23 mm vs. 25 mm Continental Gator Hardshell tires

[rebeccaC]

nice blog sky

If you can switch the tires for just any difference in cost then I’d get the 25’s especially for a cross country ride. According to an online spec sheet the 2007 ruby pro came with roubaix pro’s 23 on the front and 25 on the rear. If you liked the roubaix’s then the conti’s should feel close.
I use 23/25 on my road bike for a little more positive feedback and steering in front and a little more surface contact where the majority of my weight is on the back.

Personally I like a more supple tire like my 23/25 Vittoria’s, even with there shorter lifespan, for long road rides, climbing and descending so I’m not a fan of gatorskin/marathon/armadillo types except for commutes or heavy touring. Even on my bike for light touring I use 25/25 Vittoria’s though.....i rode that on the week ride across iowa with no problems Lots of good choices for tires.

J When I take the front wheel off, the Grand Prix tires don't clear the brake pads freely, I have to push the tire through them.

cantilever brakes ftw with really wide tires ....and yeah play with pressure on the 4000's. I'll do that on a clip seal road and that along with my sevens design to help eliminate vibrations it helps a lot. ...wondering if the 4000's might be a good tire for a coast to coast on a ruby?

[Sky King]

RebeccaC yes, I too enjoy a more supple tire. Many tires for many uses For me, the rider of a touring bike and a 29+ for dirt - I look at thread count & tread pattern for starters. I also have folding tires (higher TPI) My very, very favorite tire EVER was the set I had on my 650B Rivendel - the Hetre from Compass (Jan's company) The downside was they too, were not at all puncture resistant. I had lightweight tire liners from spinskin in them but spinskin is no longer, they still rolled like no tomorrow and the flat issue went away. I suppose if I were riding through South America I'd look at the Marathon Tour or the Plus Tour and if I were a racer I'd go for something different. the DH loves his Panaracer T-Serv's for distance riding and rarely has had a flat.
Speaking of width and cantilever brakes - I had to let air out of my tire to take the Hetre's off of my Rivendel but it was worth it.
Cyclesome - we will all enjoy hearing about your trip. I know I live vicariously by reading about everyone's adventures.

[ny biker]

I had Vittorias once. They were like butter. Then I had a flat tire on a brutally hot day on the shoulder of a busy road with no shade anywhere. I was practically having a panic attack I was so desperate to get out of the heat. Changed the tube, pumped it up, new tube went flat. Fibers in the tire were sticking out of the hole and they punctured the new tube. We had to patch the tube and boot the tire with a dollar bill (which stuck in the tire and tore when I tried to remove it later -- never use a high denomination bill to boot a tire). Did I mention how hot it was out in the sun doing all of this? The friend I was riding with had to pick up his wife and kids at the airport that afternoon and he was late getting there because we spend so much time dealing with the tire.

And that was just one of the flats I had on that tire. I had another when I was riding on a trail alone at dusk. I could never get the tire back on the rim by myself so I ended up riding 2 miles on the rim to a bike shop for help, got there after they closed, stood outside looking pathetic trying to decide what my next move should be, someone in the shop saw me and opened the door and replaced the tire for me.

So I switched to Gatorskins and never looked back. I just don't have time for that many flats. Since then I was pleasantly surprised by the stock Bontrager tires that came on my current bike as well as the Mavics that came on the wheels I got a couple of years ago. I would have replaced either in a heartbeat if they had not been as puncture-resistance as they turned out to be. I only decided to try the Grand Prix tires after reading about them here and seeing some user reviews. So far they're okay but I'm prepared to go back to Gatorskins if needed.

Good thing there are lots of choices out there so we can all find tires that we like.

p.s. I should add that I would have bought another set of the Mavic tires, but my LBS didn't have them in stock and they did have the Grand Prix.

[north woods gal]

I'm another one who thinks that you need to pick your tires based on your personal situation and needs. For me, flat resistance has always been a primary concern. I'll gladly trade off a little smoothness and put up with a little more buzz and tire weight to get it.

For one, 99 plus percent of my riding has been solo, so if I get a flat, I am on my own. Oh, yes, I know how to fix flats out on the road and have done my share of them, but as I'm sure we all know, you always seem to get flats at the worst times. Changing a tube in the dark with just the aid of your bike light just isn't fun.

For another, I have lived in some serious thorn country (prairie states) where even thorn tubes, inner tube goop and thorn liners were no guarantee of not getting a flat. Soft, low tpi tires wouldn't last a week. Just because this isn't an issue where you live, doesn't mean you won't encounter these locations when you take off on your cross country ride.

For a coast to coast ride, a standard road bike with 23mm or 25mm or even 28mm would not be my first choice, anyway, but I'm lucky enough to own a number of different bikes and not everyone is. That, and plenty of folks have done such a trip with 23mm tires with no issues. Just a matter of taking a little extra care when riding.

[rebeccaC]

I too enjoy a more supple tire. Many tires for many uses .

On my road bike and because of the roads i ride on I get maybe one maybe two flats a year at most with a high TPI supple tire....and occasionally it’s been one that would have caused a tube to go regardless of the tire…..and logically, emotionally, psychologically and spiritually I see flat tires as just another part of a positive time while riding. Well that and I’m usually on a road with good views so taking a break is nice too… now having to replace a tire for wear sooner than most is the price I pay for a fast more comfortable long ride or climb and especially a more secure feeling taking corners on a long descent.

Now on my commuter I use heavy and stiff side walled 26 x 1.50 schwalbe marathons plus cuz I’m not crazy.

+1 on both 'many tires for many uses' and Rivendell..my Waterford sport tourer is my all time second favorite bike behind my seven.

[azfiddle]

I used 23mm gatorskins for a long time. My new bike came with some other kind of tires that were 26mm. Maybe I'm inattentive but I don't really notice a huge difference (or maybe it's because I spent so much time figuring out the brake and seat post problems.

However, I will mention that it's been much easier to use the folding tires than the the non-folding tires. I once spent 30 minutes at home trying to get new tires on and finaly took the wheels to the shop. My hands just weren't strong enough to get them over that set of rims. Or if you're switching out the tires anyway. They cost a little more but they are so much easier to handle.

[ny biker]

I think I mentioned earlier that the new Conti Grand Prix 25 mm tires where a tiny bit wider than the Mavic 25mm tires that they replaced, and I know this because the new front tire is slightly wider than the front brake pads so I have to push the wheel a bit to get it on and off. Well I shouldn't have been surprised on Saturday when I was getting ready to ride and noticed one of the brake pads had been knocked perpendicular to the way it's supposed to be. It was just a loose screw, and as I was at the start of a metric that was organized by my club, there was a mechanic there helping people with last-minute problems. So he tightened it and made sure it was positioned correctly. Then he adjusted the brakes to widen the brake pads a little. In hindsight, I should have done that myself when I first got the new tires. The brake pads were set pretty narrowly because I prefer them that way -- less pulling on the lever to stop on steep down hills.