# Tires for Heavier Rider



## nfosterma (Jan 24, 2007)

I have a friend who has had 3 blowouts in the past several weeks. He switched from the 25's that came on his bike (Roubaix Expert) to 23's and he runs them at 120 psi. Two Specialized tires, plus another tire that he can't remember the brand.

The rider is well over 6 ft, and weighs around 250 lbs. Does anyone have any specific tire/PSI recommendations?


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## JCavilia (Sep 12, 2005)

nfosterma said:


> I
> The rider is well over 6 ft, and weighs around 250 lbs. Does anyone have any specific tire/PSI recommendations?


Bigger. Biggest that will fit his rims and frame clearances. Pressure just high enough to reliably avoid pinch flats. I have no specific brand recommendations.

What kind of punctures were these "blowouts"? Was he running over sharp stuff and cutting the tire, or hitting things and getting pinch flats. With a tire size suited to his weight, 120 psi should be more than enough to avoid pinch flats, but a 250-pounder on 23mm tires isn't so good.


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## bigbill (Feb 15, 2005)

I am a little over 6' and weigh around 215 (down almost 20# this year) and I run 25mm Continental Four Seasons on my road bike and 25mm ultra gatorskins on my commuter. I could probably get away with a 23mm in the front, but I prefer the ride of a 25. Skinnier tires don't necessarily relate to less rolling resistance. 

Conti has a new 24mm tire on sale at www.probikekit.com for around $38. edit, $31.


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## nfosterma (Jan 24, 2007)

My friend (the rider) did admit that he did hit something on two of the occasions. Obviously, the best thing to do would be to avoid the rocks, etc. I was just wondering if there was anything that I was missing because we have two totally different builds (I'm 5-9 150 lbs).

As far as the tires he was using, two of them were Specialized tires (not sure the model), and he can't recall the name right now of what he has on his bike.

Thanks for the feedback.


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## SystemShock (Jun 14, 2008)

Go here. Lots of recommendations for good road tires that are a bit wider than the usual:

*http://forums.roadbikereview.com/showthread.php?t=141732*

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## cyclust (Sep 8, 2004)

He needs to go back to 25's. And if he rides where there is a lot of road derbis [glass, etc], then a tire with extra flat protection would be advised. Anyone over 200 should seriously consider a 25mm tire, and over 250 should not even think about a 23.


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## SystemShock (Jun 14, 2008)

At his weight, I'm thinking 28s. Conti makes some good ones.

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## Roubaix_2009 (Sep 2, 2008)

I'd be embarrassed to mention my weight. I'm heavier than rider mentioned earlier. I'm just starting out on road bike ( switching over from mountain ) and i haven't ridden any long, steep, down hills yet on road bike so i don't know if i'll encounter different set of issues when screaming downhill. But for flats, i'm using specialized armadillos ( flat protection tires ) 700x23/25c. So far so good, but i'm very conscientious when riding and there's debri or abrupt changes in road surface that could result in bottoming out tire if hit straight on ( railroad tracks, raised areas or small potholes in tarmac, and lips on driveways when leaving street ).

Using one's legs as shock absorbers and lifting bike up lightly while passing over bumps, raised surfaces, railroad crossings, lips on driveways, etc... may help your rider... ( sorta like bunny hopping over an object when mountain biking; however, less dramatic ). To illustrate point via exaggeration, imagine you're about to run into a 4-7 inch curb head on at a pretty fast speed... Two options...

* continue straight on and you're most likely going to fly over bar handles after connecting with curb, not to mention blowing out tire and damaging rim...

* but if you lift up bike such that both front and rear wheels clear curb, you'll fair lot better...

Obvious, it's not something to practice or perform on regular basis, but in an emergency maneuver, it can save you and your bike from serious injury and damage.

I became pretty good at jumping bunny-hopping center islands that divide road on my mountain bike. I also used same technique to hop over curb when leaving street and entering sidewalk.

