PastorW

Here is the deal. I am definitely a Clyde. I am currently 290lbs. I gained about 40lbs this winter and have been riding trying to get it back off. I have noticed that the tires on my Peugeot road bike are getting thread bare on the sidewalls and I need new tires for the first time in my life. I have Velocity Glider 36 hole rims with shrader valves that currently have Bontager something or others 700c x 38 (on it when I bought the bike). I want something smaller and fast rolling, but with good durability. What should I look for. I have just joined our local bicycling league and have done one group ride of 47 miles and I really enjoy that kind of thing. I don't want el cheapo tires, nor do I want expensive bling. What is the best bang for my buck? Can I run 32's or smaller safely or do I need to stick with 35's to 38's? I know just enough to be dangerous. Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Wade

XR2

I'm running 700X32 Schwalbe Marathons. Not one flat since last October and I am in the same weight range as you. I ride rough roads and gravel roads as well. Not a race tire but rolls well and is very durable.

PastorW

I too ride some rough roads. I appreciate your advice.

Wogster

Most people look at this kinda backwards, they look at the width of the tire first, you should look at the pressure required first. The common thinking is that 60% of the weight is on the rear tire, so a 290lb rider with a 30lb bicycle would have a rear wheel load of 192lbs, that means on a narrow tire, the amount of pressure required is going to exceed the pressure capacity of the tire. There are charts to compute optimum pressure, they usually don't go that high, but you can compute it. Lets see 192/2 is 96 32mm tire need 60PSI for 96lbs, double that is 120PSI. 37mm tire it's 40PSI so double that is 80PSI. 35mm would be about half way between 32 and 37, so say 100PSI, 38mm would probably be about 75PSI. This is for a 15% squish factor on a rear tire, nice balance between comfort and efficiency. You can go with less pressure on the front, but in picking a tire, you want a tire that can handle enough pressure. If you can find a few tires that work for pressure, then look at other features, folding/wire, armoured/not, then don't pick the cheapest or the most expensive, pick the one in the middle.

schnee

I'm not sure you have to worry that much. I'm 290, ride 23mm Continental Grand Prix 4000s on my go-fast roadie at 115psi, and only flat when I run over a nail.

I'm currently training for a century and ride 50+ miles at a stretch, and commute to work over rough roads at 30 miles one way, so I stress them plenty. I've worn completely through 3 sets of tires just with road mileage, not failures, so they're definitely working fine.

Besides, smaller doesn't necessarily mean that much faster rolling. It's more about the tread of the tire and the pressure you're running them at rather than the size. My mountain bike with Schwalbe Big Apples (thats 2.5 mountain 29er tires) just rolls and rolls forever. Cyclocross tires with tiny knobs run slower.

cohophysh

I am 320 run 25s at about 100 psi

Wanderer

Niagara had 700X40 Schwalbe Marathon Supremes on sale for $28 apiece. A killer deal, and you would be very pleased with them............

jonathanb715

OK, one thing no one has considered yet is the width of your rim. Those rims are really wide - 26mm to be exact (my DT Swiss rims are 19mm). You don't want to use too narrow a tire on there, or else even a SAC (skinny-assed cyclist) would be getting pinch flats all the time, even at the full recommended pressure. From Sheldon Brown's website, a wheel with an internal width of 23 mm (the 26 mm measurement of your rims is the outside width) have a recommended minimum tire width of 37mm. I'm sure those recommendations are conservative, and I don't know what the internal width of your wheel is, but it does highlight a little understood constraint when selecting a tire width. I'd recommend contacting Velocity and see what they recommend. If you want to use narrower tires, I suspect you need narrower rims.

JB

PS the Sheldon Brown article where I found those recommendations is here.

PastorW

That is a good point. That is why I included the rim that I am running in my post. I just want a decently fast easy rolling tire. I had always assumed that smaller and higher pressure meant better rolling, but perhaps that is not the case. If 38's are what I am destined for then so be it. I just sent off an email to Velocity (thanks for the idea). Do any of you have any suggestions on brands, PSI, tread, etc... for a 700c x 38 tire that is easy rolling and decently fast on a road bike?

jonathanb715

At the same pressure, a wider tire actually will roll easier. Of course, the whole point of a wider tire is to run them at lower pressure - with the higher volume of air, you don't need the high pressure to avoid pinch flats. The wider tire at low pressure will ride better than the skinny high pressure tire, and hopefully have reasonable rolling resistance. At the lower pressure the wider tire will also have better traction.

I don't have recommendations for what you're looking for - the widest tires that fit on my bike are 25mm. However, if you don't get good recommendations here try the touring board. Fully loaded, those guys are toting around as much weight as many clydes.

JB

XR2

This tire seems like a perfect match for you. And it's on sale.

jonathanb715

FWIW, I always buy my tires at probikekit.com Sounds bizarre, but they are much cheaper than most US sources and they have the best shipping around. it's often free, and the tires show up in 5 days or less. Sadly, they don't have that Schwalbe tire in a 38 listed, but it's always worth checking their prices before buying.

JB

Brando_T.

I just bought two gatorskins for less than what I could buy a single gatorskin at the local bike shop.

