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forum
25mm tyres?
I have a Focus Culebro SL2.0 2013 which I bought second hand with Mavic Aksium wheels and Continental GP 4000 SII tyres (23mm). I managed to slice open the front tyre at the weekend so looking to replace both front and back as the back one is looking pretty ropey too.
Two questions, 1- I was thinking to put on Continental GP 4 Season tyres as we are coming into the winter (up here in Scotland we generally go from summer to winter without Autumn).
2- I was thinking to go up to 25mm tyres for comfort. Roads around my way can be pretty bad. Does anyone know for sure if these will fit on my bike?
I'm a newbie to road biking so appreciate any advice.
If you're new please join in and if you have questions pop them below and the forum regulars will answer as best we can.
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16 comments
Don't know that bike at all, but definitely check all around the tire to see where the smallest area of clearance is. On my old bike (CAAD8), the fork width was the limiting factor for my front tire, but for the rear it was the brake bridge. I misled myself into believing I could fit a bigger tire with a fender on the rear because I saw a big gap on the sides, but it ended up rubbing at the top. On my buddy's Felt, however, he has very narrow seat stays so he has to watch the width more. Just throwing that out there in case it helps you avoid my mistake
I really do like 25's, and currently my favorite all-rounder (racing/training/commuting) is the Michelin Pro4 Endurance. Even though I like the feel of Conti's they just don't last very long for me whereas IME the Pro4 Endurance has been very durable and tough while still rolling nicely. It does seem that tire choice is almost as personal as saddles so to each their own I guess ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
If your frame can take them then 28's are the way to go.
I run 28mm GP 4 Seasons on Aksium rims on my winter/commuter and you need to make sure that you don't go too low with the pressure. The Aksiums 17mm internal width means that the 4 Seasons adopt a "light bulb" shape and if you run them at really low pressures then they will deflect laterally and give the sensation of squirming, more so than 25's at the same pressure.
The MyMavic app is very useful for working out a good starting pressure that you can tweak depending on road conditions and your perception of ride comfort.
I used my GP4000s all through last winter. Can't say I noticed any difference in either puncture protection or grip over 4Seasons I've used previously- they were absolutely fine.
Me too. Grip is probably better. Maybe more wear and it is a slightly more expensive option, but I will continue with them again this winter.
I also ride in Scotland.
a 28mm won't always fit under std drop calipers, a 30mm even less so.
I ran 25mm 4 Seasons for a few years and then replaced them with Michelin Power Endurance. The Michelins have better puncture resistance (in my experience), the same cold, wet weather grip but are much faster rolling than the 4 Seasons.
Likewise, I ran 25mm 4 Seasons on my commuter for years but have just switched to Michelin Power Endurance as the 4 Seasons, whilst ok, tended to shed threads from the sidewalls and got cut up a lot on my local roads.
One observation, on my Hunt wheels, the 25mm 4 Season tyres came up at 28mm wide. The Michelin 25mm tyres in contrast are exactly 25mm wide when inflated. I'll be switching to 28mm Michelin tyres when its time to replace for the additional comfort.
Didn't like the 4 seasons (28mm which came up 26.5mm), I replaced them with Giant PSL2s in the same size, frankly superior in every way, great for 4 seasons riding.
Schwalbe Durano's I hear are pretty good but if you're interested I have a NOS pair of the Schwalbe Ultremo Double Defence in 25mm (one boxed, one unboxed after fitting and removing). They're better than the Durano's IMO and also better than the Michelin Pro4s but that's all rather subjective, however cycling weekly had good things to say about them. https://www.cyclingweekly.com/reviews/tyres/schwalbe-ultremo-dd-tyre
£43 posted if you fancy a punt.
with poor roads a, bigger tyre will feel much nicer, especially a tubeless 28/30mm. You can run lower pressure for bump absorption plush ride
Go to 28mm if you can - they're more comfy and quicker than 23 or 25mm.
This all day long.
If your frame will take them I'd deffo plump for 28's over 25's every time.
I have them on both bikes & genuinely don't think I'd have anything else now.
If you have wider rims go for 25s, they are likely to come up closer to 27 and you have the benefit of lighter tyre/better clearance under std drop brake calipers.
OP said he was looking for comfort so personally I'd still plump for the 28's as they may come up near to 30 & that would give him what he's looking for but you pay your money & you take your choice.....
Maybe, but Bierman has been a bit naughty in the way he has presented his results, so let's not get carried away. His conclusion stating that a bigger tyre will give lower rolling resistance at the same pressure is not helpful because (a) you wouldn't do that, and (b) if you did, you wouldn't get that extra comfort you are looking for. Typically 28mm would run at 15-20% lower pressure (you all know the charts), and if you feed that back into Bierman's own graph, then the difference in rolling resistance is a gnats whisker, and this is without taking aero into account (by his own admission)
Similarly his statement that at lower pressures the gap is wider is misleading for the same reason.
Of course this doesn't mean 28 for 25 isn't a good swap, and most of us would still be happy with more comfort, for little loss in speed, which is probably what you'd get. I swapped my wife's bike from 23 to 28 and she is very happy, but certainly not faster!
Of course! I had forgotten to factor that in. It significantly alters how you compare those data points.
I'd still choose 28mm. On rough surfaces - poor chip-seal or where the road has been patched, for example - it is still likely to be quicker than a narrow tyre as the increased deflection frmo the wider tyre would translate to a smoother (so therefore quicker) ride.
Michelin's pressure chart is relevant to this topic because it shows the difference between the tyre widths clearly.
Have you checked how much clearance you've got relative to:
1. Front fork.
2. Rear brake.
3. Chainstays/chainstay bridge.
If roughly 3-5mm or more each side, you're good to go with 25mm. Note that GP4000 S2 are generally wide and tall tyres. I'm pretty sure you'll be able to fit, at least some 25mm tyres.
GP4 season is narrower and without knowing your clearances, my guess is that it would work.
Lots of tyre choices out there, but if four seasons is what you're looking for: Conti GP4 seasons, Panaracer D Evo 3 (my fav at the moment), Vittoria Rubino, Schwalbe Durano, Pirelli 4S could the way to go.