Some very narrow 700c CX tyres needed
Discussion
My wife has a Whyte Carnaby. It's a lovely flat-bar city-bike but since we bought her a carbon Ribble road bike, the Carnaby only gets considered when we go for a trail/towpath ride.
I don't want to buy another bike specifically for this, so I'd like to fit some tyres with a bit of tread to the Carnaby. I tried a pair of Continental CX tyres but they were too tall to fit under the fork bridge. They fit on the rear OK.
The problem is best described with a pic:
Are there any CX type tyres that are relatively narrow? I can't tell you what width the rims are but the tyres on it at the moment are 28mm. I think the Conti CX tyres I tried were 33mm. I suspect if I can get narrower tyres, they may clear the height. Is it right that narrower rims make the centre of the tyre project "higher"? Seems right in principle if you consider how a U-shape would behave in that situation however the distance around the centre of the tyre would need to grow to accommodate this type of change, surely?
I'd appreciate some guidance, with thanks.
I don't want to buy another bike specifically for this, so I'd like to fit some tyres with a bit of tread to the Carnaby. I tried a pair of Continental CX tyres but they were too tall to fit under the fork bridge. They fit on the rear OK.
The problem is best described with a pic:
Are there any CX type tyres that are relatively narrow? I can't tell you what width the rims are but the tyres on it at the moment are 28mm. I think the Conti CX tyres I tried were 33mm. I suspect if I can get narrower tyres, they may clear the height. Is it right that narrower rims make the centre of the tyre project "higher"? Seems right in principle if you consider how a U-shape would behave in that situation however the distance around the centre of the tyre would need to grow to accommodate this type of change, surely?
I'd appreciate some guidance, with thanks.
Theses look to have a lower profile than the Pros
http://www.tredz.co.uk/.Schwalbe-CX-Comp-700c-Cros...
http://www.tredz.co.uk/.Schwalbe-CX-Comp-700c-Cros...
I had similar issues with an old steel road frame I wanted to 'beef up' for some by-way, bridleway, and gentle trail exploration.
That one currently has 23mm Conti Gatorskins. Previously (until I completely wore them out) it wore 28mm Conti GP 4Seasons.
I had some Continental TourRides off a commute bike my wife wrote off, but they were either 37mm or 42mm (the size written on the carcass is under the reflective strip and only partially moulded so as to be unreadable, but it looks like 42mm to me). They fit into the frame, but were not free to spin, too big to the point of not so much rubbing on the frame, as "stuck fast". So much for saving money by re-using tyres I already had!
So I had a similar problem, and didn't find a definitive solution. I'd seen a few 'Challenge' brand CX tyres, but they all tended to be 33mm width. I was loath to spend ££s on them to find I had the same issues as with the TourRides.
I felt I'd be safe up to about 30mm, so I'd considered the Challenge 'Strada Bianca' and 'Eroica' open tubular tyres as a potential solution. More of a 'road' tread pattern, but designed for gravel racing so might be OK on gentle, non-muddy trails? My steel bike is currently awaiting funds for a frame repair, hence why I got no further than 'considering'.
You could do worse than have a look at 'Compass' tyres too. I was made aware of them by another PHer, and they were high on my list before I had the frame mishap. Available from Velo Vitality in Brighton... https://www.velovitality.co.uk/collections/wheels-... ...have a look at the Chinook Pass (28mm) or Stampede Pass (32mm).
The problem though, with all my suggestions, is the lack of a more 'aggressive' tread pattern. These tyres are made to cope with gravel roads, and to be good on sealed surfaces, but there's a distinct lack of tyres with tread that looks capable of biting into softer mud at this size. If that's what you really want, all roads seem to lead to Schwalbe 'CX Comp' or 'CX Pro' in 30mm size, or Panaracer 'Cross Blaster' in 31mm width... http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/panaracer-cross...
Good luck. And let us know what you go with and how you get on with it!
Also, as an afterthought - don't write off 28 inch tyres. Have a search for 28 inch CX tyres, as the important bit is the ISO size. 700c rims are 622, so check for (width in mm)-622 in the description. Even if sold as an imperial 28 inch size, a tyre with '622' as it's metric size should be compatible with 700c wheels. See the size guide on the Continental website for an example... http://www.conti-tyres.co.uk/commuting-touring/tou... ...whereas some other tyres labelled as 28" will be (width in mm)-635, and almost certainly will NOT fit! I hope at least some of my ramblings assist in some small way.
That one currently has 23mm Conti Gatorskins. Previously (until I completely wore them out) it wore 28mm Conti GP 4Seasons.
I had some Continental TourRides off a commute bike my wife wrote off, but they were either 37mm or 42mm (the size written on the carcass is under the reflective strip and only partially moulded so as to be unreadable, but it looks like 42mm to me). They fit into the frame, but were not free to spin, too big to the point of not so much rubbing on the frame, as "stuck fast". So much for saving money by re-using tyres I already had!
So I had a similar problem, and didn't find a definitive solution. I'd seen a few 'Challenge' brand CX tyres, but they all tended to be 33mm width. I was loath to spend ££s on them to find I had the same issues as with the TourRides.
I felt I'd be safe up to about 30mm, so I'd considered the Challenge 'Strada Bianca' and 'Eroica' open tubular tyres as a potential solution. More of a 'road' tread pattern, but designed for gravel racing so might be OK on gentle, non-muddy trails? My steel bike is currently awaiting funds for a frame repair, hence why I got no further than 'considering'.
You could do worse than have a look at 'Compass' tyres too. I was made aware of them by another PHer, and they were high on my list before I had the frame mishap. Available from Velo Vitality in Brighton... https://www.velovitality.co.uk/collections/wheels-... ...have a look at the Chinook Pass (28mm) or Stampede Pass (32mm).
The problem though, with all my suggestions, is the lack of a more 'aggressive' tread pattern. These tyres are made to cope with gravel roads, and to be good on sealed surfaces, but there's a distinct lack of tyres with tread that looks capable of biting into softer mud at this size. If that's what you really want, all roads seem to lead to Schwalbe 'CX Comp' or 'CX Pro' in 30mm size, or Panaracer 'Cross Blaster' in 31mm width... http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/panaracer-cross...
Good luck. And let us know what you go with and how you get on with it!
Also, as an afterthought - don't write off 28 inch tyres. Have a search for 28 inch CX tyres, as the important bit is the ISO size. 700c rims are 622, so check for (width in mm)-622 in the description. Even if sold as an imperial 28 inch size, a tyre with '622' as it's metric size should be compatible with 700c wheels. See the size guide on the Continental website for an example... http://www.conti-tyres.co.uk/commuting-touring/tou... ...whereas some other tyres labelled as 28" will be (width in mm)-635, and almost certainly will NOT fit! I hope at least some of my ramblings assist in some small way.
Edited by yellowjack on Thursday 6th October 09:09
Thanks for the pointers. My own research shows the Schwalbe CX pro to be the narrowest "mud" tyre too, and I think that's what we want the bike for.
They're not expensive so I'll buy a couple and and see how they go.
Truth is, a hardtail would suit my wife better now she has the roadie, but that would mean letting the Whyte go, and it's such a nice bike. Plus, I'd prefer to get her a 26" hardtail (we're a bit old fashioned - and short).
Thanks again. I'll report back when I've won/lost.
They're not expensive so I'll buy a couple and and see how they go.
Truth is, a hardtail would suit my wife better now she has the roadie, but that would mean letting the Whyte go, and it's such a nice bike. Plus, I'd prefer to get her a 26" hardtail (we're a bit old fashioned - and short).
Thanks again. I'll report back when I've won/lost.
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