I took my Hard tail Mtb for a spin yesterday, right after my fixed. The difference is insane. The transition between these two feels exactly the same as from a regular Mtb to a fat bike 😂. But also I really really REALLY enjoyed coasting on it and just riding over anything without really feeling it compared to the fixed gear where you feel anything you roll over. Even ants.
@@thepedlad7946 already did that. Didn't know what tires size I can ride on my 400 Euro Unknown SC-1 before, but after improving the fork (getting rid of some ugly welding spots that stuck out) I was able to go up from the stock 23c's to 28c's and now I even got a new fork in the mail so Im going to pump it up to 32c's. But that's going to be it. Can't get bigger in the rear. I'm already at the rear end of the dropouts.
I know you mostly cover fixed gear stuff but I ride a steel frame road bike bianchi from the 90s and I love your channel Zach. I use 32s and I love them they feel the perfect happy medium between wide and skinny. They are very comfortable and my bike is a blast to ride
I switch my 25c tires to 35c and at first I thought the 35c were going to be sluggish. Couldn’t be more wrong, not only could I ride faster with the 35c and more comfortably, but best part is my back and neck doesn’t ache anymore after a ride.
@Raphael Gallo still the same rims. As switching from a 23c to a 35c unsure, but according to my research, your rim should be able to handle a 28c tire.
@Raphael Gallo i ride 40s on a set of 16mm rims. You will be fine with 35 for sure! Don't settle with anything less and maybe don't go any bigger to stay safe in the corners
I think my city all-rounder fixie tyre is Continental SuperSport, 28. I love them. They are so smooth, got the grip, and city-fast. And puncture protected.
25c front and rear for the win in my opinion! Although, depending on the build, 28c looks great. I personally like the bumpy ride and the response of feeling everything.
Bike came with 23's and got a 25 for the rear after too many punctures. Rode like that for 2 years but it was a pain to avoid cracks, bumps and rough streets. Yes, they are responsive, but too much for my taste. 3 days ago I got a pair of Conti Ultra Sport 28's and I'm riding in heaven, the comfort is unmatched and I can enjoy the ride more. Yes, they provide more momentum, and that translates into slower launches but easier speed. I very seldom skid so I hope they'd last me for a good time. -A
Really great overview. Just picked up fixed gear cycling again after move to Vallejo, and got two front tire flats two days in a row. Started boning up on tires. Good luck in Taipei, thanks for this great video.
Moving from road 25C to gravel-ish 28C as we have loads of good, crushed stone/ gravel trails around Chicagoland. Excited to try them out. Thanks for the helpful pros and cons!
I'm currently on 28 c gatorskin in the front and Randonneur 28 c in the back for maximum fixie points. Randos are cheap, durable plus the red stripe is a badge of honor.
Years ago, I bought a used Trek 500 series that had 23s. I pop them the first time I wrote over the railroad tracks going into Old Sacramento. I replace those with 32 cyclocross tires and they work a lot better. Thanks for the video. And thanks for the my Sacramento memories.
I run 48cm Rene Herse Ultralight tires on my Crust Lightning Bolt single speed. Love that they work great on dirt as well as bad pavement, and they give a supple and comfortable ride.
I've been running 28c Panaracer Pasela PTs on my Fuji Feather (the biggest tires I can get on the bike), and I love them. They handle the limited amount of dirt I hit on my rides just fine. I've got 23c Grand Prix 4000 on my road bike, and those are great, but I'm gonna upgrade them to 25c some day. I've never been a fan of Gatroskins, though. My brother has those on his road bike and I just never liked how they felt.
