Replacement tyres for hybrid.

[Lord Sprocket]

Just got into cycling and have bought myself a Carrera Crossfire 2 which I'm happy with - far superior to my cheapie old mountain bike! However the stock tyres are 700 x 45 and as I intend to do most of my cycling on roads, cycle paths and the odd gravel path I'm thinking that a 45 section is too wide and I could get a bit more speed or have an easier ride (in terms of effort) if I put a narrower tyre on.

So my questions are if I plump for, say, a 32 section tyre will this fit my existing wheels and will there be a noticeable difference in top speed or the effort I have to put in?

 

[Hip Priest]

You're in luck! The Q&A for the Crossfire 2 on the Halford's website says:

The Carrera Crossfire 2 will accept tyres between 32c-47c in width. Should you require any further assistance please go to your local Halfords store where a member of staff will be happy to help you further."

You should definitely notice a difference in performance with a 13mm thinner tyre.

 

[Lord Sprocket]

Brilliant thanks for the quick reply.

 

[I like Skol]

IMO wear out what you have first. My hybrid has 35c tyres and when at a reasonable pressure (I run mine at about 75psi despite a 65psi max rating ) they roll just as well as the skinny racer tyres on my roadbike. The best bit is that I can crash through almost anything the roads throw at me without worrying about punctures or my wheel rims.

Get fit and you will go fast!

 

[Col5632]

My carrera crossfire 2 came with 38c tyres as standard, i would defo recommend fitting thinner tyres

 

[Moksha]

What a coincidence! I just upgraded my Carerra Crossfire 2's 700x45C yesterday after I discovered they had perished over my year at uni. Picked up a couple of Conti SportContact 700x32Cs and they are definitely a brilliant improvement if you want to make the bike a little more road centric - roll silently and fairly fast. They definitely fit, but you'll find it takes a lot of work to get the last of the bead on but expected with fairly narrow hybrid tyres.

I'll have to see how they work on a wet day, seeing as they are slicks at heart.