Am I ready for these tires??

[FloridaGal]

Okay i am in the process of buying 1st road bike... I've got it narrowed down to a couple of bikes. One of them has 700x23c tires..The other 700x25
thought i love the way the bike rides.i am afraid of getting flats. Is it inevitable? i am not mechnically inclined and will be riding solo a fair amount..

[bikerHen]

I ride on 700x25's. I strongly recommend getting a Gatorskin type tire. I got a pair for my bike this summer after spending every other ride last summer changing flats. I had a rocky start with the GatorSkins this spring with a couple flats but have since been flat free. I ride on some really trashy shoulders 5 to 6 days a week. Being flat free is saying alot! I also use Slime tubes.

Don't be afraid to change a flat! Just practice a few times at home. It's not that hard, just a little messy if you're changing the back tire. bikerHen

[salsabike]

I keep my spare tube in a vinyl or latex glove, just in case it IS the rear tire (isn't it always?). Just a mess-reducing tip....

[DebW]

Okay i am in the process of buying 1st road bike... I've got it narrowed down to a couple of bikes. One of them has 700x23c tires..The other 700x25
thought i love the way the bike rides.i am afraid of getting flats. Is it inevitable? i am not mechnically inclined and will be riding solo a fair amount..

An occasional flat is inevitable. Judicious choice of tires and tubes can make the flats fewer and further between, but if you don't average a flat every 2 years, you must not be riding enough. So, don't shy away from buying that road bike because of flats, but do learn to change a tire. Have your LBS or someone show you and practice at home a few times. It's not so bad, really. You can learn - you might not learn to like it, but you can learn to do it.

[bcipam]

I ride on 700x25's. I strongly recommend getting a Gatorskin type tire. I got a pair for my bike this summer after spending every other ride last summer changing flats. I had a rocky start with the GatorSkins this spring with a couple flats but have since been flat free. I ride on some really trashy shoulders 5 to 6 days a week. Being flat free is saying alot! I also use Slime tubes.

Don't be afraid to change a flat! Just practice a few times at home. It's not that hard, just a little messy if you're changing the back tire. bikerHen

I'm with Bikerhen... 700 X 25 and get Gatorskins. Also ask your LBS mechanic to show you how to change a tire. It's really not all that hard then I suggest you practice. Take the wheel in with you and while watching TV take the tire off and on, off and on. The hardest part is just knowing how to get everything organized to change tires then sometimes, just getting the last part of the tire back on the rim. Also some gals have a problem getting the rear wheel off. I have my own technique but wouldn't work for everyone. I do suggest you turn your bike upside down. Just so much easier for a woman that way. And practice putting the wheel on and off the bike as well as changing the tire.

If you have a bike club in your area get and see if they do tire changing clinics. I know my club does one at least every other month. I've learned over the years how to fix alot of little mechanical things so that's one less worry I have while riding.

[DeniseGoldberg]

If you like the way the bike rides with the 700x23 tires, get them!

There are different levels of quality in all size tires. You certainly can put a good quality 700x23 tire on the bike - although I would check with your LBS about the quality of the tire that comes with the bike. You could always have them switch to a better quality tire if necessary.

But - you should also learn how to change a tire. Flats don't have to happen often, but it's best to be prepared.

--- Denise

[KnottedYet]

Also might want to look into some of the "alternative" tire changing tools. I use a Crank Bro's SpeedLever on my 700x38 commuter tires. It makes getting the tires on and off much easier for my wimpy hands.

I've heard they don't work as well on the smaller width tires, so ask your LBS what they think.

[betagirl]

I have 1 bike with 700x25 and 1 with 700x23's. As others have said, flats are a fact of life with cycling. I recommend practicing at home so in case you do get a flat, you're prepared. When I first changed a tube, it took me FOREVER. Now I can change a rear flat in under 10 minutes. Part of that reason is I got a lot of practice this year commuting. Lots of glass on the road. I use kevlar tires now, which has helped. I've noticed that performance bike's tubes aren't that great. I think some of my flats were from a failed valve stem versus a hole. I haven't taken the time to look them all over though. I have a continental gatorskin on my front tire and michelin erilium kevlar tire on the rear of my Trek 1200. Both are 25's. On my Lemond I have vredestein fortezza SE's, which are 23's. Those are higher peformance. I use the Trek to commute. Other than tubes, having a good frame pump is key also. Topeak makes good ones.

