Safest tyre width for 22mm rims (Road)

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purkle
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Joined: 5 Apr 2019, 7:41am

Safest tyre width for 22mm rims (Road)

Post by purkle »

Hi all, I'm new to the forum & pretty clueless! I've been reading all sorts of in depth articles & I still don't understand what tyre width I would need for Bontrager Classics wheels (found a pair cheap on eBay, they're 22mm rims though, which seems super wide & I'm concerned I would possibly need minimum 35mm tyres & feel stuck to the road). Does anyone ride wider rims like these on a road bike, what tyre size do you use?

Many thanks :D
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Gattonero
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Re: Safest tyre width for 22mm rims (Road)

Post by Gattonero »

I'd assume the rims are 22mm external?

On a road bike your limit is always the clearance between the tyre and the frame and forks, most likely under the fork crown and the rear chainstays by the bottom bracket area.
See how much space you have around, I'd say that you can use a 28mm tyre without problems if the rim is a real 22m external size.
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Brucey
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Re: Safest tyre width for 22mm rims (Road)

Post by Brucey »

IIRC those rims are 22mm external width; I think you can use 25mm, 28mm or 32mm tyres but that a 28mm tyre would be a 'better fit' for your purposes. They are 'training wheels' after all.

cheers
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amediasatex
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Re: Safest tyre width for 22mm rims (Road)

Post by amediasatex »

Those rims are fine with 25s and 28s, I’ve never run 23s on them but I wouldn’t worry about doing so.
purkle
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Joined: 5 Apr 2019, 7:41am

Re: Safest tyre width for 22mm rims (Road)

Post by purkle »

Ah, amazing thanks so much all. I thought for some reason that any rim measurement given would always be internal, I'm just learning! I'm on 23mm tyres currently & love them, but my wheels are wrecked, so it's great to know I won't have to go too much bigger. I was reading horror stories about tyres not being wide enough for rims and therefore not cornering properly & adding risk. So that's great. Thanks :)
Brucey
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Re: Safest tyre width for 22mm rims (Road)

Post by Brucey »

fwiw whilst you might be able to run tyres that are about the same width as the external rim width, and it might even be more aero, it ain't favourite for everyday riding. The rim is more vulnerable than it ought to be when running through holes and, if you are wont to corner as hard as you can (high lean angle) you can damage the rim edge quite easily, since there isn't any tyre between it and the road.

cheers
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purkle
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Joined: 5 Apr 2019, 7:41am

Re: Safest tyre width for 22mm rims (Road)

Post by purkle »

Brucey wrote:fwiw whilst you might be able to run tyres that are about the same width as the external rim width, and it might even be more aero, it ain't favourite for everyday riding. The rim is more vulnerable than it ought to be when running through holes and, if you are wont to corner as hard as you can (high lean angle) you can damage the rim edge quite easily, since there isn't any tyre between it and the road.

cheers


Absolutely, that's why I was asking. Would you say 25mm tyres on external 22mm rim is ok to avoid those issues or would you go wider?
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andrew_s
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Re: Safest tyre width for 22mm rims (Road)

Post by andrew_s »

25 mm will be OK, though I would prefer 28 myself (mostly for reasons of comfort).

22 mm external will be about 16 mm internal. The Mavic Open Pro is 15 mm internal, and the world and his dog have been using 23 mm tyres on Open Pros for donkeys years without issues.

purkle wrote:I thought for some reason that any rim measurement given would always be internal

Officially it is the internal measurement that should be used, but it's pretty common for the external measurement to be given (probably just to avoid customers complaining about the discrepancy between the catalog and their ruler).
The difference between internal and external widths is about 6 mm (possibly excluding tubeless rims - I've not played with them).
purkle
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Re: Safest tyre width for 22mm rims (Road)

Post by purkle »

Thanks, that's really useful :)
Brucey
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Re: Safest tyre width for 22mm rims (Road)

Post by Brucey »

when you measure Open Pro rims (now Open pro C) they are often closer to 14.5mm than 15mm internal width. So they are a touch narrower than advertised. This means that if you want tyres to scale the same, then 23s on open pros would be a bit like 25s on the Bontys. I've used 23mm tyres on OPs and it is fine, but you need to keep your eyes peeled for potholes; not a combination that is ideal for commuting/training on, or riding in the dark. Hence I'd vote for 28mm tyres on the Bontys if that is the kind of riding that you plan to be doing on these 'training wheels'.

cheers
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roger
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Re: Safest tyre width for 22mm rims (Road)

Post by roger »

According to the latest magazine, max tyre width is 1.8 times the internal width. I have been trying to find the reasons behind this without success.
The same article gives a reference to a Schwalbe table showing their recommended widths.
Quick calculation - multiply by 2 and subtract a tenth.
Several tests I have read have said that manufacturer's stated widths were "incorrect".
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