Can i put bigger tires on my racing bicycle?

Question

i have a 1975 raleigh road bicycle the kind with the very thin tires and i am wondering if possible i can put on wider tires or will this cause a problem to the bicycle like make it work badly. i know i will need probably new rims to put on but i want to know can you do it or will this break the bicycle or cause harm? thanks.

Answer 1

First, what is the rim diameter?  Look at the current tires.  Does it say 27x1 1/4 or 27x1, or does it say 700c23 of 700c something?

You can get different widths of tires without changing rims.  If your rims are 27", I am only finding 27x1 or 27x1 1/4.  Not much market for 27" anymore.

However, you have many choices in 700c.  The second number, e.g. 20, 23, 25, 28, 32, 35, is the width of the tire.  If your fork and brakes will allow a wider tire, then you should have little trouble putting wider tires on.  It will cause no harm to your bicycle.

I suggest that you take your bike to your local bike shop.  They can identify your tire size and show you the options they have in house or other options they can order.

I'm glad you're getting the bike back on the road.  And don't be too afraid of "skinny" tires.

Answer 2

yes, but be sure to buy tires which fit the diameter of your rim. e.g. the rim is 26 then you shouldn't buy 23 or 27 tire size, instead you should buy 26.

Answer 3

2 things will determine the size of tires you can put on your road bike.

1.  The width of the rim.  Putting too large of a tire on a rim that's too skinny will cause a poor fit.  The beads of the tire may come outside of the rim and you will get pinch flats.  However, you may be able to switch out your rims for wider ones.

2.  The clearance (width) of your fork.  If you have a racing or track bike, there may not be too much clearance for wider tires.  In this case, getting a wider rim will do you no good as your wheel will no longer fit between the fork.

If you have 23C's, most likely you can switch up to at least a 27C pretty easily without switching out either fork or rim.  Any much more than that and you may be out of luck.  Some touring bicycles allow up to 38C's, but this is pretty out of the ordinary for most road bikes.