# 29er vs 700c tire



## jahfakin (Sep 26, 2009)

Ok, maybe I'm the stupid one.

I recently bought a 29er about a month ago from Performance bikes after about 17 years of doing nothing. I'm thinking about getting a set of road tires, until I'm ready to hit the trails. 

I told the sales guy I was looking into getting a set of 700x35 for my 29er. the current tires are 29x2.1. he told me that 700c and 29inch rims are entirely two different sizes and that there is no way I can fit a 700c tire on my 29er rim. he sure made me feel stupid, and i felt emabarrassed.

I always thought that 29er and 700c rims had identical circumference. I figured mounting a skinny 700c on my MTB rim may not be possible or if it is, not advisable. but I was looking for a fat-ish 700c tire, which shouldn't be an issue.


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## raposu (Oct 1, 2007)

No problem at all. Get a pair of those 700x35 tires, mount them in your "29er" rims and show them to the sales guy. Bring a camera and take a picture of his face. As long as the 700 tire is wider than your rim (and a 35 mm tire should be) you won´t have any problem.


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## jahfakin (Sep 26, 2009)

raposu said:


> No problem at all. Get a pair of those 700x35 tires, mount them in your "29er" rims and show them to the sales guy. Bring a camera and take a picture of his face. As long as the 700 tire is wider than your rim (and a 35 mm tire should be) you won´t have any problem.


Thanks, I'm ordering some tomorrow... I just lost confidence in the guys at Performance Bikes.


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## GpzGuy (Aug 11, 2008)

Second that. My 700c x 35 street tires mount up perfectly fine on my WTB Dual Duty 29er rims, and these are now my dedicated street wheels. (I roll on a set of Salsa Semi 29er wheels on the dirt.)


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## CaveGiant (Aug 21, 2007)

I run the schwalbe big apples and reccomend them highly.

When you do confront the bike shop muppet, please make sure his collegues are standing near by and remind him how stupid he made you feel.


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## sop (May 20, 2006)

You actually had confidence in the guys working at Performance Bike?


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## JonathanGennick (Sep 15, 2006)

700c rims are 622 mm in diameter. 29er rims are 62.2 cm. 

Seriously, everyone else is quite correct. You can run 700c road tires on your rims. Don't get the really super skinny ones like on a racing bike, but you should be able to run 35mm tires without trouble. I have some 38mm tires that I run occasionally. 

The issue with skinny racing tires on a 29er bike is that at some point as you get narrower and narrower on your tire, you need to also get a narrower rim. For example, the rims on my Hifi are 28mm wide. I wouldn't try mounting a 23mm tire onto a 28mm wide rim. I could probably mount it, but I prefer my tires to be wider than my rims.

Watch for the ISO numbers on tires. 622 is the magic number for 29er and 700c. 559 is the magic number for 26-inch tires on current-model 26ers.


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## Steel Freak (Oct 8, 2009)

*Performance Bikes good place to save money*

If you want advice Performance is hit or miss, I'd recommend a local privately owned bike shop for advice or a good bike mechanic. The Prices of tubes, tires and Do Dads are really good at Performance and at REI. The LBS is usually more expensive but a better place for atmosphere and Guidence.
SF:crazy: :crazy:


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## rattrapante (Jul 14, 2009)

Even on my Kenda Nevegal 29 x 2.2 has a marking beside it that says 700 x 55


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## tiflow_21 (Oct 27, 2005)

I just mounted a couple 38c interwolfs on my salsa la cruz's 29er rims. It's most definitely possible... I had 31c tires on beforehand.

I hate it when bike shop employees know less than the average biker then proceed to make the average biker think they're stupid. My buddy would be riding a hybrid by now had he taken the last horrible advice I heard... supposedly these fancy hybrids are superior to mountain bikes in almost every way. There are some great shops and some horrible ones.