i’m running 32c because i’m a bit of a heftier rider. i feel like when i hop off a curb with anything smaller the tire is gonna pop lol. in fact, speaking from personal experience
@@sour3000 its not that i dont worry about getting a flat i do but the ''hardness'' for me its like tire its ok and softy bigger ones i feel weird my mind its just used to harsh rides
I've ridden 28mm for a couple of years until Continental came out with the Grand Prix 5000 32mm. These are plush in comparison to 28mm's and the compound is very very fast. They are extremely grippy and climbing with them is a revelation. They just fly up hills, likely due to the extra width providing extra surface to drive off of. The rolling resistance of the 32mm is only a half watt more than the 28 which is the quickest. However they are actually faster at pressures below 80psi which is where I ride them at. Never below 60 and usually 75 psi is the sweet spot. In fact the 32 mm GP 5000's are faster than the 25mm GP 4000s II's at the same pressures and at every pressure. The 4000s II's which are amongst the fastest you can buy and were until recently in the top ten fastest tires (have now dropped below the top 15). Now the 5000's are in the top 5 fastest and the 32mm's are in the top ten with added comfort with way more protection given the extra rubber and width. Deflection is ridiculously low with low vibration. (Zach by the way, is speaking about deflection wrong I believe. High deflection is bad causing the tire to skip over surface irregularities, causing vibration and less grip and actually causes higher rolling resistance as each skid causes increased resistance. Low deflection is better. Zach just had it in reverse but what otherwise said was accurate.) Anyways I highly recommend the Continental GP 5000 in 28 or 32mm. I prefer the 32s. Much more comfortable, just as fast. I've put over 4000 miles on them so far and haven't had a flat yet and have only needed to pick out one piece of glass so far. I only have 1500 miles on the 28mm but it is much the same though they are less durable and seem to be wearing slightly faster. The 32's have no cuts very few abbrassions and I'd say are highly durable, again with not one flat. I have ridden them through in the dirt on medium trails on my single speed (I rarely ride fixed now, Single speed is faster. It just is). I've been through many sketchy roadways with lots of glass and metal pieces lying around everywhere and no problems. Again I highly recommend them.
Ive ridden 700c 23-25 mm for years. I recently bought a cheap mountain bike with 26 wheels and fat tires. I was surprised by how much more distance fat tires take up per peddle vs skinny tires.
700x35 Panaracer Gravelking SS on my TrackloCross. GP5000 in 700x28 on my track bikes for full on speed. 28 front & 32 Gatorskin on my fixed steel commuter. 25 front & 28 back VITTORIA CORSA G 2.0 for my Crit Machine.
I've never even seriously considered going fixed gear, but I love your videos. My road bike has 42s and my mountain bikes always have 3in, but still love the content.
I am currently getting Michelin Protek Max in 28cs right now, it's gonna be comfortable ride! Let's not forget the mention of my gear ratio, which is is 44/16! Spinning is winning.
Newer version of Continental 4000 is the 5000, though there was an in-between version called the 4000RS (sometimes discounted). You can get these up to 28mm wide.
My worst crash was also a RR track. The tire got swallowed up, and off I went. Fractured pelvis (which really hurts, BTW); cracked rib, broken wrist. Interestingly, though, I did learn that if you are lying in the road at 5:45 am in Germantown, TN, cars will drive around you. But I was riding a wide tire. That was a pretty big gap - and the track crosses the road at an odd angle. Many riders have fallen there.
I run 650b x 47 WTB Horizons, tubeless, on my Surly Steamroller, and it's incredible! I can ride anywhere, they are super smooth, and the grip is unmatched. Highly recommend 650b conversions for fixed gears, so you can max out the tire size.
Hey Jordan! I am planning a bike build similar to what you describe and am struggling to find a 650b fixed wheel set. I am thinking of building them myself but it would be my first and am still looking for options. Did your Steamroller come with wheels or did you make them custom?
I will tell you on my road bike I road 19mm 25mm and 28 mm tires and found 28mm the best On my other bike I road between 1.5 inches to 2 inches No there not fixed gears but I can tell you I one hundred percent agree with this video It makes 100% sense these pros and cons God the fixed gears look great I wish my local shops had fixed gears
I have a constantine drag fixie and I had 23c tires at first and changed to 28c tires and I love riding the 28c tires. Planning to build a tracklocross in the future
My feather came with vittoria zafiro on 25. I switched up to gatorskins on 28 (because i saw it on a flashy yellow bike).I feel enough difference since i ride on these wider tires improving comfort. I got a hard punch in the back wheel and the tire now feels bumpy, is like ride on bad pavement but is my tire (not my rim).
I always fit the fattest tire I can. The tiny amount of rolling resistance and increase weight for me is negligible compared to all the benefits of wider tires.
Larger tires have less rolling resistance at the same pressure. Rated pressure for 28’s is 85-95. 25’s are 115-125. 28’s and bigger have a lot of rolling resistance lower than 100psi. 25c is the fastest tire and isn’t a “dying size” at all.
