Winter Commute Tyre Width

D!armu!d

I'm planning on getting a set of gatorskins for commuting in the rain & ice during the winter, changing from armadillos as they are a bit too slippy for that weather.
What would people recommend - are 25s sufficiently wide to grip the road in bad conditions or is it better to stick with 28s?

Lumen

D!armu!d wrote: »

I'm planning on getting a set of gatorskins for commuting in the rain & ice during the winter, changing from armadillos as they are a bit too slippy for that weather.
What would people recommend - are 25s sufficiently wide to grip the road in bad conditions or is it better to stick with 28s?

The recommended inflation pressure is the same (95psi) so I doubt it'll make any difference.

blorg

In practice you will be able to run lower pressures on the 28s so they WILL be a bit grippier. Continental's recommendations are only that, I would run different pressures front and back for example. It is just as wet in this country in the summer so I don't tend to vary size however- 25 is the largest I generally have and that is on my touring and commuting bikes. Only exception is ice/snow in which case 25 and even 28 is too small- you basically want as wide as possible in that case, 32 to 45 would be preferable.

rottenhat

Contis notoriously run narrow in any case, so I'd be inclined to go with 28s. But then, I ride 28s year round.

penexpers

I've been talked out of getting studded tires so I'm going to go with 40mm Schwalbe Marathon Extremes.

TheJones

Great advice from blorg, also use no larger than 25's during Winter although admittantly fit 'pave' tyres front and rear for the extra debris you find on particularly wet days and reduce the pressures as the weather worsens to increase the surface area in contact with the road.

@penexpers, if for road use then thank your friends for their advice, studded tyres are some expense for the handful of days you can justify using them in preference to a mtb tyre in Ireland but if mountain biking you may miss the extra grip they afford on a frosty day!

SerialComplaint

TheJones wrote: »

reduce the pressures as the weather worsens to increase the surface area in contact with the road.

I was running on reduced pressure yesterday after a puncture/hand pump scenario. If anything it felt like much less grip on the way home. On any fast corners, I could have sworn that the back wheel was going to slide away from me. Is this expected?

blorg

I think I know the sort of feeling you mean, especially on the corners. I think the key is you would still need to be running an appropriate pressure for the tyre- with a wider tyre you can run these lower pressures without it feeling wrong like that.

To an extent you can go a lower on slippy days (say by 10PSI) in standard tyres (and I would tend to) but you would not want to go below the manufacturers suggested minimum- with the hand pump you could have been WAY down in the 40PSI range or thereabouts (I know I often am after using a hand pump.)

TheJones

SerialComplaint wrote: »

I was running on reduced pressure yesterday after a puncture/hand pump scenario. If anything it felt like much less grip on the way home. On any fast corners, I could have sworn that the back wheel was going to slide away from me. Is this expected?

Read the above from blorg and again has hit the nail on the head, the importance should be placed on keeping the manufacturers guidlines with regard to min pressure, below this and depending on its width you run the risk of the tyre being pulled off your rim in a corner and at the very least, the effect stated in ur post with extremely poor/sloppy handling.

Check the information leaflet that came with your tyre or their webpage for pressure info and if possible 'unless you already have one', get hold of a track pump rather than a hand pump to keep your tyres at the correct pressure

SerialComplaint

TheJones wrote: »

if possible 'unless you already have one', get hold of a track pump rather than a hand pump to keep your tyres at the correct pressure

Thanks - Have one (Xmas pressie last year), but it's a bit difficult to carry it on the bike, so when I get a puncture in transit, it is back to the oul hand pumper.

blorg

You could also consider CO2, instant inflation to full pressure, great stuff... however a hand pump will generally get you home.

rottenhat

blorg wrote: »

You could also consider CO2, instant inflation to full pressure, great stuff... however a hand pump will generally get you home.

I know it's not cool, but lads...get a proper frame pump. No problem to get back up to 100+ psi with a Zefal HP-X or the Topeak knock-off thereof (the Roadmaster?). Beats toiling home on a tire that's half-flat and getting a couple of pinch flats on the way.

billyhead

D!armu!d wrote: »

I'm planning on getting a set of gatorskins for commuting in the rain & ice during the winter, changing from armadillos as they are a bit too slippy for that weather.
What would people recommend - are 25s sufficiently wide to grip the road in bad conditions or is it better to stick with 28s?

I have armadillos on my winter commute bike atm. Should I change these due to the icy and wet roads the winter weather is bound to result in? Are they really that bad?

biomed32

on the topic of winter commuting, i currently have continental gator skins on my racer at the moment which i plan on using to commute to and from maynooth, i live in blanch. would they be recomended

penexpers

billyhead wrote: »

I have armadillos on my winter commute bike atm. Should I change these due to the icy and wet roads the winter weather is bound to result in? Are they really that bad?

In my experience, yes they are.