Again, it's simply a technique that could prevent major accident... Imagine coming down hill ( straight ) and there's small branch across road... Or moving fairly quickly on flat; however, you can't veer left cuz of cars nor right cuz of curb... What you going to do... Hit it or hop it...

Just my two cents...


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## supergroovey (Sep 10, 2008)

Vittoria Rubino Pro Tech w/Mithril, foldable, 700 x 25c. 85 to 95 psi for this man. or if he has no skill 28s will work. but maybe he needs to learn how to ride with smoooooothness. good luck big guys. im 6ft 4inches. 230 lbs. and i run the above tire with 78 to 80 psi on some baaaaaaaaaaaad roads.


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## jhamlin38 (Oct 29, 2005)

I'm 185-190 and riding along on GP4season 23/25r at 110-115psi, plenty of crap on the roads, been pretty good this summer. It seems like a very reliable tire, cut resistant is great. I fill them EVERY time I ride 4-6days/wk.


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## supergroovey (Sep 10, 2008)

there is a big difference between a rider weighs 190lbs and a rider who weighs 250lbs. so your not really helping this guy out. i weigh 230. i was 235 earlier this year and ive weighed as much as 255. so i understand. and also your correct to fill your tires every day you ride. so everyone should get a good floor pump. and you can also get a presta valve air pressure guage and see if your pumps guage is accurtate. mine is not. so i use the seperate guage to check my pressure. that will help the big people avoid pinch flats on the road. also riding with smoothness and getting out of the saddle will help alot.


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## supergroovey (Sep 10, 2008)

its not good to use a smaller tire on the front. it will affect your riding because the tire pressure will either push more weight to the rear tire if its lower or it will push to the front if the rear is at a higher pressure. under extreme cornering and descending you will feel all over the place. its not a motor cycle. you do not have suspension. vibration damping is not suspension. it is damping and sending the shock waves to another part of the bike or to the rider. your ride determines how much you feel and where it goes.


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## supergroovey (Sep 10, 2008)

28s can be very slow and heavy. conti tires dont hold up in the rain. i used to use supersport, supersport ultra, grand prix, and they flat like heck. and wear out in weeks instead of months. they really actually are not good tires. ive never like the traction of thier mountian bike tires either. they are nice to look at. but germans are not known for quailty rubber goods. their car tires are doofy also. so get some vittorias or panaraceres. no one care if things are made in germany. get the best you can. what looks good is not always good. bicycle parts are like women in that way.


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## Kerry Irons (Feb 25, 2002)

*Completely wrong*



supergroovey said:


> its not good to use a smaller tire on the front. it will affect your riding because the tire pressure will either push more weight to the rear tire if its lower or it will push to the front if the rear is at a higher pressure.


This is absolute nonsense. The amount of weight applied to either tire depends almost entirely on the system weight (bike + rider) and the front/rear balance. Changing the pressure in either tire does not affect this in any perceptible or significant way. There is no reason not to use a smaller tire on the front, but there is no reason to do so either unless you're racing time trials and want a very slight aerodynamic improvement.


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## supergroovey (Sep 10, 2008)

Kerry Irons said:


> This is absolute nonsense. The amount of weight applied to either tire depends almost entirely on the system weight (bike + rider) and the front/rear balance. Changing the pressure in either tire does not affect this in any perceptible or significant way. There is no reason not to use a smaller tire on the front, but there is no reason to do so either unless you're racing time trials and want a very slight aerodynamic improvement.



nonsense? system weight? front rear balance? changing tire pressure between front and rear tires will change your front to rear balance. there are plenty of reasons to not use a smaller tire in the front. it wont be as comfortable. it will not corner as well. so your saying you can use 20psi in the front and 150psi in the rear and you will not have a perceptible or significant change in how your bike rides? wow that awsome. im happy now.


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## Slim Again Soon (Oct 25, 2005)

*Stop the hate*

28s are great -- that's what I use, and though I'm no chicken-weight, I'm well under 200.

I'm losing weight fast, but I'm going to keep these 28s. Better grip, excellent ride -- and less prone to flats.

