Buying Tires

Terry Cook in Steubenville, Ohio is using quite large tires at the moment and is looking to get some a little bit thinner and with a bit more performance than the 700 x 38 that he is using. He would like to hear our suggestions on tire choices.

Question:
I am interested in riding more distance. I have a Trek 7200 with 700x38C Nimbus Tires with tread for riding street and gravel. I want to ride distance on asphalt trails or concrete roads. Do I want TOURING tires and will these make it easier to pedal? I think I need the smooth tire with the little bit of tread for the rain? I want to buy two tires, tubes, and rims, what do you recommend. Please include SIZES…

Thank You, TERRY.

Hi Terry.

Yes, your 700 x 38’s are a bit on the large side and will cause some tire drag when on a ride. A narrower tire with, as you said, a smooth section will feel faster and give your bike more performance.

Depending on your local road surfaces I would look for 700 x 25 or if you think you would get away with it, 700 x 23’s, the difference from the 38’s would by quite noticeable. As to inner tubes; just go for the normal black butyl ones as these are cheap and do the job, if you want to save a little weight you can use the more expensive latex tubes, but there really isn’t any point.

You say your also looking to buy new rims, so are you intending having your wheels re-built? There are many different rims available, Mavic probably make some of the best on the market, get the best you can afford. Maybe a new set of wheels would be a better option? Check out our other questions and reviews on those.

Which tires to get? Well there are loads of tires and in different areas of the world some are more popular and more available than in other areas. Also some tires are more suited to your particular road surface, be it rough with sharp stones or the smooth surfaces that are used in hot areas. The best thing to do is to take local advice from other riders and the shops. My personal favourites are Hutchinson, Michelin and Continental; these manufacturers make high performance and hard wearing tires for all different uses.

I hope this all helps you make your choices.