Moving up from 32 tires to 38/42 - how much of a difference?

Trips, adventures, bikes, equipment, etc.
Post Reply
bisikletci
Posts: 24
Joined: 30 Sep 2014, 4:28pm

Moving up from 32 tires to 38/42 - how much of a difference?

Post by bisikletci »

Hallo,

Firstly let me say I'm new to both the forum and cycling, so apologies if this question doesn't make any sense, is on the wrong sub-forum (it's not a mountain biking question but it is related to going off-road, so I though this would be the best place) or what have you.

I recently bought a hybrid bike (Ridgeback Velocity 2015) for commuting, and am very happy with it so far as a commuting/road bike. I've also increasingly started using it for leisure rides on the weekends as well and have found a route that I like a lot; however some of the route is on a couple of miles of very badly maintained towpath (theoretically paved, but in practice just a mess), and I find cycling on this section quite bumpy and jarring. Another part of the route is a dirt and gravel track through a park; while riding the bike on this is comfortable enough, I've noticed my bike skidding a bit on the track (this may be more my riding skills than anything else). A friend suggested putting thicker tires on my bike in order to both make it a more comfortable ride on rough surfaces as well as hold better to dirt tracks and the like. The bike came with 32 tires; however I think I can go up to 38 or possible even 42. My question is, how much of a difference do you guys think putting on thicker tires would make? In particular, how much more comfortable would it make riding on the rough path? Is it worth it or is the difference not going to be particularly noticeable? Is there anything else I can do other than changing tires to address these issues?

Also, if you think it would improve my ride in these respects, are there any particular tires you'd recommend?

Many thanks.
Bicycler
Posts: 3400
Joined: 4 Dec 2013, 3:33pm

Re: Moving up from 32 tires to 38/42 - how much of a differe

Post by Bicycler »

The cheapest thing to do is to experiment a bit with tyre pressures. If you generally just pump tyres up to the maximum pressure on the sidewall then one or both tyres are probably overinflated. If tyres are overinflated then the ride will be harsher and the tyres will grip less effectively. This document explains the science and recommends pressures for general road use: http://www.bikequarterly.com/images/TireDrop.pdf Mountain bikers or those riding rough surfaces often go for even lower pressures but for a mix of on and off road you have to find a happy medium between on and off road performance.

There is quite a bit of extra air in a 37-42mm tyre so otherwise identical wider tyres should be noticeably more comfortable (again, at the right pressure which will be lower for the wider tyre). I tend to go for the biggest tyres that will fit my 700c bikes whilst still leaving some gap between the tyre and mudguard.

Tyres are the main thing which can be changed to suit terrain. Some people find that suspension seat posts provide a worthwhile increase in comfort over bumpy terrain and some of those can be bought relatively cheaply.
User avatar
andrew_s
Posts: 5795
Joined: 7 Jan 2007, 9:29pm
Location: Gloucestershire

Re: Moving up from 32 tires to 38/42 - how much of a differe

Post by andrew_s »

As far as wheels are concerned, for comfort you want the lowest tyre pressure at which you don't get pinch punctures (aka snakebites) when you hit a rock or pothole. Bigger tyres allow lower pressure, and hence more comfort.
Better quality tyres with lighter, more flexible sidewalls will help a little too. Vittoria Voyager Hyper are good (37 or 40), but they are slicks and not too good on muddy sections or loose gravel.

You can also gain comfort by "riding light" for the worst bits - freewheel, hover just off the saddle by an inch or two, and a light/loose grip on the handlebars. It's too tiring to try it pedalling for very far, but can make quite a difference for short sections.
bisikletci
Posts: 24
Joined: 30 Sep 2014, 4:28pm

Re: Moving up from 32 tires to 38/42 - how much of a differe

Post by bisikletci »

Hi Andrew and Bicycler,

Just to say many thanks to both of you for your replies, they're a great help.

B
Bikefayre
Posts: 176
Joined: 1 Dec 2014, 3:36pm

Re: Moving up from 32 tires to 38/42 - how much of a differe

Post by Bikefayre »

Try fitting the new Schwalbe Winter not the Marathon version. This will work happily on the road and the winter tread will give you that extra traction. Somewhere between a standard hybrid tyre and a full winter. Have done this with the now discontinued Schwalbe Snow Stud and find it works well on rough muddy broken estate roads within castle grounds.
Bicycler
Posts: 3400
Joined: 4 Dec 2013, 3:33pm

Re: Moving up from 32 tires to 38/42 - how much of a differe

Post by Bicycler »

Bikefayre wrote:Try fitting the new Schwalbe Winter not the Marathon version. This will work happily on the road and the winter tread will give you that extra traction. Somewhere between a standard hybrid tyre and a full winter. Have done this with the now discontinued Schwalbe Snow Stud and find it works well on rough muddy broken estate roads within castle grounds.

The Snow Stud was a bit of a different animal. More heavily treaded but with its studs on the side. Its benefit was that it could be pumped up and run on the non-studded centre in good conditions, or let down a little allowing full stud contact in icy conditions. This made it an interesting option for those with one bike and no desire to swap tyres around. The greater tread meant that they were okay in mud too. they were an interesting, if heavy, all-rounder - a bit of a jack of all trades, master of none. They are still widely available online including here: http://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/TYSCSNST/s ... wired-tyre

The plain Schwalbe Winter has studs in the centre of the tread so you are getting the full on studded tyre effect all the time. Personally if I was buying a studded tyre I would like some studs at the side. The only reasons I can think of for buying these over the Marathon winters is that they are cheaper or you require a size which the Marathon isn't available in (eg. 700x30c).

As the OP wasn't asking about winter tyres I'd be more inclined to point them in the direction of a treaded tyre like the Land Cruiser or a proper semi slick if they wanted more traction on muddy towpaths all year round.
Post Reply