Commuting Road Tyre Width

The Sparrow

I've just taken up cycling and I bought a Giant Defy 3 road bike to be used mainly as a commuter. Currently, I'm running 700x23 continental gatorskins but I'm wondering if I would be better with a wider tyre?

I'm not sure if it is the bike or the tyre but I feel every little bump and pothole come through the handlebars and it is very uncomfortable. Would a wider tyre make a difference or is it just something I have to get used to?

At the moment, comfort is way more important than speed for me whilst I get used to cycling.

quozl

A wider tyre lets you run a lower pressure which makes it much more comfortable.

I don't know what the maximum clearance on your bike is but I'd put on the widest smooth tyres as will fit while leaving room for mudguards.

I've got 28mm tyres on my commuter and my roadbike but many road bikes won't take 28s. I'd like wider on my commutter but my mudguards won't fit any wider.

Unknown Soldier

I have put a brand new set of Marathon Plus 32s on my commuter. They are grand, quite comfy and you can go over rough terrain, if needed. But I am getting a set of 25s next week as they should offer the same protection but more speed/less resistance. Plus I'd only have to have one type of tube with me for the 23/25 range when swapping to my road bike.

Are you wearing cycling gloves btw? They tend to help with vibration etc.

The Sparrow

Yeah I wear gloves but they are not very thick. I literally wince every time there is a bump and my hands are usually aching after half an hour.

Think I might go for these in 28:

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/ie/en/continental-gatorskin-road-bike-tyre/rp-prod18800

Anyone know where I can confirm whether a Defy 3 will take 28c tyres? I've googled and anecdotally it seems they might but I can't find anything official.

07Lapierre

I commute on 700x23's....there fine on my commute.

Pinch Flat

The Sparrow wrote: »

Yeah I wear gloves but they are not very thick. I literally wince every time there is a bump and my hands are usually aching after half an hour.

Think I might go for these in 28:

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/ie/en/continental-gatorskin-road-bike-tyre/rp-prod18800

Anyone know where I can confirm whether a Defy 3 will take 28c tyres? I've googled and anecdotally it seems they might but I can't find anything official.

Might want to look at posture / hand positioning as well. I damaged nerves in my hand (nothing to serious or long term thankfully) when I got back on the bike. Adjusting position helped sort it out.

I had 28's on an Scr, the defy predecessor, so it should be okay. Did you check the giant tech site - that should confirm.

Edit - per lapierre07 I use 23 Grand Prix with no issues on my commuter.

Unknown Soldier

The Sparrow wrote: »

Yeah I wear gloves but they are not very thick. I literally wince every time there is a bump and my hands are usually aching after half an hour.

Think I might go for these in 28:

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/ie/en/continental-gatorskin-road-bike-tyre/rp-prod18800

Anyone know where I can confirm whether a Defy 3 will take 28c tyres? I've googled and anecdotally it seems they might but I can't find anything official.

Are they padded cycling gloves though? I have yokes that have "gel pads" on the palms of them.

You can feel every bump in the road starting off but you just have to take it and every now and then stand up and stretch a leg, rest your bum, and get some feeling back into a hand, while freewheeling.

If you know there are certain sections that are sending back a bit of shock, perhaps lay your hands/palms on the bars rather than gripping them. Sometimes just using the tips of your fingers. Adjust to the terrain.

You will get more used to it! When I took my proper road bike for its first spin I thought my eyes were going to come out of their sockets

As for the 28s on a Defy, I did a bit of searching and some say yes but it depends on the make They won't take a Marathon 28 but the ones in your link are fairly smooth?

Worth noting though...a lot of the stuff I came across did however go into a whole thing about running on 25s but at 100psi rather than 115/120. Absorbs the shock much better, apparently.

[edit-] You could check their social media channels and ask them about the tyre sizes?

Darkglasses

I feel a lot more comfortable riding in the drops over bumpy surfaces, I think more of the shock gets dissipated over the whole length of the bar, rather than holding your hands directly over the front wheel.

Planet X

47mm. on my "Do it all Surly Disc Trucker", 26" X 1.75". Commute every day and did the Dying Light on these a few years ago. No issues.

browsing

I've a defy 4 and I'm currently running 23c gatorskin on the back and 23c armadillo on the front with no problem. Mine has a steel fork on the front though which could absorb road buzz better meybe?!?
A word of warning though, I've full length mudguards and I cannot get 25c's on as there isn't enough clearance when mudguards are fitted. You could probably get 25c's on with those mudguards that clip onto the stays/forks though I assume. Just to consider if you want to go for 25c's.

OldBean

Darkglasses wrote: »

I feel a lot more comfortable riding in the drops over bumpy surfaces, I think more of the shock gets dissipated over the whole length of the bar, rather than holding your hands directly over the front wheel.

I've always done the same, but assumed it wasn't the norm because noone else did.

Darkglasses

OldBean wrote: »

I've always done the same, but assumed it wasn't the norm because noone else did.

I do it cause Boonen does it :pac:

mirv

Are you sure you're not running too high a pressure?

Having taken up cycling recently you're mostly likely to have pumped the tyres up too hard (ie pumping to the max pressure suggested by the tyre sidewall), or have them at a rather low pressure due to not enough attention. If you're feeling every lump and bump then I think you're more likely to be the former.

