About Bicycle Road Tire. There are 700X20C and 700X23. What difference do you feel between them?

Answer 1

there is very little difference between them. It really comes down to the streets in the area you live in. If the streets are in good shape run the thinner tires. But if the streets are anything like the streets in los angeles run the 23s. Running either tire size just remember to check the pressure before starting your ride. Underinflated tires make riding harder. the skinny size also more prone to fall in cracks in the road.

Answer 2

Narrow tires were all the rage way back when but the nature of the tire required extremely high pressures. Unfortunately, the materials could not handle this and lower pressures were recommended. This lead to pinch flats and higher rolling resistances. A slightly wider tire with a higher profile resulted in lower pressure requirements and caught on quickly.

Even if you can safely contain the higher tire pressure, you now need to consider the type of surface you are riding on. A rough road will cause your narrow high pressure tires to bounce around. It will feel lively and fast but in reality, the tire is hitting little tiny "walls" which cause you to slow down. A wider and softer tire on a rough surface will conform to the features of the road easier and simply roll over.

You can conduct a simple experiment. Try riding your bike on a relatively smooth road with a good shoulder line painted on it. Alternate between the road and riding on the white line. You will notice a difference (of some degree) right away. A narrow tire at 160 PSI will feel beautiful on this white line but will feel terrible on the asphalt. The paint from the white line has filled in many of the imperfections of the road. A wider tire at 100 PSI will feel better on the road than the narrow one as it will conform to the road.

Track riders who go 'round and 'round in velodromes can use these narrow tires with silk casing because the surface is darn near perfect.

Now think about the kind of riding you will be doing. If you are time trialiing or touring then a wider tire may do you good. You don't want to waste your energy keeping your bike on the road (vs. bouncing). If you are doing a lot of climbing with grades of 6% or more then the amount of force holding you back due to gravity is probably a lot higher than any rolling resistance. A narrower tire is usually lighter. Lighter tires translate into less weight that will be lugged up hill.

I have experimented with all sorts of tires from 700x20 Veloflex to 700x21 Tufos to Panaracer 700x23. Don't worry too much about the width. You would better off getting a soft tire with a high thread count if you are willing to risk getting a flat more often although no air tire is puncture proof.

Otherwise, go cheap and get whatever tires are on sale and just ride until your legs fall off. You can only buy so much speed. The rest needs to be earned. Train hard. Ride harder.

Enjoy!

Answer 3

The difference you feel is comfort from bumps in the road.

The difference you don't feel is their ability to resist flats, punctures, etc.

20c, unless you are racing a long, flat race without a lot of turns and on REALLY good pavement, are not a great idea. The ride will be "harsher" and you have a greater chance of flatting.

23's are great. I'd even say give 25's a go. I rode 23's all summer and raced on them about 12 times. I just put 25's on my bike and LOVE them, you lose nothing in rolling resistance and you get even MORE comfort and cushion.

A recent test showed that higher pressure tires actually showed MORE rolling resistance because they "bounced" along the road instead of rolling smoothly. So 23's or 25's at 120 PSI is your ideal set up.

As an added note, most Tour de France riders run 23c tires (albeit tubulars) and 25's even, in some stages with harsher roads.

Answer 4

Yes, both will fit. The 2nd number is the width. 23c is fairly common on road bikes. A 20c is a narrow tire and will most likely give a harsher ride. The narrow tire will probably be more difficult to mount. Tire sizes vary from one manufacture to another, so a 23c may be the same as a 25c from another company. A tire of 23-25c will probably be a good choice. If you're looking for a little less performance and more comfort get a little wider tire.

Answer 5

I like the 700x23 tires. The one time I tried it, I got too many pinch flats witha 20 as the rear tire. If you want to be really aggressive, put a 23 on the back and a 20 on the front. The front tire supports less weight so you are not as likely to get pinch flats there.

Answer 6

20mm has less air volume, so it's going to feel rougher going over bumps. Narrow tires also tend to feel very slippery. With such a hard, narrow contact patch it only takes a small piece of debris to lift the tire up off of the road. I have a set that only get used for more or less straight time trials on smooth roads. I use 23mm for everything else.

Answer 7

20s are rarely used. I have tried them and don't like them at all. The ride seems much harsher, not as sure handling and they flatted more then 23s for me. I would never recommend them for anyone except a fly weight rider on smooth roads. 23s are used so much because they are as narrow as you get without adverse affects. Narrow doesn't mean faster - if you deform the tire too much due to weight and road conditions you create more friction not less.

Answer 8

I've ridden both for years.

If you're over 160 lbs forget 20's no matter what conditions your roads are in. Just forget it.

I remember noticing a big difference twenty years ago going from 25's to 20's but not so much when I went up to 23's (and I just bought a pair this weekend).

Go kevlar belted!

Answer 9

20c are harder to work with and ride much harsher. They also do not provide any rolling advantage over a 23c tire. Look at high end tubulars. They are mostly 22 or 23c.

Answer 10

20Cs are much lighter the 23Cs.

23Cs are more faster on flats because of larger surface area.

20Cs are good tires for climbing since it lessens the rolling resistance because of its weight.

23Cs need much more inflation pressure (around 150psi) then 20Cs ( around 125psi). When you get a flat, you have to pump with use of your protable handpump more on 20Cs.

20Cs can make you ride a little more bumpy than 23Cs.

20Cs look better on low profile wheels and frames.

23Cs look better on high profile wheels and frames.

For racing, some use 20Cs in front and 23Cs at the back.