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## jcaino (May 26, 2007)

Guy at REI tried telling me the same thing. I laughed heartily at him and went outside, brought in my bike, and educated him.


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## Steel Freak (Oct 8, 2009)

*Don't worry about Performance or REI You got Us*

Not only can you run 700c road tires on your 29er, you can build some kooky disc brake wheels with way light 700c Carbon fiber road rims. You own an extremely versatile machine OP. You could run sew up rims if you wanted to. Cyclocross tires on the stock rims sound like a great idea.:crazy: :crazy: Oh did REI go you to become a member, Perfomance did with me but it was free.
SF


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## GTR-33 (Sep 25, 2008)

You should have laughed in his face and called him an idiot. Some kid did that to me once, he tried to make me feel like an idiot when I asked "Where are your biggest presta valve 700C tubes?" He asked me what it was for and I told him my 29er and he proceeded to tell me that they don't carry 29er tubes and 700C was totally the wrong size." "700C and 29ers are like two inches different in diameter." he said. 

One of the service guys saw that I was getting really annoyed and frustrated by this kid and asked "what is he looking for?" To which the kid replies, "29er tubes, you know, the ones we don't have." The service guy said "yes we do, those 700x48 tubes on the shelf in back are for 29ers. 29er wheels are just wider 700C wheels. Same diameter as a road bike. We should be getting some bigger tubes in soon." The kid looked like he had seen a ghost. 

Bike store kids are dumb. I remember the time I was looking for tubeless strips and valves for my "Tubeless ready" Bontrager wheels and the kid tried to tell me I had everything I needed already.


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## rydbyk (Oct 13, 2009)

Performance is a bit misleading by name. I am not sure what they are alluding to when referring to "performance." Yep... good for deals on small stuff. I don't recommend asking them too many questions...

Kind of like Home Depot. Good for deals...not for advice.


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## bt (Nov 24, 2007)

GTR-33 said:


> You should have laughed in his face and called him an idiot. Some kid did that to me once, he tried to make me feel like an idiot when I asked "Where are your biggest presta valve 700C tubes?" He asked me what it was for and I told him my 29er and he proceeded to tell me that they don't carry 29er tubes and 700C was totally the wrong size." "700C and 29ers are like two inches different in diameter." he said.
> 
> One of the service guys saw that I was getting really annoyed and frustrated by this kid and asked "what is he looking for?" To which the kid replies, "29er tubes, you know, the ones we don't have." The service guy said "yes we do, those 700x48 tubes on the shelf in back are for 29ers. 29er wheels are just wider 700C wheels. Same diameter as a road bike. We should be getting some bigger tubes in soon." The kid looked like he had seen a ghost.
> 
> Bike store kids are dumb. I remember the time I was looking for tubeless strips and valves for my "Tubeless ready" Bontrager wheels and the kid tried to tell me I had everything I needed already.


must be nice to know everything.


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## jahfakin (Sep 26, 2009)

Thanks for the comments guys. Next time, I'll avoid asking those guys at Performance for their opinions. They just happen to be close to my home and have stuff in stock, so I make a lot of quick stops there.

Anyways, I ordered 2 Schwalbe Delta Cruiser in Cream (700cx35). They were cheap ($20/piece). Hope to get them soon. 

Thanks again folks.


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## LyNx (Oct 26, 2004)

To the OP, that "tech rep" is an a$$, when you get your "700C" non 29er tyres take your bike back in and show him that they actually fit :skep:

GTR-33, the kid was actually right, but he didn't know about which diameter he was speaking - Rims are the same diameter, BUT, a 700c road tyre is roughly 2" smaller in OUTER diameter than a 29er tyre.



GTR-33 said:


> You should have laughed in his face and called him an idiot. Some kid did that to me once, he tried to make me feel like an idiot when I asked "Where are your biggest presta valve 700C tubes?" He asked me what it was for and I told him my 29er and he proceeded to tell me that they don't carry 29er tubes and 700C was totally the wrong size." "_*700C and 29ers are like two inches different in diameter.*_" he said.
> 
> ..........................................yada...........................


