Tire size vs riders weight

[Blue Jays]

My concern is ensuring sufficient air to protect expensive rims from unwanted impacts...due to deteriorating roadways.
One does seem to eventually find that "magic number" that gives best performance, fastest speed, and adequate freedom from pinch flats.
My roadbike riding is typically done on 23, 24, 25, and 27 mm tires. I think that I enjoy the 24 and 25 mm tires the most.

[pasadena]

exactly
plus 23's are still the most aero, no matter what width rim you use.

Originally Posted by Wattvagen

yes, this describes me too. i dont fuss about with tire pressure too much. pump them up high and let the pressure drift.

really, there is so much variation in tire size, even for a given label, i can hardly tell a difference between my 23c tires and 25c sometimes, especially if you add rim width into the mix.

i would never run 28c on the road. they feel too heavy and sluggish to me.

125ish pounds here.

[boywander]

I found the popular conti 4000 sidewall casing is softer so I always pumped a little more pressure than Vic for the same size tire.

[Monsieur Toast]

I think I'm doing it wrong. 190# rider here, 58cm frames.

I started with 28s at 100psi (Conti GP4k) when I got into road cycling on my Della Santa.

But I much prefer my "new" Ottrott setup with 25s at 110psi (Conti GP5k).

[Bob Ross]

Originally Posted by boywander

Am I the only one on this forum who like skinny 23mm tires?

No

Originally Posted by boywander

Are there anyone who is currently using 23s and don’t plan to go bigger?

Well...I weigh somewhere around 172-175lbs.

I own four bikes:
- two of them are road bikes with 23mm tires pumped up to 100psi
- one of them is a road bike with 25mm tires pumped up to 90 psi
- one of them is a gravel bike with 32mm tires pumped up to 70 psi

I have no plans to go bigger on any of the road bikes.
Sometimes I screw around w/ 35mm or 37mm knobbies on the gravel bike.

[charliedid]

Originally Posted by Peter P.

I weight 130-135. When I rode 23's I would avoid pinch flats for a long time if I pumped my tires up to 100psi. I did it like this for decades.

When I started to experiment with lower tire pressures and reached a psi. where I could finally feel the tire providing some bump absorption, I started to get pinch flats.

I've now switched to 25's, remain at the lower tire pressure I found with the 23's, and pinch flatting is reduced.

So yeah; I could ride 23's if I pumped them up to 100psi. but I've discovered a slightly wider tire at lower pressure rides better for me while reducing the instance of pinch flats.

Shoot; I used to ride Michelin HD Comps which were 20mm wide and even at 100psi. pinch flatting was a regular occurrence. I quickly figured out these tires were too skinny. Maybe good for a TT, but not for road riding.

Those tires were wicked to be kind. Rode amazing but I must have cut a dozen of them at the sidewall. Just a nick and they would slice. Fun

[johnniecakes]

I have 23's on 6 of my 8 bikes. Most of my wheels have 17 ID rims and I run 110 PSI. I weigh 165 lb. Tried 25's but didn't see the appeal so I stick with what I like

[jamesdak]

Well I'm that guy. I ride 700 x 25's on just about everything I have unless there's not clearance. Usually running 80 psi front and 90 psi rear. But I've pretty much been off the bikes for 7 months and gained around 30 lbs. So as I sort out the knees and try to get going I'm riding them at 90/100 F/R. Smooth pavement does not exist where I live and I find myself just as fast or faster on the 25's vs the 23's. The 25's also leave me feeling fresher at the end of my rides. A few years ago I rode a newly acquired old Lemond on the 19's that came on it for a couple of days. Lost three fillings out of my teeth, no really, I did. Talk about getting beat up on the bike. Guess I'm the wuss around here, LOL!

[boywander]

Originally Posted by jamesdak

Well I'm that guy. I ride 700 x 25's on just about everything I have unless there's not clearance. Usually running 80 psi front and 90 psi rear. But I've pretty much been off the bikes for 7 months and gained around 30 lbs. So as I sort out the knees and try to get going I'm riding them at 90/100 F/R. Smooth pavement does not exist where I live and I find myself just as fast or faster on the 25's vs the 23's. The 25's also leave me feeling fresher at the end of my rides. A few years ago I rode a newly acquired old Lemond on the 19's that came on it for a couple of days. Lost three fillings out of my teeth, no really, I did. Talk about getting beat up on the bike. Guess I'm the wuss around here, LOL!

Thanks for sharing. Sorry for your teeth on the 19s.

[palincss]

Originally Posted by boywander

Am I the only one on this forum who like skinny 23mm tires? Are there anyone who is currently using 23s and don’t plan to go bigger? I also am a tan side wall fan a well. Call me odd but I still using 21mm sew ups. I have ridden on gravel roads some off-road and don’t think much of it. I mean it makes sense if the rider weight is heavier then a bigger tire is better suited. I shake my head when I see a skinny person 120lbs riding 25s or even 28s pumped up to 100psi or more.

Anyway I’m just throwing up a discussion about what is the common sense on tire size vs riders’s weighs.

Width, weight and pressure. There's a relationship there, and a 120 lb person riding 28mm tires inflated to 100psi is running them way too hard. Even a 200 lb person usually doesn't need 100 psi in a 28mm tire.

[Kirk007]

all you thin guys on thin tires! I look down at a front 23mm wheel these days and think I'm the carnival clown riding the tiny bike.

My favorite road tire is Veloflex arenberg/roubaix which measure out between 24-26 depending on the rim I've got them mounted on. But I've found that 25 tubeless tires on wider diameter rims that end up actually being around 28mm are just fine for me too. And I have some Panaracer competition clinchers that are 28 and measure out close to 30, and they're fine too. Pressures range between 90 and 70.

Our roads are fairly crappy and I'm not doing testosterone induced group ride sprints so I'm not looking for ultimate speed, but I don't think the couple of mm difference in width is making me any slower. Of course my tires need to offset a bit more mass than many of you as I'm 6'3" and 210-212 in good months and up to 220-225 in the winter so there's that.

[rustychisel]

Originally Posted by Kirk007

Of course my tires need to offset a bit more mass than many of you as I'm 6'3" and 210-212 in good months and up to 220-225 in the winter so there's that.

There's nothing more important than that when it comes to reasoned selection of tyres.

[Davist]

I weigh around 180-185 this year. I ran 28s forever, since early 90s, came from bmx/mtb and the 23s (or below) looked too skinny, but eventually in the Schwalbe Ultremo version were about 34 and felt "squishy" even at 90psi. Went back to 25s (had a bike that wouldn't fit 28s), then got a disc bike that fit 28s, had 4kS2s which were about 32, now I'm on 32 (true to size) 5kTLs at about 65 back and 60 front and loving it, faster than ever and plush. So I guess I'm the source of all your ire , enjoy.

[5oakterrace]

I am 200-210 pounds and ride Cont. 4 seasons and 4000s, 23 x 700, at about 100 pressure. I think they are a "wide" 23 compared to others. Have to keep the pressure up to avoid pinch flats. Have not had a flat in eons but my roads are quite good. The 4 seasons are a rugged tire in my mind. Flats really ruin a ride. Once my supply is out I may try 25s but maybe not as my experience with what were much wider tires on a gravel bike left me with a sense they are heavy and slow. 23s are fine.

[soulspinner]

170 lbs, 25 mm on 17 inner width 85/90 ish. 23s on another bike width 18 inner width rim, 85/90.