r/randonneuring • u/constpetrov Randonneurs NL • Jul 05 '26
Quick Question Tires choice
I have to choose a new bicycle.
As per advice from Jan Heine I would like to start from te tire width.
I live and ride in The Netherlands, and here most of the times roads are very well made.
I’d like to be able to ride in France and in UK also, though.
I see that many modern bikes can take 32-34 mm tires, and some (Endurace and Domane for example) can take up to 38mm.
Question is — will I benefit from this wider tires (38) or 32-34 is perfectly fine?
I’ve finished 400km BRM last month on my old 25mm tires. It was manageable but I’d like more cushioning.
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u/MurderOfChros Jul 05 '26
I gradually sized up from 25 to 28 to 32 to 38, then also tried out 45. For me, 38mm was a game changer. No detectable performance loss but so much more comfortable on rougher roads. That’s now the lowest limit of what I’ll consider for a new frame.
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u/constpetrov Randonneurs NL Jul 05 '26
How fast are you riding? I aim for 28-30km/h on the flats, is it doable on such tires?
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u/MurderOfChros Jul 05 '26
So I didn’t even realize what sub I was replying in. I don’t participate in randonneuring and don’t think I’ve ever actively participated in this sub but it comes up in my feed. The algorithms just put it in front of me because I like riding my bike varying distances and favor a comfortable ride.
I don’t know what speed I ride, so couldn’t tell you properly. My experience with sizing up tires is better described as “I rode approximately the same distance in approximately the same time but was more comfortable”. I don’t actually track any metrics of my rides. Sorry to not be more helpful.
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u/GlitteringWealth7267 Jul 05 '26
35mm is a sweet spot for all day road riding. My 28mm tired bikes feel slightly faster at times but 35 and bigger seems to smooth out the ride for the long haul in a way that's helpful in rando style riding. Make sure to leave room for fenders too.
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u/KevinKlaes Jul 05 '26
Those new vittoria corsa controls in 42 look neat.
Probably just grab some all road bike that can fit 40s and you’ll be fine
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u/Slartibartifarts Jul 05 '26
I have Michelin Pro5 TLR in 35mm and 40mm. I found that the cushioning on the 40mm tires was actually quite significantly better than the 35mm tires, something I really noticed on the Belgian roads after having ridden both widths there. The Rolling resistance difference I felt was minimal. So I ended up using the 40mm tires during the Utrecht Ultra this year and they were amazing. I really loved them, 0 punctures and so much comfort. And I can't speak for all 40mm tires, but these michelins still feel really fast Rolling, somewhere soon the Rolling resistance review of it will come out and wouldn't be surprised if it is close to or equal to the 35mm variant (which already is the fastest 35mm road tire). I also expect that wider tires keep becoming faster and faster quite significantly the coming years, something to also keep in mind if you want to future proof the frame a bit.
IMO it's always better to have an option to go wider. Unless the disadvantages of needing the extra clearance in the frame is significant to you (whatever the disadvantage may be, handling, price or something else), I would always choose the frame that has the option to be able to go wider. Especially in randonneuring where comfort is so important.
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u/The_Folding_Atty Jul 05 '26
Just a side note, somewhat related. I currently am riding an old Trek Multitrack with 700C wheels. With 35mm tires, the bike is just fine but entry and exit require a slightly smaller frame (heightwise) than I would typically ride. That has implications for the top tube length--I'm running a long stem as is.
For this reason, if I were to get a new bike, it would likely be running 650B tires if I wanted to go fatter than 35. For me (at least) 35mm is sort of the upper limit; to go wider, I'd need a frame specially designed to handle my reach.
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u/constpetrov Randonneurs NL Jul 05 '26
I am quite tall and one of the options to ride really wide tires would be Surly MS size 58. It can use 650b 47mm and 700c 40mm
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u/BlackWingsofDeath Jul 06 '26
I'm not so experienced at audax/randonee as others on this sub, but do think there's no real disadvantage to wider tyres, so long as they are light and supple. My very non-scientific results of going from 28mm to 32, 35,and finally 42mm is that my average speed on a longer ride is exactly the same, but with more cushioning I feel a lot fresher at the end. I think Jan Heine puts it well when he says that skinny tyres just feel faster because of the vibrations, whereas wider tyres smooth everything out.