The Grand Prix 4K have no protection and typically run wider than similar sized Gatorskins. Just an FYI to potential purchasers. I have 3T fork that maxes at 25c, I can fit 28c Gatorskins in there with minimal rub, while the 28c Grand Prix 4K rub a lot. It may have to do with the stiffness of the Gatorskins, but I prefer them for the protection.
I can't wait for this video. I'm currently running 23c thickslicks on the front(looks 25c inflated) and 25c gatorskins on the back. I'm thinking of running with 30c on the front and back but I don't know if my colossi Mondial track can accommodate those tires.
For the price of the higher end Wabi framesets, you could get a custom Chinese titanium frameset from Waltly or Titan. Or you could opt for the custom titanium frame and a carbon fork from Aliexpress. Point is you can go nuts with whatever dimensions you want, add a tapered head tube, T47 bottom bracket, zero toe overlap even with a midfoot position and 60 mm tires.
@BeboSaab I don't, but I do have a custom titanium allroad bike and hardtail mountain bike. They're pretty great, I used the free version of Bikecad to get the geometry, they use that to make you detailed drawings for manufacturing. It takes from a few to several iterations till you can give them the go ahead to begin making the frame[set]. I got the allroad frameset for 1150 USD shipped and the mtb frame for 930 USD shipped, although I would recommend just getting an Aliexpress carbon fork and use that for the geometry of the frame instead of paying more for a custom fork. It ain't cheap but it's not a bad price if you compare it to getting a local custom frame. You do have to make sure that you know what you want and to thoroughly check the drawings they give you, because they'll make whatever is on there even if it's a bad idea. Their English is quite acceptable. www.spanner.org.uk/ This is a blog about custom Chinese titanium frames, the guy offers guidance for a price. But that's not necessary, the blog does have useful information. I didn't know of the blog till after I got the first bike.
I recently just refilled my tires, I don't know the PSI, but I think I maxed them out. The ride is AMAZING. The bike feels more solid, and stable at high speeds, and it feels much, much stiffer, but I absolutely love it.
23c-25 has a less contact from the tire to the pavement. Wider tires like 28c-38c has a higher contact of tire to the pavement which is why you can feel slow on a wide tire than a skinny one
its not just about the tyre width but also the tread thickness. some tyres are simply thicker than others. most race tyres are super thin and arent meant to be ridden for months on end. there are some good 28/32 tyres with proper thickness that offer a good mix of both. the only problem i ever have is the profile. the profile can cost you alot of rolling resistance but is fundamental in wet conditions. so the real question is wet vs dry and how much air pressure depending on what kind of surface you plan on riding.
After 150k km and any types of riding and dozens of different king of bike i may say... The best tire is changing all the time depending on your surface conditions, your skill and what want to do. There is no single 'one' tire. But high end class tires always feels good, nothing but the best is needed.
Hi! Thank you for this information. You are exactly what I was looking for. I have a fixie, used to ride in the city. Move to the woods, road are gravel and I made a trail around the property. Gravel, wood sticks, acorns everywhere, I figure to retire the fixie since I never knew I could change the tire. Excuse my ignorance, this bike was a gift a while back to go group city bike rides. I have no idea yet, about where to measure to find a non skinny tire for my bike. I’d appreciate if you or anyone with experience would be so kind to help me. I want to ride my fixie on the trail. Thank you. ☺️
My go to for tires fg are 25mm Schwalbe Marathon Plus because I hate flats. Got them anyway. So, I switched to 28mm and haven't had a flat since 2008 on my fg.
I'm currently using 32mm Bontrager tyres on my old framed single speed that I'm work with as a delivery guy and also commute everywhere with, and I really would want to use 28, or even 25mm tyres, but roads in my city are in really bad quality, the old town is filled with historic cobblestone and I'm scared it wouldn't give me any real benefits since I'm alredy scared to go in bigger speed throught bumps and pothols. I consider trying 30mm tyres, as many modern fixed framesets allow this size as biggest possible, but I'm also thinking about changing it to more comfortable 35mm tyres possibly with some tread on sides, since I have room for them and my machine alredy isn't the fastest. Ach, problems, I probably should just try both sizes.
I have narrow wheels (622x14), even 32mm look on them like a light bulb, so I'm not sure about getting even wider tyres, they wouldn't settle goodly on such slim rims. When I change rims the next gonna be wider, so i'll consider getting 35mm tyres. I'm not really the super strong cyclist, even when working I only cycle for about 7 hours a day and on 2.69 (43x16) gear ratio, so easier ride and benefit from narrower tyres gonna be appreciated.