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## willtsmith_nwi (Jan 1, 1970)

Yeah, you probably dont want to run road racing tires on your 29er rims, but touring/city tires work great.

I have Panaracer T-Servs mounted up to my Dual Dutys on my Cyclocross bike (which is my road bike). They are the biggest tires that fit under fenders. For my Karate Monkey ... the Schwalbe Big Apple!!!!


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## newaccount (Jan 3, 2007)

Here's one for the rep- Do 26" tubes fit 29er wheels?


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## boomn (Jul 6, 2007)

newaccount said:


> Here's one for the rep- Do 26" tubes fit 29er wheels?


Yes sir. That's the only kind I run. Matching the cross sectional size of the tube (such as 2.1") is more important than the diameter. That said, they are a little trickier to install because you have to stretch them over the rim. Some people get easily frustrated by that.


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## newaccount (Jan 3, 2007)

Yea, I don't mind doing the extra work at home, but for the trail, I carry a full sized spare.


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## realdeal176 (May 26, 2009)

Here is a picture of 700x38 tires mounted on Salsa Delgado 29er wheels.


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## gorillafeet (Jul 21, 2008)

Went to performance today on my lunch break to pick up some street tires for my 29er.

I was 90% sure a 700c tire would fit my 29 rim.....but asked an employee to be 100%sure. The employee told me that 700c was a 28 inch rim and that I should check performance online for 29er road tires.

I should have checked out this forum first. Thanks for clearing this up guys.


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## meltingfeather (May 3, 2007)

The kid clearly didn't know what he was talking about (they did, in fact, have tubes that would work), and your trying to split hairs to skewer GTR ain't right either. Read what you made bold in the quote.
29er tires _are_ 700c. You're the one who added "road."
Anything to jump someone's case, it seems. 



LyNx said:


> To the OP, that "tech rep" is an a$$, when you get your "700C" non 29er tyres take your bike back in and show him that they actually fit :skep:
> 
> GTR-33, the kid was actually right, but he didn't know about which diameter he was speaking - Rims are the same diameter, BUT, a 700c road tyre is roughly 2" smaller in diameter than a 29er tyre.


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## LyNx (Oct 26, 2004)

NO, was just pointing out that some only read/hear stuff and the fact that the OUTER diameter might be what he heard is what lead him to beleuve that 29er/700C are differnt sizes. I forgot to add outer it seems to totally clear the statement up, but from earlier parts of my post I figured it was "reconized". I've adjusted it, so as to be totally acurate.



meltingfeather said:


> The kid clearly didn't know what he was talking about (they did, in fact, have tubes that would work), and your trying to split hairs to skewer GTR ain't right either. Read what you made bold in the quote.
> 29er tires _are_ 700c. You're the one who added "road."
> Anything to jump someone's case, it seems.


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## meltingfeather (May 3, 2007)

LyNx said:


> NO, was just pointing out that some only read/hear stuff and the fact that the OUTER diameter might be what he heard is what lead him to beleuve that 29er/700C are differnt sizes. I forgot to add outer it seems to totally clear the statement up, but from earlier parts of my post I figured it was "reconized". I've adjusted it, so as to be totally acurate.


