, i'll wait until they wear out and try something different.