Body weight & tyres

neris

Does your body weight affect the size of tyre you should be riding on? I have 700X23 on my bike and weight is 85kg. Feel a good bit of the time that the back tyre is soft even though the tyre is well inflated.

abcdggs

neris wrote: »

Does your body weight affect the size of tyre you should be riding on? I have 700X23 on my bike and weight is 85kg. Feel a good bit of the time that the back tyre is soft even though the tyre is well inflated.

Do you have a pressure gauge on your pump, if not i'd suggest getting a pump with one. Sounds like it's not fully inflated.

ednwireland

i'm just under a 100 kg and run 700x23 track pump and 110 psi in the back

(funny a friend bought a track pump and realized he was running 40 psi when he thought he had his tyres rock hard )

Mr. Grieves

The pressure is important. The correct pressure is influenced by your weight. According to Sheldon here: http://www.sheldonbrown.com/tires.html you should have around 120 psi in your rear tyre, for 23 mm tyre width and 50 kg load.

fenris

118kg and run 700x23 GP4000S @ 125 psi according to my BBB track pump, the tyres even manage to stand up to ocasional bunnyhops over stuff on the N11!

blorg

Yes basically the higher the weight the higher the min pressure required and if you are very heavy this can get ridiculously (too) high with 700x23. Heavier riders are better served with wider tyres and will have less punctures and buckles with them. They can also be run at a lower pressure and are more comfortable and offer better grip. 23s are reaally only for summer and racing IMO most road riders should be on at least 25s by default (there is NO downside beyond a tiny aero one that would only figure racing.)

I am 75kg myself and prefer 25s. Carrying a load touring I go even wider- on 35s now and would have gone wider if my mudguards would have allowed it- but that us loaded on rough surfaces. For unloaded normal road riding 700x25 or 28 if you are very heavy.

levitronix

Most clincher rims have an upper limit of 120 psi, but im sure theres a factor of safety built into them for going over the recommended pressure

Canis Lupus

I'm on 700*23c wheels @ circa 88kg. I pump both to 100 psi. Can't say I've ever felt my tyres were underinflated at that level.

Paul Kiernan

Somebody posted this before (Sorry, can't remember who but I hope I thanked you at the time as I've been using it ever since:)).

It seems to work out lower than Sheldons recommendations but I haven't (touch wood) got a pinch flat since I started following it.

LightningBolt

Sorry for bringing up an old thread. I'm currently 115kg-120kg though working back down. I'm currently riding on 700x23 basic road tyres. From reading this thread it seems like I might get a better ride if I was to switch to 700x25. If I were to go for a wider tyre is there anything I would have to do to the brakes or any other settings on the bike?

Bike will be used for commuting once back in the office so presume Gatorskins would be a good choice?

Finally, is there a certain track pump I will need to buy to inflate my tyres to the correct pressure?

Thanks for advice.

blorg

You don't have to change anything else moving to 700x25s, no. Any decent track pump with a gauge will do- Topeak Joe Blow is a good choice.

Donie75

I'm around 120kg and I started with an Aldi track pump and the standard specialized tyres that came with the bike. I used to get lots of punctures and I never felt 100% confident in the Aldi pump.
I bought a Bontrager track pump for €30 and a set of Conti Gatorskins. I went 23 on the front and 25 on the back and I run them at 110 to 120psi. I heard that a bigger rear tyre is good if you're heavier. I might try 25 front and 28 rear for the winter.
I haven't had a puncture since I bought these. I think pressure is very important as it prevents pinch punctures.

alexanderomahon

I got this pump from halfords. It has a guage and says it pumps to 120. I can't get it to go much beyond 100. I'm 93kg - 6ft. Should I get a different pump?

http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_storeId_10001_catalogId_10151_productId_700388_categoryId_165661_langId_-1?cm_sp=Intelligent_Offer-_-Product_Details_Zone_1-_-Blank&iozone=PDPz1

dx22

alexanderomahon wrote: »

I got this pump from halfords. It has a guage and says it pumps to 120. I can't get it to go much beyond 100. I'm 93kg - 6ft. Should I get a different pump?

