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Tech Help switching tires and adjusting brakes

hellerphant

Maximum Pace
Mar 23, 2022
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Hey all!

So I've been loving my new to me bike, and while riding on 25c tires is fine, I'd really like to go up to 28. For me it would just add a little comfort, and I'm not racing against anyone but myself, so I think it's a good move for me.

I'm pretty new to all mechanical aspects of biking, but I figured this was a good thing to learn as I've never had to repair a flat, change a tube, or switch a tire so I can learn all those things at once. I've watched plenty of videos on HOW to do these things, and it doesn't seem that confusing to me.

What I do need to know however is how to adjust my brake calipers? Right now they are really close to the rims of the 25c so I'm imagining I need to loosen them a little to make room for the bigger tire? How do I go about doing that. Or am I just overthinking it, and they'll just slot in correctly? I've got Sora rim brakes.

Also, will there be markings on the rims themselves to tell me I can fit the 28c? I don't want to go purchase tires that won't fit the rims haha.

Also, I haven't made the tire purchase (that's probably a end of October purchase), so tell me what you think I should get? I was thinking GP5000 or GP4 Seasons perhaps? Happy to take recommendations. I'm 98% road, occasional loose gravel section on one of my routes for about 150m (and I just ride slow on that part typically).
 
As for tires, the GP5000s are a great choice, they are the goldi locks of tires: very good rolling resistance, good puncture protection, good grip, etc. Another option are Vittoria Corsa Controls, a tire which I liked to ride in the offseason. It has file tread on the side, and you can literally hear as the grip increases from the buzzing sound they make.

As far as tire width is concerned, you should be fine with 28 mm tires.
 
Maybe just try a 28 on the front, first? Use up your rear tire as is, keep the one off the front as a spare.

Brake calipers have a little lever on one side that opens them up for when you're removing the wheel.

Difficult to say what combinations are harder/easier, but know that some tire-rim fittings (depending on rim brand/maker, and which of the many tire offerings you've chosen) can be easy, or near impossible--especially when a tire is new.

If you can do it yourself, fine, and congrats. But if getting a new tire on seems hard, don't be afraid of going to your LBS and paying them to do it.
 
If a rim is designed for [what are nominally] X mm tyres, then it will easily take [what are nominally] X+3 mm tyres.

I'm 98% road, occasional loose gravel section on one of my routes for about 150m (and I just ride slow on that part typically).

"Gravel" can mean various things. But as you become more adventurous I'd imagine that you'll venture along crumbling asphalt surfaces, and OK asphalt surfaces strewn with pointy rocks, or of course crumbling asphalt surfaces strewn with pointy rocks. Because -- why not take a ride on the (mildly) wild side? If this does interest you, I'd recommend Panaracer Gravelking or Continental Four Season or similar tyres in preference to GP5000.

If you have trouble mounting a brand new tyre, you might be happy to possess a tyre jack: this or similar. (I don't know which was the original and which are the imitators; but there certainly are lots of imitators. NB it's too big for you to want to carry it with you on trips; OTOH it's unlikely that you'll want to mount a brand new tyre when you're away on a trip.)

Some tyres have this-way-around markings. I suspect that putting them on one way around rather than the other makes little difference; but if you get a tyre the wrong way around you might get pitying looks from certain kinds of people. Also, by convention, the label of the tyre is centred at the valve hole. This is useful for people hoping to shave milliseconds off the time spent searching for the valve. It won't matter at all for you, but blah blah pitying looks.

Tyres tend to be marked with maximum recommended pressures, or just recommended pressures. These are very high. Try this guide.
 
I have Gatorskin 700x28s on my rim brake bikes. No problem. I run them at 70psi. The lever on the brake calipers lets you open the calipers wider so the 28s can usually get past them without deflating at all.
 

you can deflate a little to make it easier for the tire to get past the brake calipers.

this will show you how brakes work and adjustment

the whole park tool video series is excellent. Watch, watch again, then slowly work along and if you have questions you can ask here
 
I have Gatorskin 700x28s on my rim brake bikes.
If this does interest you, I'd recommend Panaracer Gravelking or Continental Four Season or similar tyres in preference to GP5000.
I think the GP5000s will deal with a bit of gravel just fine, no need to go for slower tires. Gatorskins especially are quite slow rolling and in practice, I don't think you gain much in terms of puncture protection, especially if you stay on the road most of the time. I'm blessed with pretty bad roads here, and the only times I have punctured, there was either a super good reason for it and tire choice wouldn't have mattered (one time I had a 5 cm screw stuck in my mountain bike tire). Or the tires were past their expiration date (happened to me on a loaner).

Gravelkings make sense to me if you opt for wider tires, say, 35 mm, but those will not fit here. Personally, I'd put on a pair of very supple road tires like Vittoria's Corsa Control.
 
I think the GP5000s will deal with a bit of gravel just fine, no need to go for slower tires. Gatorskins especially are quite slow rolling and in practice, I don't think you gain much in terms of puncture protection, especially if you stay on the road most of the time. I'm blessed with pretty bad roads here, and the only times I have punctured, there was either a super good reason for it and tire choice wouldn't have mattered (one time I had a 5 cm screw stuck in my mountain bike tire). Or the tires were past their expiration date (happened to me on a loaner).

Gravelkings make sense to me if you opt for wider tires, say, 35 mm, but those will not fit here. Personally, I'd put on a pair of very supple road tires like Vittoria's Corsa Control.
I actually just put on a pair of Corsa Controls and rode them for the first time tonight to play some Warhammer in Machida. Wouldn't you know it, but it started to gently rain on my way to the store, and I was very thankful for having such plush rubber pushing for along the road. Thanks for the recommendation. I really love how nice the bike feels now, and actually feels faster than the cheap 25c tires that it came with.
 
You are welcome, I am glad you like them as much as I do. It is surprising how big a difference tires can make.
 
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