Why should you know bicycle tire size？
A bicycle tire is an integral part of the complete bike, which affects the bike's performance. After you understand the bicycle tire size, you can know whether the bike suits you. And there are currently standard manufacturing specifications for bicycle tire size. Different tire sizes have different advantages.
Knowing bicycle tire size well will help you clearly understand what size bike you need. See this guide to learn how to choose the right bike size.
Even though everyone is talking about tire size in road biking and gravel grinding, we have discovered that wider tires don’t mean less speed. They can bring more speed and, possibly, more importantly, they bring more comfort.
The problem is, how do you know what size of tires you need? What tires will fit the rims that you ride? What exactly is the size of my tires? What do the Various Size Specifications on Bicycle Tires Mean?
Tires have sizing information written on their sides, and knowing what it means can be elusive. This article is about bike tire size-related content. Through it, you can understand the primary form of current bike tire sizes and the use environment of ICAN bike tires. It is a complete guide about bike tire sizes in 2024.
What size tires do I need?
If you want to be comfortable, the easy answer is the enormous tires that will fit on your wheel rim and give you clearance for your frame or fork. You'll find that many manufacturers will tell you the maximum size that you can fit.
It would help if you considered your height and weight. The trend in recent years is that bike tire sizes is getting bigger and bigger.
What width bike tire will fit my rim?
It would help if you also found the right bike tire to fit your rim.
The following are standard-size combinations.
For example, the ICAN AERO series is our top-of-the-line tubeless-ready wheelset, ideal for performance-oriented riders. Its inner width is 18.35 mm.
How to know the tire size on the bike
What do the Various Size Specifications on Bicycle Tires Mean?
You may be wondering what my bicycle tire size is. Usually, you can check your tire's sidewall—the numbers there indicate your tire size (roughly its outer diameter and width). For example, 700 x 32c indicates a tire with an outer diameter of 700mm and a width of 32mm.
In general, bicycle tire measurements have two components. The more significant number is the tire diameter in inches and the smaller the tire width in inches; tire diameters typically range from 12 to 26 inches, and tire widths typically range from 1.75 to 2.215 inches.
We need to know that road and mountain bikes use different units for named sizes. Use C for road bike and inch(er) for mountain bike.
What are the standard sizes the bike tires use
Common standard road bike tire sizes are 700c x 23mm, which is standard road tire, indicating a diameter of approximately 700mm and a width of 23mm. There are also some uncommon sizes, such as 510C, 500C, 450C, etc.
The standard mountain bike tire size is 26.5er 27.5er 29er. The most mainstream mountain bike size is 27.5er, while 29er and 26.5er mountain bikes have become obsolete.
Bicycle tire size chart
We all know that unfit tire size could damage the rim and endanger riders. If the tire is not wide enough, you risk more pinch flats and blowouts; if it is too broad, tire burping and poor stability may occur. So, it's essential to find a suitable bike tire size.
The complete bike tire size chart will guide you on what tire sizes match your internal rim width.
We can find many versions of bike tire size charts on the Internet. You can choose the appropriate icon for reference.
Below, we share the command bike size chart for your reference. Check it carefully before ordering carbon rims or buying new tires. If your combination is not listed here, please get in touch with us to discuss it.
There is a good video about bike size. You can watch it below.
Is there a cheat sheet for road bike tire sizing available?
Yes. If you don't want to know more about tires, check out our quick guide to which tires will fit the width of your rim.
The image is taken from sheldonbrown.com
The above chart shows the internal width of your rim and the corresponding tire size that'll fit on that rim. You will want to avoid fitting tires in the red sections. Some people have gotten away with putting unsuitable tires on, but it is a risk you don't need to take.
As you can see, rims will fit various tire sizes, and it is worth picking a rim that suits your riding. We use an 18.35 internal width on Aero and Alpha series wheels to give you an extensive range that fits most modern riding styles.
Who made the bike tire size standard?
The standard is mainly formulated by two major international organizations, ISO and ERTO.
We all know ISO (International Organization for Standardization) was established on February 23, 1947, as an international standard establishment organization that formulates international standards for industry and commerce worldwide. ISO is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland. ERTO is a professional circumference measurement of a European tire and rim technical organization.
Many countries use their size standards as the specifications for bike size manufacturing to avoid confusion in various sizes.
Do you know how everyone mentions that bike manufacturers love creating new standards? The idea for this was born when the cycle industry gave us a new standard every week. Thankfully, we are moving away from that.
What, though, does this have to do with ERTO? Well, back then, every country had its way of measuring tires. Some made more sense than others. All these standards were proving to be a nightmare to consumers.
To make things easier, there was to be an international standard for tire sizing. The new method was initially called the "E.T.R.T.O." system; you may still see it around. E.T.R.T.O. stands for European Tire and Rim Technical Organization.
The adopted system is part of the ISO system, the International Organization for Standardization. The particular name given to the E.R.T.O. standard is ISO 5775. We can thank this rule for allowing us not to have to navigate that there used to be six types of 26" tires.
What does ERTO tell us about tire size markings?
The ISO/ERTO standard system uses two numbers. The first number you see will be how wide the tire inflates. It is also worth noting that this is a guide for most companies. Different rims will affect this width. Your rim can also change the shape of your tire, so if your rim has recommended sizes, follow that guide.
The second number is the wheel/tire/rim size, and this is the number that confuses most people. The confusion is because this number is not the number most people use in their everyday conversations on bike wheels and tires.
You'll probably use the French system for road wheels and call your wheel a 700c. Under the ERTO system, your wheel is 622 mm. 622 is the same as a mountain bike 29" rim. Mountain bikes generally use inches instead when talking about a wheel and tire size.
However, there is always an exception, for the new standard of 27.5". It is sometimes referred to by its size in the French system, which is 650b. So that you know, there is also a 650a and 650c. 27.5" and 650b under ERTO are 584 mm. A 650 tire with no letter is narrow; the tires get more expansive in the French system as you go up the letters.
In case you were curious, the French system uses the tire's outer diameter to measure its size. The ISO/ERTO system uses the inner diameter of the tire. The inch system is not a significant measurement of size as it isn't as specific as the ERTO or French system.
|
|
ERTO |
Inches |
French |
|
Size Marking |
37-622 |
28 x 1.40 28 x 1 5⁄8 x 1 3⁄8 |
700 x 35C |
|
Outer diameter |
- |
ca. 28 inch |
ca. 700 mm |
|
Inner diameter |
622 mm |
- |
- |
|
Tire width |
ca. 37 mm |
ca. 1 3⁄8 inch bzw. 1.40 inch |
ca. 35 mm |
|
Tire height |
- |
ca. 1 5⁄8 inch |
- |
So, if you see 622 x 35mm, you'll look at a road bike-sized tire, which is more likely to be a gravel or cyclocross variant. If you are buying tubes, giving an ERTO number will make your life a lot easier and help you avoid accidentally getting the wrong tube, provided you know what valve style you need.
What size tires can fit the ICAN's carbon rim?
ICAN Aero series wheels and Alpha series wheels share the same aerodynamic wheel rim shape. Both of them use Toray T700 and T800 carbon fiber in their construction.
40mm will be more than enough for the majority of gravel riders. You'd need to do some severe off-roading if you want to go more than 40mm wide, and you might be better off looking at our 29er XC wheels.
In between these sizes, you'll be able to run the U.C.I. maximum-width cyclocross tires. You'll be able to quickly get those 33mm wide tires onto our Aero and Alpha rims. Did we mention that they are tubeless-ready?
Conclusion
After reading this article, you will understand how to read bike tire size and why they named it so. You can comment below if you have any questions about bike tire size.
