How do I know how wide my tires can be?

[nuliajuk]

You could always take the tires back if they're a little too big. As long as you don't actually ride anywhere on them. Frame clearance is the big one, but if your rims are really narrow you might be limited as well.

[goldfinch]

For determining what size tire can fit on your particular rim, there is a chart about half way down this page: http://sheldonbrown.com/tire-sizing.html

It is harder to tell what you might have clearance for on your bike. For example, my hybrid rims can accept tires as wide as 44cm and those tires actually will clear the frame if you sit and spin the tires. However, the tires actually rubbed on my front fork, probably when turning, wearing off the paint.

[Sky King]

here is another nice diagram from Schwalbe What tires will fit my frame They have some great FAQ's on their site. Again, what is the bike, many TE members will be able to help once you tell us the frame make and model

[IBrakeforPastry]

Thanks for all the charts and info. It's a Specialized Sirrus Elite. It's about 7 years old and at the time it was marketed as a road bike. I don't know if the newer models are the same. I recently bought a Cannondale Synapse (how would you pronounce that?) that I thought would be my new road bike, and I would use my Sirrus as my all-around bike. Now I'm having some doubts and second thoughts about my Cannondale, so I'm not going to do anything with the Sirrus until the spring, when I get things sorted out.

[Geonz]

That would be sin apps :-) (It's a connection; in biology, the connection between two nerve cells where messages get passed down)

[IBrakeforPastry]

Thank you. Would the accent be on the first or second syllable - or maybe somewhat equal?