Gotcha, but I still think you're splitting hairs. Bottom line: when the kid said, "that they don't carry 29er tubes and 700C was totally the wrong size" he was dead wrong on both counts. The diameter of the tube is much less important that the width (the reason why you can easily use 26" tubes in 29er tires, which he also clearly didn't understand. If you want to believe that he was "right" or knew what he was talking about by twisting his words to mean something they didn't, I ain't gonna to stop you. :thumbsup:


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## LyNx (Oct 26, 2004)

Never said the kid was right, only that he might have been wrongly mis-informed and quoted/told the OD instead of the ID.



meltingfeather said:


> Gotcha, but I still think you're splitting hairs. Bottom line: when the kid said, "that they don't carry 29er tubes and 700C was totally the wrong size" he was dead wrong on both counts. The diameter of the tube is much less important that the width (the reason why you can easily use 26" tubes in 29er tires, which he also clearly didn't understand. If you want to believe that he was "right" or knew what he was talking about by twisting his words to mean something they didn't, I ain't gonna to stop you. :thumbsup:


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## meltingfeather (May 3, 2007)

*deleted*


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## metrotuned (Dec 29, 2006)

Good thread info. In a pinch to get home, I threw a butyl 700x35 tube into a 2.25 Racing Ralph 29er tire and mounted to a 24mm wide Velocity rim. It was because the shop didn't have a 48mm presta valved 29er tube in stock. The recommendation for the tube to be rated at least as wide as the rim is a good one (700 x 23 wouldn't work).


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## Acero853 (Feb 19, 2010)

rydbyk said:


> Performance is a bit misleading by name. I am not sure what they are alluding to when referring to "performance". Yep...good for deals on small stuff. I don't recommend asking them too many questions....
> 
> Kind of like Home Depot. Good for deals...not for advice.


Gotta love the way one experience with one employee is tossed around as a problem within a whole organization. The best tech in my town works in an REI. Not just my opinion. We regularly ride with a local shop owner and the joke among us is that he is the only person who doesn't have his bike serviced at REI. One kid's knowledge base does not mean that Performance or REI can't hire competent employees.


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## totto (Jun 8, 2011)

raposu said:


> No problem at all. Get a pair of those 700x35 tires, mount them in your "29er" rims and show them to the sales guy. Bring a camera and take a picture of his face. As long as the 700 tire is wider than your rim (and a 35 mm tire should be) you won´t have any problem.


I have WTB LaserDisk Trail 29inch . (Depth 18 mm width 21mm) Does this mean I can fit 700x23 or 700x25 ?

My bike guy told me to go at least 700x32 or tyre will pop out from the rim.


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## Jamie_S (Mar 22, 2011)

*700x38*

Crossroads Armadillo Elites mounted on my Kona:


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## shiggy (Dec 19, 1998)

totto said:


> I have WTB LaserDisk Trail 29inch . (Depth 18 mm width 21mm) Does this mean I can fit 700x23 or 700x25 ?
> 
> My bike guy told me to go at least 700x32 or tyre will pop out from the rim.


The 21mm is the inside width. The tire should be wider than the rim's outside width which is ~27mm


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## jseko (Jan 25, 2011)

totto said:


> I have WTB LaserDisk Trail 29inch . (Depth 18 mm width 21mm) Does this mean I can fit 700x23 or 700x25 ?
> 
> My bike guy told me to go at least 700x32 or tyre will pop out from the rim.


I call WTB about that rim and they stated that the rim should be fitted with a tire of at least 35mm.


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## backinmysaddle (Jul 27, 2011)

Nice to find this thread. I was in the store and then on the phone with Performance and got wrong and inconsistent information from both. The worst part is that I zoomed in on a picture of the tires the phone rep told me to buy and they clearly say 26" on them, even though they are in the "road bike tire" section. Now I am just asking for 700x35 and getting somewhere.


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## totto (Jun 8, 2011)

*Update*



jseko said:


> I call WTB about that rim and they stated that the rim should be fitted with a tire of at least 35mm.


-- reporting back. --
35mm working fine. Thaks heaps jseko. 
Also got myself 58 x 622 ( 29 x 2.35 ) and fits fine.
Will ride on it this wkend & report back


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## RCook (Jul 29, 2006)

jcaino said:


> Guy at REI tried telling me the same thing. I laughed heartily at him and went outside, brought in my bike, and educated him.


