23c v. 25c

DanBrodeen

DanBrodeen

Well-Known Member
How much difference in speed does tire width make on the road? I have 25c and wonder if my average speed would be higher by a mph or so with 23c tires. Also, what effect would going from 21lb to 18lb bike have? Yes, I need a new road bike.
 
I prefer the 25c or even 28c... I'm sure the racers on the board will elaborate in more detail on the topic of speed... I have heard this topic come up before and remember reading someone stating that unless they're racing they prefer the 25c... That said my guess would be there is some advantage in speed using the 23c
 
I have a set of 25 and 23. I can only notice the rice smooths out with the 25. i dont see a drop in speed. I'm also not a roadie, so what do I know 😛

I wouldn't stress about the tire width.
 
pearl said:
I have a set of 25 and 23. I can only notice the rice smooths out with the 25. i dont see a drop in speed. I'm also not a roadie, so what do I know 😛

I wouldn't stress about the tire width.
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My tires are nothing special, maybe a tire upgrade would help? Or am I just slow on the road?
 
more and more data is showing that fatter tires are faster that 23c tires since the absorb small bumps in the road so the rider can focus on hammering instead of bouncing around. You will also seeing variation in tire size between companys also. Conti's run big, so a 23 is more like a 25. So no, you will not see a full MPH didfference between the same tire in a different size.

Tire rubber compound makes a bigger difference. Going from a conti 4000 4-season to a regular 4000 makes you feel like superman and going to a pure race tire will make you even faster due to the low rolling resistance, but that comes at the cost of durability and puncture resistance. I highly recommend the conti 4000s tires. Lower rolling resistance than a 4-season but pretty damn puncture resistant and have a descent feel.

3 lbs on any bike is huge, amplified when climbing.
 
Funny, I just realized the other day that I have a 23c on the front of my road bike and a 28c on the back....if your not trying to squeeze every last mph out of your bike like perhaps in a race setting, I wouldnt worry about it. Nor would I worry about 22-18lbs. My old road bike was 22, my new one is 16.8...Im sure there is a difference somewhere, but I cant say I notice it. Maybe had I done some of the high gear A ride on each bike, I would have gotten dropped a little easier on the climb with my old bike? But thats a stretch. If you are just using the road bike for training, really I wouldnt be too concerned.
 
I've noticed that 3lbs on the bike has made a big difference espcially with climbing. I went from a 18.5 bike to 15.3 but it costs thousands to do this. Over the longer rides it seems to add up - maybe a mental thing as well. I've only used 23c but one thing I noticed on wife's bike , which has 25c is that the clearance on the brakes is tight to the point where I have to deflate the tire just to remove the wheel even with the caliper opened up....
 
i switched to 25c last year and like them...but like pearl, i'm not a real "roadie". you'd need one of them to chime in for a real answer.
 
Ya I should have added that to my post Dan, im someone who is happy riding my mountain bike on the road, so I should probably keep my mouth shut on this topic.
 
PortlandRider said:
How much difference in speed does tire width make on the road? I have 25c and wonder if my average speed would be higher by a mph or so with 23c tires. Also, what effect would going from 21lb to 18lb bike have? Yes, I need a new road bike.
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I've heard the same data arguments that 25s are just as fast as 23s. Short of pro level riding, I dont think any of us are good enough to see any speed difference between the two. I've always rode 23s, never had a problem, so I'll continue to do so.
And as mentioned, unless you're doing hill climbs, weight isnt a huge factor. I'd be more concerned w/ the type of riding you plan to do and get a bike suited to that style of riding.
 
I spend more time on the road than the MTB, and usually ride my MTB with higher air pressures so, FWIW... I have 25c on my "touring" road bike (i.e. heavier steel bike with triple up front) and 23c on my "racing" road bike (i.e. carbon & blingy with non-compact gearing). I LOVE my 25c Conti 4000 black chili compound tires, they are VERY comfortable and have a thick footprint despite the low weight. My 23c Michelin Pro 3s are good and feel fast, but not as comfortable. The carbon frame makes up for the difference so I never felt a need to mount a pair of Conti 4000s.

