Road Bike Tube Sizes Explained

A standard road tire is 700c x 23mm indicating a tire diameter of approximately 700mm and a width of 23mm.

Road bike tube sizes explained.

A typical road tube box may say 700 18 23c or 700 25 32c. Sizing width may vary from 18c through to 28c meaning 18mm through to 28mm. 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. Road tubes come in different widths but not as broad a range as mountain bikes.

A narrower inner tube will balloon out to. Tubes because they can stretch will list a range of widths. 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. This is the reason why you see inner tubes listed with one number for the diameter and a range for the width e g.

How to get the right bike tube and valve size. 700 or 26 but the tube s width will vary depending on the amount you inflate them like a kid s balloon. Mtb wheels in particular can be further categorised by 26 inches 27 5 inches and 29 inches. So a 29 inch mtb tube will have the same diameter as a 700c road wheel while a 27 5 inch tube will be the same diameter as a 650b road wheel.

When shopping for road tires you ll look for 700c x your preferred width 23mm being the slimmest option and going up to 36mm. As the width increases the tire will have more contact surface with the road making it more stable and comfortable. There are a myriad of wheel sizes for road mtb touring and children s bikes. 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.

Size used on some high performance road and triathlon bikes especially those designed for smaller riders. Check your tire sidewall for width and choose the right tube accordingly shown as 700 x 23c etc. 27 5 x 1 9 2 3 for example. Bike tube sizing essentially mirrors bike tire sizing with one exception.

23c 25c and 28c their width in mm. As the width decreases there is less rolling resistance or friction and therefore is faster. 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. Road bike tires generally come in three widths.

The diameter needs to be the same e g.