Road bike tyres width increase advice

[lb81]

I have ridden MTB for many years but in Feb bought a Triban 3 for my commute. I have become hooked and have not touched my MTB since and have covered just under 1k on the Triban. My only issue is with the skinny 23 tyres that came fitted. I have ridden them in the wet and ice early in the year and in the recent dry conditions hoping I would get used to the width but they just don't seem to suit my riding style leaving me with a lack of confidence in turns. I like to attack twisty sections of road at speed and do spend some time on my commute switching between road and cycle path. I am guessing that increasing to a 25 or 28 width tyre should improve things but my question is will I notice a significant increase in rolling resistance? A large portion of my commute is grinding away on flat or incline so I don't want to compromise too much. Budget is tight so I have my eye on conti Ultra sports in 28 width, too wide? Would welcome opinions on what you all ride?

Cheers

 

[raindog]

" I like to attack twisty sections of road at speed"

so does this guy - on 23s

View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j_wEG2RNMJc

 

[Scilly Suffolk]

I doubt you'd notice much difference in speed; you're likely to notice a smoother (i.e. more comfortable) ride. In fact, if you have more confidence you may well be faster!

Before buying new tyres, you should check what you can fit on your rims: this page has a useful chart. You'll also find a wealth of other information on tyres and all other aspects of cycling at Sheldon Brown.

Personally, I have 23mm on my "fast" bike and 24mm on my "distance" bike, which I swap out to 28mm in the Winter.

 

[TheDoctor]

I doubt the rims will be the limiting factor - it's more likely that clearance between the tyre and the brake bridge will be. Have a look at the clearance under the rear brake bridge and also under the fork crown with your current 23mm tyres - if you've got 6mm or more then 28mm should be fine. If there's only 4 mm then stick to 25 mm, but I'd be surprised if it's as little as that.
My carbon road bike will only take 25mm tyres...

 

[Scilly Suffolk]

^^ Good point!

 

[PaulSecteur]

Reply deleted: Should have properly read the OP. D`oh!

 

[lb81]

Cheers for this guys, have checked on the clearance already and up to 28 will be fine. The Triban has quite a bit of clearance in fact, I am guessing that as it also has the eyelets for rack / panniers and mudguards it could be used for touring type riding as well so maybe accounted for the use of fairly wide tyres!

 

[User269]

I use Vittoria Open Corsa Evo CX 700x23 on my 'best' bike, and Specialized Armadillo 700x25 on the winter hack. There is some evidence that wider tyres have less rolling resistance. It all boils down to what you like the 'feel' of when riding, and I've found that expensive, high quality tyres really do show an improvement over cheaper ones, and if you're like me you'll find your confidence improves as a result.
I don't think you'll notice any increase in rolling resistance going from 23 to 28 (indeed you may actually decrease the resistance), but I do think you'll notice an improvement by having a top quality tyre. And then there's the matter of tyre pressure, which in my view is just as important as the tyre you're using. And then there's the wheels of course, oh, and the frame, your riding position, handling skills.......
Keep us posted as to how you get on.

 

[biggs682]

i ask would wider tyres give more confidence when cornering , surely not . i have not ridden on wider than 700c x 23 tyres apart from the tandem so that does not count .

28 profile tyres should be more comfy and i doubt many of us would tell the differance

 

[Smut Pedaller]

Theoretically wider tyres have less rolling resistance (everything else being the same) because of the different pattern of deformation. However, generally I love 28mm tyres, it's not for racing on smooth blacktop but it's a nice compromise for less than perfect roads and general riding. I also prefer a wider tyre for any riding on loose surfaces, city riding or in the wet as they tend to be more predictable over sketchy surfaces.

 

[derrick]

I would stick with what you have for the time being, your confidence will grow after a few more miles.

 

[timb318]

Hi lb81, I know this is a really old thread, but can you say whether you were using the white Triban 3 or the red one, and which tyres you ended up using?

 

[Ajax Bay]

@timb318

Hi lb81, I know this is a really old thread

OP has not been seen since August 2013. If you click on his/her /name' you can see this and other info.
Why does the colour of his Triban 3 matter? Do they have different clearances for tyres? Why not start a new thread asking whatever question you're trying to get an answer to?
Maybe @stalagmike can offer Triban 3 advice.

 

[stalagmike]

I've got the red triban 3 but I've only ever had 23s on it. I did a bit of research about tyre width when I first got the bike and IIRC some Triban owners have put 25s on but the clearance doesn't allow for much more than that. Obvs it depends if you have mudguards fitted as well.

 

[LarryDuff]

I have 25s on my red triban 3'