# Cervelo R3... first hand knowledge of 25mm tires?



## AythanNyah09

I have just recently purchase a R3 and I want to upgrade the tires from a 23 to a 25. Does anyone have any first hand knowledge if any 25 tires will fit?

I realize that there is a similar thread but I think the forks do not match. Or what should I exaclty be looking for?


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## enellch

Why use 25s? (On my 2009 R3, it would be too tight)


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## AythanNyah09

Primarily because Im a returning beginning rider... with a few pounds to lose. One of the items that everyone speaks about is upgrading tires/wheels.


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## mariomal99

How much do you weigh?

I am 200 lbs and use 23mm tires


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## enellch

AythanNyah09 said:


> Primarily because Im a returning beginning rider... with a few pounds to lose. One of the items that everyone speaks about is upgrading tires/wheels.


How heavy are you? Standard 23s are just fine for most..if the issue is that 23s won't carry or hold you, the R3 is flat out nonsens to buy..eg at >250lbs, the difference between a "light" bike and great wheels are nothing compared to the total mass of bike+rider.


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## RJP Diver

AythanNyah09 said:


> I have just recently purchase a R3 and I want to upgrade the tires from a 23 to a 25. Does anyone have any first hand knowledge if any 25 tires will fit?
> 
> I realize that there is a similar thread but I think the forks do not match. Or what should I exaclty be looking for?


I have Conti Gatorskin 25's mounted on Shimano RS-80's on my 2011 R3 and there is plenty of clearance, both front and back. I don't mean "yeah, they sort of fit" --- I mean "they fit perfectly with no issues at all." 

On some bikes you'll hear people say "I run 25's but if the tire picks up a grain of sand it will rub against the frame." Not the case here at all. I can try to post pics later, if you like.


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## RJP Diver

enellch said:


> How heavy are you? Standard 23s are just fine for most..if the issue is that 23s won't carry or hold you, the R3 is flat out nonsens to buy..eg at >250lbs, the difference between a "light" bike and great wheels are nothing compared to the total mass of bike+rider.


I weigh 175, and I ride 25's for greater comfort and less likelihood of flatting on crappy roads here in central NJ, including miles of unpaved stuff on most of my favorite rides. Everything you read says that a properly inflated 25 is as good/better than a 23 from a rolling resistance standpoint, as well as better cornering at speed, etc.


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## AythanNyah09

@RJP - That would be awesome. If you dont mind.

Im not worried about my weight... (Im well below <230) but Im purely going for endurance style riding in which Ive heard/read that 25s will help "smooth" the ride out for that 50m+ mark. My concern is not how light the bike is... my concern is how much more comfortable can I make the ride?


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## maximum15

I just posted some pics of 25mm tires on an R3 Team on the 3T Funda fork 25mm thread -- check there.


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## AythanNyah09

@Max - thx for that!


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## brawlo

I'm looking at an R3 as well. I'm currently running 25mm GP4000s on A23 rims. I put them onto a warranty claim frame on the weekend to check clearances. Rear is fine, though chainstay clearance is tight, so need to keep the wheels true. Front was a definite no go. The tyre sits on the top of the fork and about 1mm on either side. It would definitely be a 23mm tyre on the front if I go down that path


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## AythanNyah09

@Brawlo - thx for that. I might as well just stay with the 23s and get used to them and upgrade in the future.


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## McKay649

interesting post!


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## xjbaylor

AythanNyah09 said:


> @Brawlo - thx for that. I might as well just stay with the 23s and get used to them and upgrade in the future.


First, he is running the 25's on a 23mm wide wheel, so his experience will not necessarily be analogous to yours as your rims are closer to 20mm wide. Secondly, the major benefit as far as ride quality goes comes from having a wider tire on the rear of the bike, as that is where the bulk of your weight is focused. No reason not to buy a 25mm tire to try in the rear as you _will_ notice a difference.


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## xjbaylor

enellch said:


> How heavy are you? Standard 23s are just fine for most..if the issue is that 23s won't carry or hold you, the R3 is flat out nonsens to buy..eg at >250lbs, the difference between a "light" bike and great wheels are nothing compared to the total mass of bike+rider.


Standard 23's are so ubiquitous in the industry not because they are the best solution for everyone, but because they are "pro", lightweight and used on stock bikes for some reason. Shops carry them because that is what people ask for. For the average rider the trade off of increased comfort would be well worth the 20-40g increase in weight, they just don't know to ask and as most shops stock lots of 23's they buy what is there. Additionally, as rider weight increases pressure requirements to prevent pinch flats increase. By running 25's heavier riders can reduce their tire pressure 10-20 psi improving ride quality and even decreasing rolling resistance. No need to be 250+ to see the results mentioned above, even a 175 lb rider could benefit greatly from a slightly wider tire.

I weigh 165 and ride 23's on Zipp Firecrest rims, but if I am going to do a century that is primarily on chip seal roads I have no issues with running 25's so that I can lower my tire pressure even more. The increased comfort will affect my overall speed far more than the additional grams.


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