Road Bike Tire Measurements

Obviously the tires that came with my bike aren t ideal for road conditions and i was wondering what type and size of tire i would need as sizing is a little bit confusing.

Road bike tire measurements. How to master group rides. 29 x 2 3 indicates a tire with a 29 outer diameter and a 2 3 width. There was a time when most riders would opt for 23c tyres on the road pump the tyre pressure up to around 110psi for every ride letting out just a little air to provide extra grip in poor weather. So in this case the tire to the right is a 23mm tire.

700x25c indicates a tire with a 700mm outer diameter and a 25mm width. A third type of tire size might appear on either a mountain or a road tire. Unfortunately evolution of tires and rims has made these measurements lose contact with reality. A tire size you might see on a road bike.

A standard road tire is 700c x 23mm indicating a tire diameter of approximately 700mm and a width of 23mm. Because of the high pressure and desired low rolling resistance road tires come in narrow widths. Road tire sizes 700c. In most cases riders usually go with whatever bike tire that will come along or leave the task to the local bike shop when it s time to replace or upgrade a tire.

This size tire is very close to 26 inches in actual diameter. The letter at the end of a tire size is a throwback to an old french system when the letters a b and c designated different inner tire diameters it does not stand for cm. While neither are exact measurements every tire has its size printed or embossed on the outside near the brand name just like your car s tires. Take the photo to the right for example and you ll see two lines.

When it comes to choosing width there are two major factors at play. Road bike size chart. Assuming we re only talking road bikes you really only need to know what two of the numbers mean. Common road bike widths in millimeters come in sizes ranging from 18 to 23 with a typical road bike tire at 700 x 23.

The first number refers to the width of the tire once it s fully inflated. Here s how it works. 23c 25c and 28c their width in mm. A bike fit will also provide all your more detailed measurements.

A tire size you might see on a mountain bike. A step by step guide on how to fix a flat tire. Let s start with the 26 x 2 125 size that became popular on heavyweight balloon tire bikes in the late 30 s and still remains common on beach cruiser bikes. Remember to get yourself a 150 psi portable pressure detection electric bike pump after knowing the right tires to buy for your bike.

The size of the bike tire is one of the commonly ignored aspects among the casual riders.