Search for rebate codes also, I used one that got me 5% off for Canadian orders. try this:

https://www.retailmenot.com/view/probikekit.com

slorollin

I lurk and seldom post because there are so many posters more knowledgeable. However, this topic is one that I've lived for about 2 years.
Being a fellow "high-end" Clydesdale I've also had problems finding the right tire. I haven't tried the Schwalbes and have heard good things about them. Its not my intention to slam them. But, a friend recommended Gator Skins to me. When I was on-line shopping for them I saw that they had a new "Hardshell" model. They were a little expensive at around $40 but I was willing to pay that to keep from flatting 3 times per month. The roads that I ride are mainly old asphalt with scattered loose gravel that would frequently gouge the side walls. It's been 3 months and not a single flat! Plus, they run smooth and fast.

bautieri

I run700 x 28 ultra gatorskins, so far they are my favorite tire. Seems to be hit or miss weather people love or hate the gatorskin. I'd say a set of gators in 32s would do the trick. They tend to run a little narrow but you should have no problem putting 100 psi in each tire.

late

Panaracer Pasela TG 35c

https://www.bikeman.com/store/merchan...ct_Code=TR2255

It'll get the job done. There is a comfort vs performance tradeoff in tires. This is comfy.
It'll work in those rims, it's a big tire.

PastorW

I did email Velocity and asked them about the wheel width and what tires are acceptable. FWIW this is what they said, (even smaller that what I thought was acceptable).

Wade-

The Glider rim has a width of 26mm. When it comes to tire recommendation you are only restricted by the width of the rim, you cannot go narrower than the 26mm and going too large [ie 45mm wide or larger] you run into potential issues of the tire rolling off although this is much more unlikely. Pinch flats are possible on any tire/rim combination but are greatly reduced when tire pressure is maintained within the recommend pressures listed on the sidewall of the tire. Depending on application and desired ride performance/feel, a 700c x 28 could be your best combination with the Glider rim. Going to a 32 or 35 width will provide a little more comfort to the ride also. So the choice is up to you.

If you have any other questions please feel free to email me, otherwise ride safe and have fun!

Adam Lorenz

Velocity USA
www.velocityusa.com
1-800-453-6126
adam@velocityusa.com

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jonathanb715

That's good news - there are lots of really good tires in those sizes Velocity recommended, some of which have already been recommended in this thread. Let us know what you choose and how it works out!

JB

Kojak

I was invited to chime in here, so I thought I might corroborate some advice that's already been given.

First, you will want to be careful about the tire width that you are considering. The Velocity website lists the width of the rim @ 26mm, however that is not really the width that is important. What you want to know is the inside width, specifically the narrowest point between the bead hooks. This is the measurement that will tell you what tires are advisable for that rim. Based on the 26mm OS measurement, I would hazard a guess that these are 21 or 23mm rims. If this is the case, the narrowest tires you will want to consider are 35mm (if the rim is a 21) or 37mm (if the rim is a 23). In some cases you can venture outside these parameters, but given the weight that you've stated, you'll want your tires to be inflated closer to the max pressure, and if you put a tire on a rim that isn't well matched, and inflate it to pressure, you risk blowing the tire off the rim. This will in most cases be an unpleasant experience..... at best.

As for specific tire recommendations (in these sizes), any major tire manufacturer will make something that will work well for you. Some other brands and models have been mentioned, and if they make the tire in the size you need, and you can find a good price, you should have no problems with these tires. As for Schwalbe tires, I'd want to know a little about what you're looking for in a tire. Some people have mentioned the Marathon which is a great all-arounder. Durable, rolls nicely, kevlar puncture protection, reasonable price. The Supreme and the Dureme are great grippy tires. The Supreme is the sportier of the two, the Dureme is more of a touring/expedition tire, but both have the same grippy compound. Both are rated at 110kg/tire (220lbs), at max inflation. These are significantly more expensive in most cases than the Marathon, although I see someone has pointed out that some outlets have the Supreme tires marked down. Based on your "fast rolling" comment, I'd maybe focus on the Supremes..... If Schwalbe is on you list.

Sheldon Brown provides a nice chart to help determine what tires work on which size rims.

https://www.sheldonbrown.com/tire-sizing.html

The chart is bright red and green, and is close to the bottom of the page (link above).

PastorW

Thank you so much for replying. After reading all of the information that has been given I was leaning more toward the 35's, but since it has been mentioned that the Schwalbe tires sometimes measure on the small side, I am thinking that I may go with them in 38's just to be safe. As far as riding, I do some commuting, and as much plain old road riding as I can on my bike. Lots of BIG hills up and fast descents down (south central Kentucky and our "rolling" hills). I typically ride my route at about 10-13 mph, with some but not a lot of fast cornering. When I mentioned fast tires what I really meant is that I have enough weight to slow me down, I would just appreciate the tire being as easy rolling as possible! I want to do more group rides and eventually as the weight comes off I want to do a century. Given those parameters, which of the schwalbes would your recommend? Thank you so much for your advice! I really appreciate it.

Wanderer

That Schwalbe Marathon Supreme, 700X40C is a very, very, easy rolling tire, when pumped up to maximum.

Also the same for comfort, grippiness, handling, visibility, dependability, flat resistance, etc.

And, that $28 bucks per tire is a really GREAT deal, on a $70 tire,

Kojak

I can't say it any better than wanderer...... hurts me deep that someone is selling these guys @ $28/pop. I can't imagine how they are able to sell at this price; it's significantly below dealer cost, let alone retail.

jr59

Thanks Kojak,

It's good to see the reps of the tire co. on here, and a rider on top of that.

XR2

Man I am so used to $200 a pop for motorcycle and Jeep tires. Schwalbe are great tires for the money. Nope no money for me to say that just my experience.

Hey Kojak! Any chance you guys expanding into motorcycle tires?

Kojak

And a clyde on top of that..... although by the end of September my goal is to drop below the requisite poundage to qualify.

When I started working here, my commute dropped to about 4-7 miles one way (depending on route), and that just doesn't cut it as a means of staying in shape. With two young kids at home, riding time has been scarce, so I've bitten the bullet and I'm getting out the door at 6:00-6:30am for a training ride before work.... I've never been a morning person, but now I have to be if I'm going to ride.