What's not to love?


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## Stogaguy (Feb 11, 2006)

*+1 for 28s*

I echo the call for wider tires for everyday use. They are just more trouble free, especially for heavier riders. That said, if you have a set of "special occasion" wheels, then by all means run lighter skinnier rubber on them.

Personally, I am 5' 10" and about 190 and am not comfortable riding tires narrower than 25s. Any narrower and I have too many flats, sidewall cuts and other issues. For me 28s give what I consider the best versatility.


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## PMC (Jan 29, 2004)

Another vote for 28s if they'll fit. At 250 bigger is better and the extra 100 grams you'll get per tire (gatorskin 28 wire bead) over a 23 race tire isn't a drop in the bucket for a 114kg rider. Slower? maybe a touch but your friend will have a better overall experience on the bike... IMO
I'm 80+ pounds lighter than your friend and I prefer a 28 for everyday riding as they're just a lot more comfortable at 75psi than a 23 at 100psi. The Conti Gatorskins roll plenty good for a 28but if he requires a lighter model the 4 season is about 60 grams lighter per tire although they'll also lighten your wallet by an extra 50 for the set.


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## SwiftSolo (Jun 7, 2008)

The only way to really solve this problem is to go to tires with a kevlar layer (Arimid) over the entire casing. That pretty much means tubeless. If you read the posts from tubeless users you will find the common experience of really high miles at lower pressures with no flats. Many road riders are using Stan's sealant / conversion kit so they can forego the expense of buying tubeless wheels. They are reporting great results just as the mountain bikers did 4 years earlier (don't know why the mountain biking industry is always 4 years ahead of us roadies).

I recommend using Stans sealant even with tubeless rims as it pretty much eliminates air loss between rides (once a week you'll need to add a little air instead of every ride). You will never look back if you make this decision.


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## PMC (Jan 29, 2004)

On a tubeless side note, the low spoke count DA wheels are probably not the greatest for a large rider.

I've logged a few thousand on the tubeless and while they're great they're not flat proof. While riding in Tucson this last spring I hit something I didn't see and tore a casing. I rode it back to the condo just fine with a tube but the tire was toast for tubeless use. I also picked up some glass while there and needed to patch the tire to ride it tubeless again (which worked fine). But still it was two flats in 500 miles of riding. 
I also had convereted a set of Ksyriums and flatted those. The Stans sealant did nothing but spray out and make a mess. 

I don't want to sound super down on tubeless but my experience has not been 100% roses.


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## supergroovey (Sep 10, 2008)

good times. do the tubless set ups loose air fast when u get a puncture. i descend at 50mph plus on certian rides i do and im jus used to super light butyl tubes. actually 53.8mph was my max this year.


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## SwiftSolo (Jun 7, 2008)

PMC said:


> On a tubeless side note, the low spoke count DA wheels are probably not the greatest for a large rider.
> 
> I've logged a few thousand on the tubeless and while they're great they're not flat proof. While riding in Tucson this last spring I hit something I didn't see and tore a casing. I rode it back to the condo just fine with a tube but the tire was toast for tubeless use. I also picked up some glass while there and needed to patch the tire to ride it tubeless again (which worked fine). But still it was two flats in 500 miles of riding.
> I also had convereted a set of Ksyriums and flatted those. The Stans sealant did nothing but spray out and make a mess.
> ...


Sorry about your bad experience.
I ride in an area that seems to have an unusual amount of glass on the shoulders. Prior to tubeless I averaged less than 450 between flats with a number of different tires and tubes. I got over 3000 miles out of my first set of tubeless with no riding flats and now have 1300 on my second set with no flats. The overwhemling concensus of reviews supports this kind of experience. 

Arimid completely changed the longevity of auto tires and there is little reason to believe that bike tires are not seeing the same results. If you've ever tried cutting it with scissors or a knife you will begin to see why. It is the material that bullet proof vests have traditionally been made of. On the other hand, carbon is pathetic for puncture resistance. It is extremely strong but very easy to cut.


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