I actually did the same on my wife's hybrid. She was running 700x32 and we put on 700x23 slicks to improve her speed and efficiency, the LBS guy was all 'that wont work evar!' so I swapped tires right there in the shop and aired it up without issue. Specs (for the most part) exist for a reason.


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## ssalmons (Apr 15, 2008)

RCook said:


> I actually did the same on my wife's hybrid. She was running 700x32 and we put on 700x23 slicks to improve her speed and efficiency, the LBS guy was all 'that wont work evar!' so I swapped tires right there in the shop and aired it up without issue. Specs (for the most part) exist for a reason.


How does she like the new bumpy ride?


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## Kevin B. (Aug 13, 2011)

Awesome thread here. I thought about doing the same when I first got my Rockhopper, and was told the same by the LBS employee. I went to another store for another opinion, and was told the only way was to lace a 700c rim to my existing hubs.

This will make my commute a little easier, thanks!


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## getagrip (Mar 26, 2008)

Good thread. Just curious, what does the "C" in 700c stand for?


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## kazkut (Jan 18, 2012)

getagrip said:


> Good thread. Just curious, what does the "C" in 700c stand for?


Mr. Bike -- Tire sizes



> WHAT DOES TIRE SIZE "700 C" MEAN?
> 
> February 19, 2005
> 
> ...


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## mobaar (May 3, 2009)

Kazkut's explanation is mostly correct.

IIRC, all "700" size tires were meant to have the same (approximate) outside diameter.

So if you wanted a wider tire to have the same OD as a narrower tire, you needed to decrease the bead seat diameter.

Thus, 700A was the narrowest tire/largest BSD, and 700D was the widest tire/smallest BSD.

As with most nonsensical things, we can blame the French for this system. :lol:

*Tire Sizing Systems*


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## meltingfeather (May 3, 2007)

mobaar said:


> Kazkut's explanation is mostly correct.
> 
> IIRC, all "700" size tires were meant to have the same (approximate) outside diameter.
> 
> ...


this :thumbsup:
Each variant of 700X in the French system had a different BSD.
700c is the one that had a 622mm BSD.


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## bj.bonnette (Jun 6, 2011)

I run 700x40's for Cross races and gravel and washboard roads. They fit great.


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## mudge (May 15, 2010)

JonathanGennick said:


> 700c rims are 622 mm in diameter. 29er rims are 62.2 cm.


Well, there you go... They ARE different.


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## funk21 (Feb 8, 2012)

I'm so glad I stumbled onto this thread, i'm fairly new into changing parts and tires on my bike. I currently have a 29er and was wondering if these tires would fit on my rims? DURO 700x35c


The seller contacted me and told me their was no way that those would fit on my bike. What are your opinions, I really have no clue when it comes to tire size and fitting.


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## mobaar (May 3, 2009)

29" = 700c = ISO 622mm BSD

Seeing as all the other 700 sizes (A, B, D) are basically obsolete, you should be fine with that tire. The key is not going narrower than your rim. 700x35 should be fine unless you're running P35 or some other huge rim.


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## Bulldog (Jan 13, 2004)

mobaar said:


> 29" = 700c = ISO 622mm BSD
> 
> Seeing as all the other 700 sizes (A, B, D) are basically obsolete, you should be fine with that tire. The key is not going narrower than your rim. 700x35 should be fine unless you're running P35 or some other huge rim.


Speaking of the Velocity P35 rim... what's the narrowest "700c" tires I should be comfortable with? I have 47's on there now and they fit awesome but with the extra rim width have become a tight fit on my frame. I'm thinking a 42 is as low as I'd ever want to go anyways, and that's probably the minimum for these rims. Been eyeing up some Nomad 45's from Resist to drop alot of tire weight, probably go that route next unless I opt for more dirt tread.


