Road Tire Width? x23? x25?

if you're just cruising and enjoying life on the bike, stick with the 25s. they'll give you a more cushioned ride over the harsh spots you encounter, and the weight penalty is not great.

That is the exact switch I made...from the 25 to the 23. Bearing in mind that my touring bike has vibration isolators in the forks and seatpost, I have not had any difficulty with the switch. My speed bumped up a bit, and the 23s have been reliable. I am on the 700X23C Michelin Pro Race, and intend to stick with it. My weight is about 205.

I put a 25 conti on the rear and a 23 on the front...Made all the difference in the world...soaked up all the lousy Michigan road shock

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by wbmorrison
Riding approximately 125-150 miles p/week, am about 210 lbs and riding a Ultegra equipped Lemond. currently have stock Bontrager Select 700x25's and am considering Conti GP3000 in either a 700 x 25 or 700 x 23. My questions: what appreciable difference will I notice going to a x23 width? I assume less rolling resistance, but how much comfort trade off will there be? Any inputs welcomed!

You will notice a differnce in rolling resistance. I went from x25 to x23 on a cro-mo univega. I now have a set of 150 PSI x20s for my new bike whenever it gets here. I don't know if I will stick with them for long (especially since the new Al frame will already be more harsh), but I figure I'll try them out.

I say stick with the 25s. My weight is close to your's. I have used 28s but have not had any problems with the 25s. My fellow heavy weight riders that use 23s have to be cautious to avoid a pinch. I bounce down gravel roads without a care. Yet to have a flat from anything other that worn tires, glass, ect...

If you were racing I would say the 23s would be worth the extra care they require. For me I would rather have the carefree 25s.

Eric

I did not notice any different in rolling resistance going to a 25c tire from a 23c