# 700mm, 28 inch; same thing?



## Brandane (6 Jan 2010)

Bit of help needed please! Looking to buy a pair of knobbly tyres (for the current weather) for my old Ridgeback hybrid with 28 inch tyres. Most tyres I can see are 700mm. Conversion table says 28 inch = 711mm. I have had the tape measure out and the 700mm tyres on my Tricross look to be the same as the 28 inchers on my old Ridgeback. Does anyone know for sure if they will fit? 

Easier to post on here than take a tyre off the Tricross and see if it fits the Ridgeback!


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## jimboalee (6 Jan 2010)

700C x 23mm is 23-622.

What numbers are on your 28" tyres? if they are not 622, they won't be correct.

It could be 635.


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## tyred (6 Jan 2010)

Tyre sizing can be a complex subject as many different standards have been used but you should have 700c (622mm) rims. I'd be genuinely surprised if you don't. Some tyres for these are marked as 28". The only other type of 28" tyre I am aware of is the 28 x 1 1/2" (635mm) used on old rod braked Raleighs and the like. I doubt you have these.

Sheldon Brown has an article on tyre sizing which you might find of interest. - http://sheldonbrown.com/tire-sizing.html


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## Brandane (6 Jan 2010)

jimboalee said:


> 700C x 23mm is 23-622.
> 
> What numbers are on your 28" tyres? if they are not 622, they won't be correct.
> 
> It could be 635.



Thanks for that. The markings are 37-622, so is that ok? 
Size stamp says 28 x 1 3/8 x 1 5/8.


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## Brandane (6 Jan 2010)

tyred said:


> Tyre sizing can be a complex subject as many different standards have been used but you should have 700c (622mm) rims. I'd be genuinely surprised if you don't. Some tyres for these are marked as 28". The only other type of 28" tyre I am aware of is the 28 x 1 1/2" (635mm) used on old rod braked Raleighs and the like. I doubt you have these.
> 
> Sheldon Brown has an article on tyre sizing which you might find of interest. - http://sheldonbrown.com/tire-sizing.html



Thanks for that as well. Looks like 700c tyres will fit!


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## MartinC (6 Jan 2010)

In some parts of the world (e.g. Germany) 700c wheels/tyres are still referred to as 28". It's a historical reference to the approximate size of wheel and tyre that was bigger than the other 26" ones (and there are several of those).

Basically they refer to road size wheels as 28" and MTB as 26".


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## hubgearfreak (6 Jan 2010)

MartinC said:


> In some parts of the world (e.g. Germany) 700c wheels/tyres are still referred to as 28". It's a historical reference to the approximate size of wheel and tyre



700c is also a historic name for approx diameter



MartinC said:


> Basically they refer to road size wheels as 28" and MTB as 26".



by making vague statements such as this, you're adding to the confusion


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## jimboalee (7 Jan 2010)

Not as confusing as 'Sewn on rims' and 'Wired on rims'.

These are Sprint rims for tubs and 27 x 1" High Pressure rims with hooks.


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## MartinC (7 Jan 2010)

hubgearfreak said:


> by making vague statements such as this, you're adding to the confusion



I'm not making the vague statement - just explaining that others do. The confusion is there waiting to trip people up. I'd rather we all just used ERTRO sizes. 

Basically some people will refer to 'road' wheels as 28". The usage is wrong and confusing but it's what they mean. Just trying to help the OP understand what others may be trying to say. 

Let's not even mention 26" and 29" wheels!


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## hubgearfreak (7 Jan 2010)

MartinC said:


> I'd rather we all just used ERTRO sizes.



me too. a 622 tyre fits a 622 rim, 584 on 584 & etc. ignoring the other numbers is definitely the way to go


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## threefingerjoe (8 Jan 2010)

hubgearfreak said:


> me too. a 622 tyre fits a 622 rim, 584 on 584 & etc. ignoring the other numbers is definitely the way to go



Hear! Hear! I've had clerks in bike shops tell me, "Oh, no! That's the WHEEL size." duh! 622x35 (or whatever) tells them all they need to know. I got this argument when I needed 559x35 tyres for my recumbent. This guy told me that those numbers were useless. He needed to know "26 x whatever". Sheesh. There are at least 3 different so-called 26" wheel/tyre sizes that are NOT interchangeable. 559x35 narrows it down to exactly what I wanted. I guess some people just don't want to use those numbers. It certainly eliminates a LOT of confusion.


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## hubgearfreak (8 Jan 2010)

threefingerjoe said:


> This guy told me that those numbers were useless. He needed to know "26 x whatever".



i got new tyres at £5/pr, because the only numbers on them was 622-32 from a shop in town.
another has 26x whatever (584-35) in.....for old raleighs, bsa etc., he tells me


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## PpPete (8 Jan 2010)

threefingerjoe said:


> Hear! Hear! I've had clerks in bike shops tell me, "Oh, no! That's the WHEEL size." duh! 622x35 (or whatever) tells them all they need to know. I got this argument when I needed 559x35 tyres for my recumbent. This guy told me that those numbers were useless. He needed to know "26 x whatever". Sheesh. There are at least 3 different so-called 26" wheel/tyre sizes that are NOT interchangeable. 559x35 narrows it down to exactly what I wanted. I guess some people just don't want to use those numbers. It certainly eliminates a LOT of confusion.



Hear Hear indeed.
Before I wised up (with the help of Sheldon amongst others) I was told by a young sales oik in Halfrauds that inner tubes for 27 x 1-1/4" were no longer available!


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