Bike tires and wheels

[dodojojo]

Long story short, I used to bike a lot but have slacked off the last 3-4 years.  I used to have a beater mountain bike that I bought off Ebay for $40 and I would use it in the winter.  The bike fell apart and it was 'gotten rid of.'

My road bike uses 700X25 tires.  When its winter and a bit icy, I prefer riding wider tires.  I'm not keen on buying another mountain bike.  It's not so much the money--I'm just too lazy to go through the Craigslist and Ebay process.  Plus, I don't have space to store a 2nd bike.

So...is it possible to mount a wider tire on my road bike wheels?  If it currently takes 700X25C, can I try 28s?  Or even 32s?  Or do I have to buy new wheels?

If the answer is new wheels, then I guess I'll have to put the work in and find a good deal on another beater bike. 

[La Bibliotecaria Feroz]

I don't know how wide you can go, but my son is currently tooling around on a 16-inch bike that has two and a quart inch tires on the back and one and a half on the front, on the same wheels :-). LBS said it was the closest they had and that it would work.

Anyway, I was just going to point out that you might want to consider studded tires instead of or in addition to wider ones. I just got one for the front (I have a hybrid, so on the one hand my tires aren't that skinny, but on the other hand, I am very uncoordinated) and it made a huge difference.

[dodojojo]

Studded tires was my first thought but from the little research I conducted--they aren't available at the 700x25 size.

Also studded tires may be a bit of overkill as I'm in Maryland.  Defo would consider it if I was further north.  Still, I'm from Southern CA and after a decade here, I still waddle very, very slowly on icy days.  I don't understand how people can go running!  As you can tell, I don't get out much in the winter and I'm kinda looking for ways to keep biking (even for a little bit) when it turns cold.

[gooki]

Your wheels will be fine.

[GuitarStv]

Measure the inner rim width of your wheels.  Then check Sheldon Brown's handy little chart here:

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/tire-sizing.html#width

The odds are that you'll be able to fit wider tires.  The real question is whether or not your frame will be wide enough to accommodate the larger sizes.


When you say you want to ride in the winter, what kind of winter are you talking about?  If salt is regularly used where you live, it might be worth getting the cheaper bike because winter rides will be hard on your nice bike and components.

[BikeFanatic]

So...is it possible to mount a wider tire on my road bike wheels?  If it currently takes 700X25C, can I try 28s?  Or even 32s?  Or do I have to buy new wheels?

You can likely fit up to 35 size wheels, but I have found on both my road bikes that there is just not enough clearance for the studded tires. I bet a bike shop will take the Tire back if it doesn't fit.

you say you want to ride in the winter, what kind of winter are you talking about?  If salt is regularly used where you live, it might be worth getting the cheaper bike because winter rides will be hard on your nice bike and components.

plus ten on that comment. I ride all year every year in new England and I burn through a wintermountain bike every 2-3 years.

[Syonyk]

Studded tires are entirely awesome for anywhere that gets a good bit of ice in the winter.

The sudden silence when the studs dig into black ice you had no idea was there... yeah.  Beats the alternative of sliding along the black ice.

But, yes, a dedicated winter bike might be a good idea.  You might want to consider something with an internally geared rear hub as well, since that'll actually keep working in the snow and ice, and not take nearly as much damage from salt.

[GuitarStv]

You won't have problems at all using standard derailleurs in temperatures down to -30 (colder if you count in windchill) and below.  They work very well as long as you keep your cables lubricated to prevent water getting in the line and freezing things up.  The beauty of cheap standard parts on a winter bike is the cost when parts wear and are destroyed.  Swallowing a couple hundred+ dollars to rebuild an IGH rear wheel that's been rusted out is a harder pill to swallow than 20 - 30$ for new front and rear derailleurs.

EDIT - also forgot . . . when you get a flat with your IGH it'll be much more of a PITA to fix on the side of the road.  Believe me, with your balls freezing off in the winter changing that flat is already enough of a PITA.