http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_storeId_10001_catalogId_10151_productId_700388_categoryId_165661_langId_-1?cm_sp=Intelligent_Offer-_-Product_Details_Zone_1-_-Blank&iozone=PDPz1

I had one of those pumps and threw it in the bin just yesterday and bought one of these instead
http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_storeId_10001_catalogId_10151_productId_700512_categoryId_165661_langId_-1?cm_sp=Intelligent_Offer-_-Product_Details_Zone_1-_-Blank&iozone=PDPz1

The old one stopped gripping the valve after about 1000k of use and you needed to give it a good bit of effort to inflate beyond 100psi, the new pump is bigger, grips the valve better, has a less fussy open/close mechanism, and is very easy to pump up to 120psi. My new pump is only a few quid more but waaay better.

Captain Havoc

dx22 wrote: »

I had one of those pumps and threw it in the bin just yesterday and bought one of these instead
http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_storeId_10001_catalogId_10151_productId_700512_categoryId_165661_langId_-1?cm_sp=Intelligent_Offer-_-Product_Details_Zone_1-_-Blank&iozone=PDPz1

Pretty sure that's the same one I've been using for the last few years. Good pump.

spurscormac

blorg wrote: »

You don't have to change anything else moving to 700x25s, no. Any decent track pump with a gauge will do- Topeak Joe Blow is a good choice.

I have this one - Joe Blow Sport II
Its excellent, not much effort required to reach 120psi.

saa

Ah ****e I knew it,

bought a 15 euro basic pump, should have gotten one with a pressure gauge...

will begrudgingly go get one eventually..

recommendations around the 30 euro mark?

doozerie

LightningBolt wrote: »

Sorry for bringing up an old thread. I'm currently 115kg-120kg though working back down. I'm currently riding on 700x23 basic road tyres. From reading this thread it seems like I might get a better ride if I was to switch to 700x25. If I were to go for a wider tyre is there anything I would have to do to the brakes or any other settings on the bike?

Bike will be used for commuting once back in the office so presume Gatorskins would be a good choice?

Finally, is there a certain track pump I will need to buy to inflate my tyres to the correct pressure?

Thanks for advice.

Re fitting 25mm tyres to bike: check that you'll have clearance with the frame (or mudguards if you have them fitted). Remember that not only will the tyre be wider but it'll also be "higher" and it is the extra height that is perhaps more likely to push the limits of what your frame/mudguards can handle. I would expect most non-racing frames to be fine with 25mm tyres but my commute bike is one example of one that can't go beyond 23mm with mudguards in place.

As regards Gatorskins, I used to use the 23mm version for commuting but I eventually changed away from them as my (subjective) perception was that new versions were more slippy than previous versions. I've been impressed by my 23mm Maxxis Detonators for some time now, they've proved at least as grippy as Gatorskins and no more prone to punctures. ...so far! I'd go for 25mm if I could though and I'd expect grip to be a bit better again for both.

LightningBolt

doozerie wrote: »

Re fitting 25mm tyres to bike: check that you'll have clearance with the frame (or mudguards if you have them fitted). Remember that not only will the tyre be wider but it'll also be "higher" and it is the extra height that is perhaps more likely to push the limits of what your frame/mudguards can handle. I would expect most non-racing frames to be fine with 25mm tyres but my commute bike is one example of one that can't go beyond 23mm with mudguards in place.

As regards Gatorskins, I used to use the 23mm version for commuting but I eventually changed away from them as my (subjective) perception was that new versions were more slippy than previous versions. I've been impressed by my 23mm Maxxis Detonators for some time now, they've proved at least as grippy as Gatorskins and no more prone to punctures. ...so far! I'd go for 25mm if I could though and I'd expect grip to be a bit better again for both.

Thanks for that, I've a 2009 Lapierre (road bike) with mudguards so no idea if the tyre will fit. I'll have a fiddle with the bike and see if there's space to fit wider tyres. From looking at Wiggle Maxxis seem to do mountain bike tyres so it mightn't be much of an issue.