Have a look at tyre pressure to bike + rider weight charts and lower your pressure accordingly I reckon. 23mm tyres aren't the most comfortable thing around, but you shouldn't be battered by a commute since you've got a decent frame and a carbon fork. A wider tyre will definitely help, but if you pump them up as hard then you'll lose any benefit from their extra width and volume.

Also, why are you cycling into potholes? You should avoid those things if possible.

NeedMoreGears

I swtiched from Rubino 23s to Zaffiro 28s on a Giant TCR for the winter. The 23s were fine but the 28s are more comfortable ; I run them about 5-10 psi lower (105 front, 110 rear for 73kg). They are a pain when taking off a wheel as they will only fit through the brakes when they are deflated. I don't have full length mud gaurds - just a rear one that clips to the seat post. The clearance between the rear wheel and frame is very tight. I doubt a mudguard would fit with the 28. I will go back to the 23s around Paddy's day for the "summer".

Jabel

07Lapierre wrote: »

I commute on 700x23's....there fine on my commute.

Me too, no real problems.
OP are you doing anything to negate the bumps such as lifting yourself
out of the saddle when necessary? This may sound obvious but it does
'soften the blow' so to speak. As suggested earlier try to avoid the nasty
ones if possible.

aFlabbyPanda

I went from 23 to 28 and found no difference to be honest. The roads I'm no aren't great and I was mostly getting pinch flats from potholes, etc. The new CX bike has 35s.

The Sparrow

mirv wrote: »

Are you sure you're not running too high a pressure?

Having taken up cycling recently you're mostly likely to have pumped the tyres up too hard (ie pumping to the max pressure suggested by the tyre sidewall), or have them at a rather low pressure due to not enough attention. If you're feeling every lump and bump then I think you're more likely to be the former.

Have a look at tyre pressure to bike + rider weight charts and lower your pressure accordingly I reckon. 23mm tyres aren't the most comfortable thing around, but you shouldn't be battered by a commute since you've got a decent frame and a carbon fork. A wider tyre will definitely help, but if you pump them up as hard then you'll lose any benefit from their extra width and volume.

Also, why are you cycling into potholes? You should avoid those things if possible.

Thanks everyone. I'm pumping both tyres to 100psi which if anything is lower than what I am seeing recommended for the combined weight of me and the bike. I'm quite tall (6'6) and I need to lose a few pounds so I'm definitely at the heavy scale of riders.

I have a full set of mudguards and there doesn't seem to be a lot of room for a bigger tyre so I may just have to get used to it. It's not that I am purposely cycling into potholes but I've been mainly cycling on the N11 and it seems ridiculously uneven.

browsing

There are some bar tapes you can get that have gel in them or extra thick ones so that might help too. I *think* you might be able to get something that you put down before bar tape either which might help. You might just get used to it either after in a while.

petethedrummer

The Sparrow wrote: »

I have a full set of mudguards and there doesn't seem to be a lot of room for a bigger tyre so I may just have to get used to it.

You won't get a 28mm tyre and a full length mudguard on to a Giant Defy. It has short drop brake calipers and there most likely won't be enough room.

You will most likely will be able to get a 25mm tyre + mudguard. But it might be wise to just buy 1 tyre at a time to test. Maybe take it to a local bike shop and buy the new tyre under the proviso that it fits.

cdaly_

petethedrummer wrote: »

You won't get a 28mm tyre and a full length mudguard on to a Giant Defy. It has short drop brake calipers and there most likely won't be enough room.

You will most likely will be able to get a 25mm tyre + mudguard. But it might be wise to just buy 1 tyre at a time to test. Maybe take it to a local bike shop and buy the new tyre under the proviso that it fits.

I have 25mm tyres with crudracer mudguards on a Giant FCR (same as Defy). Fit is a bit fiddly but works out fine.

petethedrummer

There is one solution so horrible you shouldn't look directly at it...... shield your eyes!

Hunterbiker

petethedrummer wrote: »

There is one solution so horrible you shouldn't look directly at it...... shield your eyes!

Why? Why did I have to click thst link? It needs a NSFAnytimeEver flag.

(I know someone who uses it on their Equalibrium disc does the job but...

mirv

Perhaps you have your saddle moved too far forward so that your weight is mostly on your wrists instead of balanced evenly between your bum and your wrists?

Regardless, running the widest tyre you can with mudguard clearance will help. You might be too much of a giant at 6'6 for those little 23mms! If you get crud roadracers or race blade longs, you might be able to run a larger tyre.

trev44

The Sparrow wrote: »

I've just taken up cycling and I bought a Giant Defy 3 road bike to be used mainly as a commuter. Currently, I'm running 700x23 continental gatorskins but I'm wondering if I would be better with a wider tyre?

I'm not sure if it is the bike or the tyre but I feel every little bump and pothole come through the handlebars and it is very uncomfortable. Would a wider tyre make a difference or is it just something I have to get used to?

At the moment, comfort is way more important than speed for me whilst I get used to cycling.

did the 28's end up fitting your defy.. ive a spare set of 28's and want to put them on my defy 2 (replacing the crappy factory fitted 23's) - no mud guards.

smacl

Darkglasses wrote: »

I feel a lot more comfortable riding in the drops over bumpy surfaces, I think more of the shock gets dissipated over the whole length of the bar, rather than holding your hands directly over the front wheel.

I do the same, and also lift my ass out of the saddle slightly which helps kills road buzz. Some of that South Wexford pavé around Admastown and Newbaun needs every trick in the book... Currently on 25mm Durano plus at 100 back / 90 front.