My guess is that when mounted on the same bike, the 25c could increase your average over a long run. I also feel that they grip better, but I suspect that is due to the wider footprint and softer compound on the Continentals (did I mention that I LOVE all of my Continental tires???) I truly believe the articles that say the 25c can result in a faster average over a long run due to comfort-enhanced stamina. I read in a few places that some pro riders have kept the 25c's on at non-cobble stages recently with success. On short rides, I give the 23c a nod for being "stiffer."
 
Chris(NJ) said:
I've heard the same data arguments that 25s are just as fast as 23s. Short of pro level riding, I dont think any of us are good enough to see any speed difference between the two. I've always rode 23s, never had a problem, so I'll continue to do so.
And as mentioned, unless you're doing hill climbs, weight isnt a huge factor. I'd be more concerned w/ the type of riding you plan to do and get a bike suited to that style of riding.
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I live in the Poconos along the Delaware and can't avoid hills. I'm working on a trade today with a guy on Craigslist. My Access XCL I built up for his 2004 Cannondale R600. Hope he goes for it! It's a big step up from my Windsor Bristol.
So I'm staying with the 25c and going to pick up some Conti 4000s.
I'm not concerned with racing but being able to cover more distance in the same time means seeing more scenery and it's also possible to compare yourself with other riders. I hear of guys I race against holding AVG speeds over 20mph while I'm only at 18.
 
There is one tubeless option out there right now that is available in 23c by Hutchinson... I am 205lb and run them at 100psi which is substantially less then the 120psi I would run on tubes... It does make a difference... Down side is that they are the only party in town and they make you pay for it, 80 small
 
Spencer the Kalmyk said:
There is one tubeless option out there right now that is available in 23c by Hutchinson... I am 205lb and run them at 100psi which is substantially less then the 120psi I would run on tubes... It does make a difference... Down side is that they are the only party in town and they make you pay for it, 80 small
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I thought the intensives come in 25? Pretty sure that is what I have. It makes a difference, but I am not sure the mess of fixing a ripped tire filled with sealant is worth it.
 
25c IDH

25c all the way.

I switched out my 23c tires when my friend at bicycle tech had a pair of 25c tires to try out.

Lower pressure = softer ride

&

larger circumference = better turns.

I'm 185 and run about 100psi f&r

Just sayin'

-r.fizzle
 
stb222 said:
Tire rubber compound makes a bigger difference. Going from a conti 4000 4-season to a regular 4000 makes you feel like superman and going to a pure race tire will make you even faster due to the low rolling resistance, but that comes at the cost of durability and puncture resistance. I highly recommend the conti 4000s tires. Lower rolling resistance than a 4-season but pretty damn puncture resistant and have a descent feel.
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love these tires... I too run the 4000s in 25c... different class of tire but I previously ran Hutchinson Intensives and Vittoria Rubino Pro's... the Conti's feel like a new bike...

stb222 said:
I thought the intensives come in 25? Pretty sure that is what I have. It makes a difference, but I am not sure the mess of fixing a ripped tire filled with sealant is worth it.
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the Intensives are 25c but the Atom and Fusion are 23c tubeless options as well...
 
I've been on 25s since I got my current road bike back in '06. I like that they absorb a bit more bite out of the road and felt they gave better traction while cornering. Not sure a noticeable speed difference would be there for most maybe an "A" rider or racer would notice.
 
Keep in mind that advertised tire measurements in both MTB and road are questionable at best. Even from the same brand. If a tire is advertising itself as light weight, it's probably narrower than posted.

In any case, 23 v 25 will only have an aerodynamic impact that would matter if you're pulling Lance like TT speeds. The real problem is many high quality tires with subtle casings only come in 23 sizes. Road is finally coming around to lower tire presures (though road low is like 90-100, not 20 psi).
 
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