Bicycle Tire Sizes Explained

700x25c indicates a tire with a 700mm outer diameter and a 25mm width.

Bicycle tire sizes explained.

Sizes of 26 and 24 tubulars are not well standardized. However older english and french tire size dimensions are still used as well. While you can find a variety of bikes with wheel sizes ranging from 16 to 27 5 inches the most common sizes include 26 inches 27 5 inches 29 inches and 700c. Take the rim with you when buying a tire and vice versa.

Sizes written as decimals such as 2 75 are different than sizes expressed as fractions such as 2 3 4. International organization for standardization. Read the size carefully. The letter at the end of a tire size is a throwback to an old french system when the letters a b and c designated different inner tire diameters it does not stand for cm.

A tire size you might see on a mountain bike. While the first number the diameter of the tire is most important in identifying size there s a little more to how tires are measured with a more globally unified approach. Size variations of tubulars are covered in sutherland s handbook for bicycle mechanics 7th edition available from sutherland s and on the mechanic s bookshelf at better bike shops. Nowadays bike tires are typically marked according to iso standard a system originally developed by etrto european tire and rim technical organization but older english and french tire size dimensions are still used as well use the data from the following tables to determine interchangeability and convert between iso etrto english.

The table below lists most of the sizes of tyre that are likely to be found in the uk. The etrto size specification 37 622 indicates the width of 37 mm and the tire inner diameter of 622 mm. Conversion tables for common bicycle tire sizes. Where you see a block of two or more compatible sizes having the same bead diameter you can assume that intermediate sizes exist that will also fit the same rim.

A hybrid of road and mountain tires cyclocross tires are labeled as 700c and have widths indicated in millimeters like road bikes yet are knobbie like mountain bike tires. A tire size you might see on a road bike. Finding the right inner tube depends on the size of the tires on your bike. 29 x 2 3 indicates a tire with a 29 outer diameter and a 2 3 width.

Nowadays bicycle tire sizes are all marked according to etrto european tire and rim technical organization standard. There are five tire diameter sizes that are in common use on modern standard adult bicycles. A third type of tire size might appear on either a mountain or a road tire. When it comes to choosing width there are two major factors at play.

Between 18 622 and 25 622 there are tyres of 19 20 22 and 23mm section. Check out the following for 20 year old bike tires sizes explained. 26 iso size 559 is the most commonly used size for modern mountain bikes and is also used by many hybrid bikes.