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## Guest (Feb 8, 2012)

Bulldog said:


> Speaking of the Velocity P35 rim....what's the narrowest "700c" tires I should be comfortable with? I have 47's on there now and they fit awesome but with the extra rim width have become a tight fit on my frame. I'm thinking a 42 is as low as I'd ever want to go anyways, and that's probably the minimum for these rims. Been eyeing up some Nomad 45's from Resist to drop alot of tire weight, probably go that route next unless I opt for more dirt tread.


I have used Kojak 35's on P35's without problem. I have mounted Ultremo 28's, which run big, just to see how they look and the sidewall still bulges outward. I never rode the Ultremos though. Ultremo 28's measure 31.5mm wide on a Crest and work well. They measure about 36mm on a P35. A 42 or even a 38 will work just fine on that rim.


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## Bulldog (Jan 13, 2004)

craigsj said:


> I have used Kojak 35's on P35's without problem. I have mounted Ultremo 28's, which run big, just to see how they look and the sidewall still bulges outward. I never rode the Ultremos though. Ultremo 28's measure 31.5mm wide on a Crest and work well. They measure about 36mm on a P35. A 42 or even a 38 will work just fine on that rim.


Sweet, glad to hear it. Thanks. I've got some 35mm road slicks laying around that I thought would look like wrapping my rim in a rubber band, but I might throw them on for a look-see.


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## twenty6black (Jan 12, 2009)

I have a 'cheater' type question:

Stan's 29er rims, 19mm internal width, I run mtn bike tire tubeless.... Can I go out and get road slicks, or cross tires and also run them tubeless ???

If so, what tires would be best for a 35Km race? Half road, half dirt road... if it rains some tread would be nice.

Thanks... LC


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## Guest (Feb 9, 2012)

twenty6black said:


> I have a 'cheater' type question:
> 
> Stan's 29er rims, 19mm internal width, I run mtn bike tire tubeless.....Can I go out and get road slicks, or cross tires and also run them tubeless ???
> 
> ...


Stan's lists pressure limits for tubeless tires based on tire width. The reason for these limits is bead failure, not rim failure. The pressure limits are pretty low. Stan's rims do not have pressure limits when used with tubes.

Cross tires can run tubeless since pressure limits aren't a problem but narrower road tires aren't going to like 50 psi. There are a few tubeless road tires made for high pressures and those will work with your Stan's rims. In my opinion they roll more like training tires than racing tires and don't mount/unmount easily. Plan on tubes with road tires or a ~50 psi pressure limit otherwise.

My road bike uses Crest rims, tubes, and Ultremo 28's. Tubeless wouldn't bring anything to that party. I don't get pinch flats and punctures can be addressed without giving up the big tire. All tubeless road tires are undersized, uncomfortable, and slow compared to what I use (IMO).

For your race, a road race tire isn't a good choice, of course. I don't have experience with that type of riding but it seems to me that low pressures are going to penalize you on the road portion that makes up half your distance. I've used a Continental Cyclocross Speed 35c with tubes and higher pressures and they roll really nicely on pavement.


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## abell215 (Mar 20, 2012)

man this was great reading. i am new to this and would like to buy better trail tires. the bike i bought a few years ago basically has road tires on it. but all of the sizing and numbers along with the possible mis-information from bike reps has made me a bit uncertain about what size of tire i can get. i'd like a wider tire with a lot more of an aggressive tread. my rim says on it "700c x 28c/35c ETRTO 622x20"
how closely do i have to stick with those numbers or do i have some leeway when it come to width?
thanks for any help!


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## shiggy (Dec 19, 1998)

abell215 said:


> man this was great reading. i am new to this and would like to buy better trail tires. the bike i bought a few years ago basically has road tires on it. but all of the sizing and numbers along with the possible mis-information from bike reps has made me a bit uncertain about what size of tire i can get. i'd like a wider tire with a lot more of an aggressive tread. my rim says on it "700c x 28c/35c ETRTO 622x20"
> how closely do i have to stick with those numbers or do i have some leeway when it come to width?
> thanks for any help!