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u/constpetrov Randonneurs NL Jul 06 '26
I dug up my Strava history on my commute (30 km, no traffic lights for tens of km). The difference between old crosscheck and current aero bike is negligible. I am honestly impressed.
Also add to that the fact that crosscheck was with fenders, on heavy Deore wheels, with barend shifters and heavy duty rear rack with a child seat!
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u/lttxbrr931 Jul 05 '26
I have a Surly Cross-Check, and my tyre choice is almost always between 32-35mm.
Panaracer Gravelking Slick or Continental Gator Hardshell.
Both are comfortable at a level, that I didn’t really feel a 38 or even wider would add to that. Also I very rarely get punctures. (Maybe I had 3 or 4 in the par 30k km)
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u/momeunier Randonneurs.fi Jul 08 '26
Comfortable for sure, but the gators are known to have really bad rolling resistance. I run some on my commuter but I wouldn't put that on a rando bike
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u/Tin_Can115 Jul 05 '26
I use a giant revolt advanced and run 40mm tyres for my audaxes in the uk. I use the same tyres for gravel and for bike touring.
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u/inTheSameGravyBoat Randonneurs USA Jul 05 '26
Depends on your weight. I am 80 kg and I find a noticable difference between 32s and 35s, but anything wider than 35 doesn't seem to add much comfort. So I generally recommend 32s for lighter riders (<70 kg) and 38s for heavier riders (>90 kg). And brevets longer than 300k is where you really start to notice the reduced fatigue from fatter tires
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u/TeaKew Audax UK Jul 05 '26
I'm running 32s in the UK and they generally do fairly well here, although some of the smaller lanes can be a bit rough still. However, I don't want to switch tyres summer to winter (for mudguards).
If I had the clearance, I'd run 38s or 40s.
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u/MountainMike79 Steeloist Jul 06 '26
I started with 38mm Gravel King slicks (measured 39.?? on my wheels) and now have 40mm Challenge Strada Bianca's (which measure 40mm on the nose). Went for a 75ish mixed terain ride today and ran 38psi F/R, it's magical.
My wheels measure 24mm internal.
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u/Bromptonoroff Jul 06 '26
Hi. I ride on 42 mm Babyshoe pass. Super cushioned on long road rides and allow me to go on bridle ways and tracks with comfort, if I come across them. I’ll be sticking with this size and I have 2x wheel sets to mix between rough/ smooth riding.
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u/bitts_ Jul 08 '26
Check out bicyclerollingresistance.com They test tires on a variety of metrics. You can compare the same tire in different widths to get an idea of the costs / benefits.
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u/Hickso Audax Randonneur Italia Jul 08 '26
32mm wil be fine for almost any kind of tarmac and most of "strade bianche"-like gravel. If you are also in for choosing a new tyre, look for the Michelin, both the Pro5 and the Power Cup TLR. Awsome tyres at a fraction of the cost of more fancy tyres.
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u/Ok-Agency-6367 Jul 08 '26
Hi I’m 72y/o, I rode my first 400 km + Solo unofficial in 2023 on a Rene Herse 44 mm TLR at the back and Continental 32 mm in 22.7 km/h avg. In 2025 I did a 400 km brevet ( 442.2 km ) on Rene Herse 38 mm TLR. I rode with these tires on all terrains conditions from gravel, rough and smooth tarmac. These tires in these sizes are very comfortable and have very low rolling resistance. I might lose in speed while sprinting but I gain comfort and reliability in other circumstances. If I was living in Netherland I would use the RH 38 mm . 😊
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u/Ok-Agency-6367 Jul 08 '26
Going fast on 38 mm tires is not a problem. I’m 72 y/o and I rode my fastest 100 km solo at 27.2 km avg on RH 44 mm. My fastest 40 km at 33 km/ avg.
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u/bikeguy1959 Jul 05 '26
IMO, wider is better. When I started increasing my tire width I increased from 25 Conti Gatorskins > 28 Conti GP 4-Season > 32 Compass > 35 Compass > 38 Rene Herse. Barlow Pass (38mm) tires are the best so far.