I'm thinking about wider rims but also 30mm tyres; supposedly wide rims give more comfort and cussioning. 40x18 is only 2.22 ratio, that's super low for my taste, you're not annoyed from getting feeling of owerpedaling? I'll consider something less than 2.40 only for MTB or commuting in super hilly town.
Is there an easy way to check how wide a tire your bike can fit? For example measure the distance between your rear seat stays and minus 10mm for clearance. Or measure the space available inside the front rim to the bottom of the brake caliper. Its a generic track frame with horizontal dropouts. I have 23mm on the bike with a bunch of space possibly for 32mm or 36mm. I would like to be able to ride on a bumpy paved bike trail with a 2 mile gravel causeway on one end. Overall it would turn a dull heavy frame into a solid comfortable 4 season bike. How do Thick Slicks do in Rain/slushy weather?
I would just say go to your local bike store or even more preferably a co-op with your bike and ask them to let you try a different size to see how big you can fit. Every coop I’ve ever been to has been super cool about letting people borrow tools and fix things yourself so you probably shouldn’t have an issue. Especially if your going to actually buy one.
The Trick to stopping flats with skinny tires is TUFFY liners- I ride 700 x 16c. Fast as hell but You feel EVERY CRACK especially when you use clipless(Those metal plates in the shoes) feel the road like nothing else.
That resistance against sharp object damage that Schwalbe Marathons have comes from 5 to 7 mm extra rubber thickness and not from extra width. So called "Unflatable Technology". Primitive but effective. Thick tyre with thin rubber will puncture as easily as anything.
Running 32c 4seasons black on my geared bike and 28c ultra sports ..pretty fast, and besides popping them bunny hopping nearly never get a flat. Medium is the best imho.
I'm kinda sick of punctures on my 25c. And i'm looking forward to get a 32c. I assume those should be more protective against little rocks and stuff. Am i right?
Likely, It depends on your rim width. So yes it matters. If your rim bed is narrow, with wider tires, you'll get increased lateral deflection causing roller over in high speed turns which causes highly unstable steering and can cause possible tire failure. If your exterior width is 21mm or less your interior is likely 15 or 17mm and so the largest you should ride at 17mm interior rim width is a 28mm tire. If it's 15mm interior, the largest is 25mm. Also your air resistance suffers with too large a tire on narrow rims. My advice is to find a rim that is at least 19mm interior width, preferably 21mm interior width rims and put 32mm tires on those. My recommendation is the Continental Grand Prix 5000's at 32mm. The 28mm's are good too but the 32mm are more comfy, climb better and are only slightly less fast and they are very very fast. Zach likes super plush tires at above 36mm going as far as 42mm, but they are just way too slow for me. I've tried them, but no. Big difference in speed, both acceleration and top end.
James McClellan do you work for Stan’s? All of that only matters if you’re tryna use low-as-possible pressures on big-for-pavement tires. Look at 90s-00s mountain bikes. Racers whose income depended on being the fastest down the hill, and definitely requiring their equipment to not fail on the way through the track had... fat tires on skinny rims. Are wider rims better for low pressures in medium width tires on pavement? Yes. Are wider rims necessary for going from a 25c (0.98” width) tire up to a still dinky lil 32c (1.26” width) tire? No.
To me compound is more important then width, not many 23,s actually measure 23 once mounted, for a commuter tire it’s hard to beat the specialized turbo 26x700 they are almost impossible to flatten, got over 3000 miles on 2 dif sets zero flats so far, panaracer pasella is a hard tire to beat if your on a budget they roll nice grip decent and are puncture proof, have tryed almost all the tires on the market, there is only 2 brands that I use conti and specialized rubber, Victoria makes a decent product as well Rubino is decent for the price
Surly steamroller*** i love my bike. My only complaints are that it doesn't have canti mounts or rack mounts. I have a ss/fixed crosscheck as well but its way slower handling. I may throw on some wide risers to the crosscheck because it may just be that im running drops
I absolutely shredded my gatorskins after less than 1000km and I don't even skid that much, literally patches between 1 and 3 centimeters just delaminated entirely from the core of the tire I'm quite hesitant to buy another one
He talked about the track lord and he doesn’t like it they don’t have track geometry and it has an ugly seat clamp and an impractical seatpost and it’s too flashy
