Explained Road Bike Tire Sizes
As the width decreases there is less rolling resistance or friction and therefore is faster.
Explained road bike tire sizes. The table below lists most of the sizes of tyre that are likely to be found in the uk. These would usually be measured in inches 26 27 etc or millimeters 650 700 etc. 23c 25c and 28c their width in mm. Typical road bike tire.
Road bike tires generally come in three widths. Because of the high pressure and desired low rolling resistance road tires come in narrow widths. While you can find a variety of bikes with wheel sizes ranging from 16 to 27 5 inches the most common sizes include 26 inches 27 5 inches 29 inches and 700c. Common road bike widths in millimeters come in sizes ranging from 18 to 23 with a typical road bike tire at 700 x 23.
Note that the c does not stand for centimeters. As the width increases the tire will have more contact surface with the road making it more stable and comfortable. 700 x 32c indicates a tire that has an outer diameter of 700mm and a width of 32mm. The second smaller number is the tire s width.
Where you see a block of two or more compatible sizes having the same bead diameter you can assume that intermediate sizes exist that will also fit the same rim. Generally bike tire sizes are indicated with two numbers that correspond roughly to the outside diameter of the tire and the width of the tire. Finding the right inner tube depends on the size of the tires on your bike.