[Cyclin Dan]

So, I have been enjoying my first set of 23mm wide rims (HED Belgium C2) for the past 6 weeks or so. I run 25mm tires on them, at 100-105 PSI. All my other wheels are 19mm wide, and I've always ran 23mm wide tires at 120psi...and continue to do so on those wheels.

During my ride on Sunday I hit a razor blade and slashed my rear tire. All I have on the shelf are 23mm wide tires, so I threw one on. I have yet to ride then since I put the narrower tire on but my question is about the pressure. Should I pump this 23mm tire on the 23mm rim to the same PSI that I run the 23mm tire on the 19mm rim?

If so, I will likely just stick with 23mm tires for all the wheels...makes it easier to keep things in stock at home.

Thanks in advance.

Dan

 

[cxwrench]

Who knows...how much do you weigh? I'm guessing you're wayyyy high on pressure and always have been, but w/o knowing your weight there isn't any way to know for sure.

 

[Cyclin Dan]

Who knows...how much do you weigh? I'm guessing you're wayyyy high on pressure and always have been, but w/o knowing your weight there isn't any way to know for sure.

220-250 depending on the time of year.

I guess my questions was more one of "am I able to run lower pressure because of the 23mm wide rims, or the 25mm wide tires?".

 

[cxwrench]

At your weight i'd recommend 25mm tires MINIMUM...no matter how wide the rim is. You need the extra air volume or you'll have to ride really high pressure. I think it's pretty simple...bigger riders need bigger tires. The most pressure anyone really needs to use is around 100psi rear. If they need more than that to prevent pinch flats or rim damage, they need bigger tires. Smaller/lighter riders can benefit from larger tires as well if the roads they normally ride on are poor, or they spend some quality time on dirt/gravel w/ their road bike. There are really no negatives to larger tires, but there definitely are if you use tires that are too small.
To answer your direct question, in general terms...yes to both. The wider rim will spread the tire out and you can run somewhat less pressure on the narrow tire. But...at your size, the larger tire would be the right way to go.

As as example, i'm 170lbs. I use Bontrager Race wheels, tubeless. They're wider rims, and i use a 25mm tire on the back and a 23 on the front. Around 85psi rear, 80 front.

 

[Cyclin Dan]

I've logged over 40k miles on 23mm tires at 120psi, and always been comfortable, never had a pinch flat, etc...

I can stick with 25mm wide tires on these rims, but I think I'll keep with 23mm on the others...I haven't ever had any issue with them.

So, while I have the 23mm tire on there and am waiting for some 25's to come in, so I air it up as I have my been with the 23mm tires on the narrower wheels, or do I do it as I have been the wider tires on the wider wheels?

Thanks again for your insight.

 

[looigi]

...I guess my questions was more one of "am I able to run lower pressure because of the 23mm wide rims, or the 25mm wide tires?".

Both. Figure roughly 10 psi lower for 23 vs 19mm rims, and another 10 psi for 25 vs 23mm tires. So, for a starting point, take 20 psi off what you were running with 23mm tires on 19mm rims, which seems to be what you're doing. At your weight that pressure sounds about right, but you can experiment going downward from there to see how it affects bike handling and any propensity for pinch flats. You can usually run 10-20% less pressure in the front due to they way weight is distributed on the bike.

 

[cxwrench]

I've logged over 40k miles on 23mm tires at 120psi, and always been comfortable, never had a pinch flat, etc...

I can stick with 25mm wide tires on these rims, but I think I'll keep with 23mm on the others...I haven't ever had any issue with them.

So, while I have the 23mm tire on there and am waiting for some 25's to come in, so I air it up as I have my been with the 23mm tires on the narrower wheels, or do I do it as I have been the wider tires on the wider wheels?

Thanks again for your insight.

How do you know you wouldn't like it better if the pressure were a bit lower if you've never tried? It's free. It's easy. I guarantee you'll have better ride quality. And better cornering traction.

 

[cxwrench]

I can't imagine riding 23's at 120psi. 110 was too high for comfort and I weighed about 165 lbs at the time. Now I'm about 175 and riding 28's at 70 to 80lbs on a Roubaix. What advantage is there to riding such narrow tires at such high pressures.

This, exactly :thumbsup:

 

[rcb78]

FWIW, I have HED C2 rims with 25mm Pro4s on them. I run 90psi in the rear and 85psi up front and I'm 205lbs. No pinch flats and it floats over rough roads.

 

[cxwrench]

FWIW, I have HED C2 rims with 25mm Pro4s on them. I run 90psi in the rear and 85psi up front and I'm 205lbs. No pinch flats and it floats over rough roads.

How wide are the Pro4s on those rims? 27-28mm? It's really a nice riding tire.

 

[9W9W]

I'm 220 and put 1K plus miles on new to me Kinlin 279's with Gatorskin 25 tires about 90F/95R... sometimes lower. I always used my fiddly little gauge attached to a micro pump. When I filled up with a friends quality floor pump his gauge read 79/85.. not sure if I was riding even lower than 90/95....may have been the case. No pinch flats, no flats..hands happy.

 

[rcb78]

They were 27 when I first installed them, after a few hundred miles they are just over 28. I run them with Vittoria latex tubes and the few guys i've let ride my bike can't believe how smooth it is. No doubt, they are a nice tire and seem much more durable than the Pro 3's are, and we are are talking the service course series too. All of my descent PRs have dropped some serious time since I got this setup dialed, very confidence inspiring.

How wide are the Pro4s on those rims? 27-28mm? It's really a nice riding tire.