23 or 25c for 14mm ID rim?

[fmradio516]

Well I have been riding my bike with fancy GP5ks in 28s for months now and just feeling very sluggish. Someone here(i forget who, but thanks!) informed me that my rims are just too narrow and thats why im feeling slow.

Well I guess I gave away all my skinny tires too soon What is the recommended tire width for 14mm ID rims? 23 or 25? I know tires are different so lets say the pretty true to size GP5000.

I have a set of NIB GP4ks in 25mm but those are probably closer in width to the 28s i already have unfortunately.

edit: Not sure if it matter but the rims are Ambrosio Excellights. Side question, If by a longshot anyone has any knowledge of a rim with the same measurements as these, but just a little wider ID, please let me know. i know this is probably not possible, but id really like a wider rim without the cost of buying new spokes and starting a whole new wheel build.

[thwart]

Originally Posted by fmradio516

Someone here(i forget who, but thanks!) informed me that my rims are just too narrow and thats why im feeling slow.

Someone here is feeding you some bs.

https://www.renehersecycles.com/myth...eed-wide-rims/

[fignon's barber]

I think I would go with the 23mm tires, those exellights are great rims. As for a new rim, if it were me I'd just look for a nice used set of Campagnolo Neutrons (15mm).

[fmradio516]

Originally Posted by thwart

Someone here is feeding you some bs.

https://www.renehersecycles.com/myth...eed-wide-rims/

Well I guess im easily influenced then I already have the 28s off the rims and in the basement because i thought i had a decent set of 23s/25s laying around which turns out I was wrong about.... so, mountain bike today, for me!

[Gummee]

Keith Bontrager used to cut down MA40s to make mtn bike wheels, so anything up to a 50c will work on those rims

No matter what the marketing people say

M

[fmradio516]

Hm okay.. i guess ill put the 28s back on then.. Thanks PL!

[dddd]

Originally Posted by Gummee

Keith Bontrager used to cut down MA40s to make mtn bike wheels, so anything up to a 50c will work on those rims

No matter what the marketing people say

M

This seems more true than what prevailing contemporary "wisdom" otherwise implies.

I used to race XC using 700x45 Panaracer Smokes, mounted on MA40's.
It was fine other than some degree of difficulty changing the tire (so I switched to ROX thin/light rim tape).
There was also a slight issue having to do with getting the tires past the brake pads upon installation, so I found it quickest to pull the cable housing free of the mtb lever.

I recently dug up a NOS pair of narrow (@i13mm) CTL370 wheels that I had built over 15 years ago, fitted 25mm GP4000S2's and put these on my newly-acquired Davidson Impulse. The ride and performance is very much to my liking, sprightly and smooth.

Using the narrowest rims, particularly with wider tires, one should make sure to tug on the valve stem as the pressure goes past 5psi, to help seat the valve stem reinforcement into the narrow space between the tire beads!
You really don't want the tube having to drag the reinforced area down into the central space with much more air pressure pinning the tube against the inside of the tire, as tears adjacent to the rubber reinforcement may tend to result. Especially as tire width increases, where the tire flares outward from the rim wall at closer to a 90-degree angle, that creates very high friction and stress in the tube.

A couple of more things about using narrower rims, the tire inflates slightly smaller (maybe half or less smaller than the decrease in rim width), and the tread wraps a little further around for a more-protected sidewall.

[tv_vt]

I really like those Excellight rims. I've been using Vittoria Corsa 25mm tires with them and that's a nice combo. Why don't you try the Conti 4K 25 tires if you already have them?

Ask a wheel builder if there are other rims that could work as far as similar size. But considering the cost of rims and labor, I'd just pay for new spokes and get the rims you really want, rather than limit rim choice so you can re-use some spokes.

[Gummee]

Originally Posted by dddd

There was also a slight issue having to do with getting the tires past the brake pads upon installation, so I found it quickest to pull the cable housing free of the mtb lever.

I found the easiest way was to re-install the wheels/tires back on the bike THEN inflate the tires.

I tend to forget that bit of wisdom every once in a while and have to remember why I used to do it that way

Bikes with discs have made that bit o wisdom almost irrelevant today tho

M

[fmradio516]

Originally Posted by tv_vt

Why don't you try the Conti 4K 25 tires if you already have them?

Thinking about it, but they are so oversized, i think they'll come out to the same actual width as the 5k's.. plus theyre still in their nice shiny boxes