Hope that helps.

[FloridaGal]

Thanks Everyone. I will discuss your tips with the LBS. I feel more confident now!

[Grog]

I ride on 700X23 and my last flat was about 4000 km ago in the rainy months when the street shoulders are not cleaned very often and all the grit accumulates there.

However, you HAVE to learn to fix a flat. It makes you more autonomous and much less vulnerable. As soon as you get your new bike (lucky you) practice in your garage. Go to an introductory mechanics class. Ask your bike mechanics at the shop where you buy it to show you how, talking you through the steps.

Most road bikes will take X23 and X25 without a problem anyway... (Although you might want to check if it's really important for you.) If you like the bike with X23 better but would like X25 tires, just ask the bike shop to change them.

[HipGnosis6]

My bike has 700x28 tires. They're the skinniest tires I've ever had; they're beefy enough to take commuting without trouble, but there was a learning curve - right when I first got it, I had a run of flats. I took it to shops twice after the first flat and had THEM change it for me, and both times the tire was flat as a pancake an hour later. Nobody had bothered to check the inside of the tire.

I was frustrated enough the second time around that while I was at the shop I bought the tools I'd need to change the tire myself. An inexpensive floor pump, tire levers, a couple spare tubes. I was glad - by the time I got home the tire was flat. I pulled up Sheldon Brown's website and followed his instructions and found and removed the foriegn object (a staple!) myself. It wasn't hard, but I did get a little greasy.

Right now that same bike is sitting upside down with no rear wheel. I was in an accident and have to replace it - and I'm strongly considering a wheelset that will take x25s. Why not, now that I know how to change a flat?

[Cari]

Okay i am in the process of buying 1st road bike... I've got it narrowed down to a couple of bikes. One of them has 700x23c tires..The other 700x25
thought i love the way the bike rides.i am afraid of getting flats. Is it inevitable? i am not mechnically inclined and will be riding solo a fair amount..

There's a neat article right here on the TE site that you may want to check out. It's called "Levers? Levers? We Don't Need No Stinking Levers!" (Although I'd invest the $2 in a pair of levers, if I were you. :P)

I use Mr. Tuffy and that has worked pretty well for me. I've also learned to be more careful about avoiding potholes as well as broken glass and other junk lying on the side of the road.

When changing the tube on the rear wheel, put the bike on the highest gear (that would be the smallest cog) before you remove it. That will make it easier to put the wheel back in once you're done. You never want to rest the back of the bike on the rear derailleur, so while you're changing the rear wheel, you should rest the bike on its left side or set it upside down. I personally find it easier to have the bike right side up when I'm putting the rear wheel back on, but that's a matter of preference.

If you don't already have one, get yourself a good sturdy floor pump (Topeaks are great) that can inflate tires up to 160 psi. Always inflate your tires shortly before you ride. At the high pressures recommended for road bike tires, they'll lose enough pressure overnight so that you'd have to fill them again in the morning anyway.

Also, make sure your spare tube is protected inside your saddle bag. I keep mine inside a thick Zip Lock pint-size freezer bag. Sometimes the stuff inside your saddle bag, like a multi-tool, can damage your spare tube and you'll never notice until you actually need the tube. I learned this one the hard way. Oh yeah, and that extra cash you carry in your saddle bag can double as a boot for your tire, so try to put a couple of nice crisp $1 bills in there.

Now go buy the road bike of your dreams.

Cari

[Running Mommy]

I must vote for the continental grand prix 4000's. I've ridden them heavily since April (including in Ironman AZ) and have yet to get a flat. Of course now I prolly jinxed myself!!

But yeah, you will get a flat at one time or another. All I can say is practice ahead of time at home so you'll be more comfortable doing it on the road.. Perhaps that has already been said,if so- sorry, I didn't completely read all the replies.

[Dogmama]

I like Conti's 4 season tires. My LBS said Conti's are the last of the pure rubber tire and that they are rounder than other tires.

I think Conti's wear out a little faster, but I love the way they grip the road with not a lot more rolling resistance.

[SadieKate]

I ride on 700X23 and my last flat was about 4000 km ago in the rainy months when the street shoulders are not cleaned very often and all the grit accumulates there.

OMG! You said this out loud???? You may need to go perform some kind of sacrificial rite.