Your rim has a 20mm inside width. You can use any 700C/29" (622) tire that will fit in your frame/fork


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## Michaelmcgo (Jan 1, 2012)

My wife just bought a 700c hybrid bike (with a basket) and was very excited when I told her that it was the same size as a 29er. I even showed her on the side of my tire where it says "700c x 35".

We later rode to a creek by our cabin and had to ride a dirt road for a bit where she was slipping all over the place on her skinny tires. She (jokingly?) said I needed to get her some tires like mine so she could ride in the sand


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## mikebike357 (Apr 8, 2010)

I tried putting a 700x30 Kenda Kwik cross tire on my 2009 Bontrager Rhythm Comp (28mm rim width) wheel. No go. I can get one side of the tire completely on, no prob. the other side, not a chance. It's that last 12" of the bead that won't stretch to get up over the lip on the rim. Thought I was going to snap a Pedros tire lever which would be quite a feat.


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## shiggy (Dec 19, 1998)

mikebike357 said:


> I tried putting a 700x30 Kenda Kwik cross tire on my 2009 Bontrager Rhythm Comp (28mm rim width) wheel. No go. I can get one side of the tire completely on, no prob. the other side, not a chance. It's that last 12" of the bead that won't stretch to get up over the lip on the rim. Thought I was going to snap a Pedros tire lever which would be quite a feat.


A 30mm tire is on the edge of too narrow for the Rhythm, but:
Team Estrogen: How To Change A Flat Tire on a Bicycle Without Using Tire Levers


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## mikebike357 (Apr 8, 2010)

What size would you say is the minimum for the 28mm rim? 700x35c?


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## reformed roadie (Mar 30, 2008)

Acero853 said:


> Gotta love the way one experience with one employee is tossed around as a problem within a whole organization. The best tech in my town works in an REI. Not just my opinion. We regularly ride with a local shop owner and the joke among us is that he is the only person who doesn't have his bike serviced at REI. One kid's knowledge base does not mean that Performance or REI can't hire competent employees.


+1
For both the local REI and Performance, it seems there is a few really knowledgable people and the rest know just enough to be dangerous...the latter usually refer you to the former when you stump them with a question.
The one thing you don't get at either, that you sometimes do at the LBS is condescension.


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## jjhuth (Jun 6, 2012)

Quick question here:

I'm putting 700c x 35 Fyxation Session road tires on my WTB Laser Disc Trail rim (27 mm wide). The tires I have on right now are Bontrager 29 x 2.5/60/58. Should I switch out the tube too? Not sure what tube is under there right now....
Thanks
J


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## kiloman (Feb 14, 2012)

JonathanGennick said:


> ...I wouldn't try mounting a 23mm tire onto a 28mm wide rim. I could probably mount it, but I prefer my tires to be wider than my rims.


Who knows, stretched MTB tires might be the next big thing!

Coming to a trail near you, the MTB version of this:


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## jseko (Jan 25, 2011)

jjhuth said:


> Quick question here:
> 
> I'm putting 700c x 35 Fyxation Session road tires on my WTB Laser Disc Trail rim (27 mm wide). The tires I have on right now are Bontrager 29 x 2.5/60/58. Should I switch out the tube too? Not sure what tube is under there right now....
> Thanks
> J


Most likely yes unless the tube says it is suitable for 700x35.

BTW, 27mm is the outer width of the rim. The inner width, which is what really matters for tire sizing, is 21mm.


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## FireSpitter (Feb 15, 2012)

To OP, you're luckier than I am.

I had the OWNER of my LBS tell me that 700c is smaller than 29er and because he's the boss, his words carried a little bit more weight. To make it worse, he is the country's distributor for uber expensive German branded bike components! Took me 2 weeks to muster my courage and posted the same question on another bike forum (Expecting flak) and finally being told that it is the same.

