Road Bike Tube Sizes Explained

As the width decreases there is less rolling resistance or friction and therefore is faster.

Road bike tube sizes explained. Size used on some high performance road and triathlon bikes especially those designed for smaller riders. All inner tubes will come with a recommended range for tyre width for example 700 20 25 for traditional road tyres 700 25 32 for wider road tyres. The standard sizes are 1 inch 1 1 8 inch 1 25 inch and 1. A narrower inner tube will balloon out to.

When shopping for road tires you ll look for 700c x your preferred width 23mm being the slimmest option and going up to 36mm. To confuse matters further all tyres use the european tyre and rim technical organisation etrto system so for a road it would display 622 x nn with the nn value indicating the tyre width which is the same as 700 x nn. Bike tube sizing essentially mirrors bike tire sizing with one exception. A standard road tire is 700c x 23mm indicating a tire diameter of approximately 700mm and a width of 23mm.

This is the reason why you see inner tubes listed with one number for the diameter and a range for the width e g. Road bike tires generally come in three widths. How to get the right bike tube and valve size. Common inner tube ranges for 26 inch 27 5 inch and 29 inch tire diameters 1 0 to 1 15 inches 1 25 to 2 0 inches 2 0 to 2 35 inches 2 4 to 3 0 inches.

23c 25c and 28c their width in mm. 700 or 26 but the tube s width will vary depending on the amount you inflate them like a kid s balloon. Check your tire sidewall for width and choose the right tube accordingly shown as 700 x 23c etc. A typical road tube box may say 700 18 23c or 700 25 32c.

Road tubes come in different widths but not as broad a range as mountain bikes. 27 5 x 1 9 2 3 for example. The steerer tube of the fork is threaded and a threaded race is screwed into the top of the fork to snug up against the top bearing. You can also get 26 inch mtb tubes.

Thus you need to be sure any new bike tube has sizing that has a width range that aligns with the sizing on your bike tires. The diameter needs to be the same e g. Tubes because they can stretch will list a range of widths. Mtb wheels in particular can be further categorised by 26 inches 27 5 inches and 29 inches.

As the width increases the tire will have more contact surface with the road making it more stable and comfortable.