Get wide, get comfortable
Get wide, get comfortable
Wider tyres aren’t just a trend, they’re here to stay. These days even the pros opt for rubber that’s 25mm wide or up in almost every race, not only when Roubaix looms on the horizon, rather than suffering with 23mm tyres.
The benefits of wider tyres are well documented but, to recap, you can use them at lower pressures, get a bigger contact patch with the road and even, in some cases, reduce rolling resistance. It’s worth mentioning, however, that you should check the clearance of your frame before you upgrade. Most will accept 25mm tyres, and the majority of sportive/endurance bikes will take 28mm (and sometimes bigger), but double check. A wide tyre is also best paired with a wide rim to ensure a consistent profile, and not a lightbulb shape.
All the major manufacturers are backing the wider trend, with a greater range of quality wide tyres available than ever before, while the big bike brands are also starting to spec 25mm tyres as standard across the board, not just on their entry-level models. If you’ve never gone wide before, it’s definitely worth a bit of experimentation as you’ll likely notice an immediate difference to ride comfort and feel, especially if you frequently train on roads that are less than ideally surfaced. In fact, tyres are something that a lot of newer riders tend to ignore when in reality, tyre choice is a very important part of riding comfortably and riding fast.
With that in mind, we’ve sought out six offerings, from race rubber to training boots, across the top tyre manufacturers to give you an idea of what they offer in the way of ride-boosting wide tyres.