Choosing tire size

It is pothole season. A little bigger tire lets me run a little less pressure and still protect from pinchflats on potholes. How big do you go??? That is completely subjective. I ended up with 32mm Vittorias on my Troll and 35mm Gatorskins on my Tweed. I run 700x40mm Clement XPlor MSO’s on my cross bike. I don’t give a hoot about sluggishness. They wind up a little slower than 23mm tires. If I want something fast and sporty, I ride a different bike. For getting around town I want durability, comfort and rim protection. I run about 70-75psi in my 32-35mm tires and they’re comfy and roll well. I run about 50psi in the 700x40s. Sorry to be so vague. I just figured out what I like by getting progressively bigger tires.

You’re right; I love this topic! Tires really make a huge difference, so it’s an area that lends itself to researching and experimentation.

For me, I commute 80% on the W&OD and the other 20% of nice pavement. There is a very small section of shoulder riding (where there is gravel and other debris), but for the most part my commute is on very nice roads. So take my advice with that in mind.

Observations in no particular order:
– For winter riding I want reflective sidewalls; that limits my options.
– I used to use Gatorskins (23mm) exclusively on my road bike. I think they are a fantastic tire, but I have slid out a few times with them on wet surfaces. So I have decided to try other options.
– Until last weekend I was running 25mm Conti GP4000S tires (w/ reflective sidewalls) on my commuter. These feel a lot nicer (crr, grip) than the 23mm Gatorskins they replaced (but that is probably a combination of volume and compound). The grip is supposed to be better in the wet. On the whole; these are the nicest tires I have ridden. They weigh less than Gatorskins, but the puncture protection is also reduced. That said, I had no flats in the 1500-2k miles I used them before just putting them up until spring. (I also run these on my road bike and have no intention of changing that unless I decide to dabble in tubeless again.)
– I am currently running some Panaracer T-Serv 28mm tires (w/reflective stripe) that had been sitting up since last winter. They have some traction, so I think a little better for snow/slippery conditions. They are very durable/flat-proof and they were good tires for me last winter. They are not heavy, but they are noticeably slower rolling than the GP4000S tires. It’s ok; it makes it a better workout. I don’t think I’ll buy these again, though, as it looks like there are other options (see article below) that would serve me well in the winter and feel nicer.
– I have used Conti GP 4 Seasons (25mm) tires. They felt nice, but didn’t last very long. I also had a sidewall blowout within 50 miles on the first tire, so that wasn’t inspiring. But people do swear by them.

Honestly, for normal riding conditions, I would (wait and) get the new 2014 Conti GP 4000S 28mm tires. Those should be a good volume — especially on a wide rim — have reasonable flat protection and give you reflective sidewalls. That will probably be my next warmer-season tire set.

Based on this article http://www.bikeradar.com/road/gear/article/the-best-winter-tyres-for-road-cycling-38889/ I am strongly considering Schwalbe Durano tires for next set of winter tires (especially if reflective sidewalls are an option, I haven’t really investigated this yet).

I’ve been very happy with Schwalbe Marathon Plus Tour 700×35. Heavy, but roll well. Expensive, but extremely long lasting and flat resistant. It’s a commute, not a race, and I’d rather lose 2 minutes each way to the extra weight than 30 minutes every month or two with a flat. I run 70-80psi, which is Cadillac comfy.

@jrenaut 70361 wrote:

I’m not so much looking for recommendations on brand as techniques for choosing a size.

Buy the fattest ones that fit.

@jrenaut 70361 wrote:

I’m not so much looking for recommendations on brand as techniques for choosing a size.

Well, I think size isn’t really an independent metric — or at least, it needs to be qualified. My 25mm Conti GP4000S tires at 85/95 (the psi I use for them) were more comfortable than the 28mm Panaracer tires I have on there now. They also measured pretty similar in actual size, so the numbers don’t always match with how they measure. (And similarly the 25mm Hutchinson Intensives I used previously were really 23mm.)

More to the point, ocassionally I commute on 32mm CX tires and they suck on pavement — feel so sluggish and don’t have great grip. So volume is really just part of it. You want volume with low rolling resistance, etc. I personally can’t imagine using larger than 28mm tires on a commute, but that’s just me. Lots of folks have a much more laid-back approach to cycling — of which I’m a little envious — and larger volume is going to be more comfortable.

@hozn 70368 wrote:

More to the point, ocassionally I commute on 32mm CX tires and they suck on pavement — feel so sluggish and don’t have great grip. So volume is really just part of it. You want volume with low rolling resistance, etc. I personally can’t imagine using larger than 28mm tires on a commute, but that’s me.

I am in the same category. I ride 28mm for 95% of my commuting, but every once and a while I ride my 32mm and they feel like slugs. I used to run 23mm but they seemed off for a more regular commute.
I know you are not looking for a brand, but I think performance forte pro +’s are great. I have Bontrager hard cases and gatorskinz and the fortes having been been doing excellent. I have a couple thousand on them, a couple fondos that have gravel sections, and I commute on pretty high traffic roads, so glass covered shoulders are often my friend. No flats, except for the one I jinxed myself for tomorrow. They don’t roll as well as my race4, but I do decents fine, and with the threat of a flat practically eliminated, I would have to say, I go faster. For $20 they are an overlooked bargain.
Btw, they go one sale for $15 all the time.

@hozn 70368 wrote:

Well, I think size isn’t really an independent metric — or at least, it needs to be qualified. My 25mm Conti GP4000S tires at 85/95 (the psi I use for them) were more comfortable than the 28mm Panaracer tires I have on there now. They also measured pretty similar in actual size, so the numbers don’t always match with how they measure. (And similarly the 25mm Hutchinson Intensives I used previously were really 23mm.)

More to the point, ocassionally I commute on 32mm CX tires and they suck on pavement — feel so sluggish and don’t have great grip. So volume is really just part of it. You want volume with low rolling resistance, etc. I personally can’t imagine using larger than 28mm tires on a commute, but that’s just me. Lots of folks have a much more laid-back approach to cycling — of which I’m a little envious — and larger volume is going to be more comfortable.

You spend most of your post explaining that size doesn’t matter, then end by saying that you only like a certain size. :confused:

Back to the original question: the other thing to consider is pressure. The wider the tire, the lower the pressure you can get away with. (And, generally, the lower the maximum pressure as well.) One way to go about the width-picking is to figure out what size you need to get the pressure range that you want for your expected weight. If you’re lighter, you can get away with a lower pressure at a given tire width. On my 37s I usually run at 40/60 PSI; on 23s I’d be on the rims at those pressures. I also have the headroom to add a lot of weight if I need to, raising the pressure a bit. If you’re sure you’ll always pump it up to 11 then you won’t get any benefit from wider tires. (But you should try the lower-pressure thing, it rocks!)