Went back there after I had CX tires fitted and I could see his puzzled look. However that said, to those who use 700c tires on your 29er rims.... do you feel that it is slightly more difficult to mount the tires (Compared to real 29er tires)? I've only have had experienced 2 different 700c tires. 1st one came with the wheelset (and worn out in no time) and currently my Vredesteins are the ones that are more difficult to mount.


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## jjhuth (Jun 6, 2012)

jseko said:


> Most likely yes unless the tube says it is suitable for 700x35.
> 
> BTW, 27mm is the outer width of the rim. The inner width, which is what really matters for tire sizing, is 21mm.


Sweet, thanks for the info :thumbsup:


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## shiggy (Dec 19, 1998)

FireSpitter said:


> To OP, you're luckier than I am.
> 
> I had the OWNER of my LBS tell me that 700c is smaller than 29er and because he's the boss, his words carried a little bit more weight. To make it worse, he is the country's distributor for uber expensive German branded bike components! Took me 2 weeks to muster my courage and posted the same question on another bike forum (Expecting flak) and finally being told that it is the same.
> 
> Went back there after I had CX tires fitted and I could see his puzzled look. However that said, to those who use 700c tires on your 29er rims.... do you feel that it is slightly more difficult to mount the tires (Compared to real 29er tires)? I've only have had experienced 2 different 700c tires. 1st one came with the wheelset (and worn out in no time) and currently my Vredesteins are the ones that are more difficult to mount.


Different brand/model tires vary in mounting difficulty. Narrower tires (<40mm) do tend to be a bit more difficult than >50mm tires


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## Hundun (Jun 2, 2010)

Why do people junk up their mountain bikes with skinny tires? It looks stupid, and is not what the bike was designed for. May as well just ride a road oriented hybrid which would be much more practical.

I run Halo Twin Rail 29 x 2.2 on my 29er and they ride great on the road and perform well on the trail too.






They look bad a$$ awesome and are the perfect all terrain choice for my needs.


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## jseko (Jan 25, 2011)

Because sometimes people use bikes they already have for around town rather than go buy a purpose specific hybrid or road bike. Or they are dusting off a bike they've had for years, etc.

Narrower tires also tend to weigh less so less rotational inertia.


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## Jumpmonkey (May 10, 2011)

jseko,

That right there is the truth, my 29er is my git-around bike most of the time. That said, I like the Big Apples. The big wheels are at least as good in town as they are on the trails.


God bless,
Adam


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## Dummyrunner (May 25, 2011)

jahfakin said:


> Anyways, I ordered 2 Schwalbe Delta Cruiser in Cream (700cx35). They were cheap ($20/piece). Hope to get them soon.
> 
> Thanks again folks.


Good for you, I've been wanting to try these on my daily commuter but they are difficult to get here. Amazon for some reason really hit hard with the freight in these tyres and no one likes to be ripped off even if you can afford them.


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## 29ernb (Mar 20, 2012)

A 29er tire is a mountain bike tire that fits onto a 700c rim.

The 700 in "700C" refers to the fact that the outside diameter of a tire, when mounted on the rim will be about 700mm in diameter. The "C" is part of an old French system that denoted a narrow rim - with "B" being wider, and there must have been an "A" size rim too. So a 700C rim is a narrow rim intended to be used with a 700mm outer-diameter tire.

A 29er tire is bigger than 700mm (about 27.6 inches), so the 700 part of "700C" does not really apply. Also, since some 29er rims are wide, the "C" part really doesn't apply either. So a 700c rim can be used to build a 29er wheel, but technically speaking not all 29er rims are 700C (if you use the real definition). However, if you define a 700C rim as any rim with a 622mm bead diameter, then a 29er rim is a 700C rim


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## PedalDangit (Jun 2, 2011)

For the life of me I can't get my Nashbar Comfort City 700x38 tire mounted onto my Stan's ZTR Rapid rim which has 21mm inner and 25mm outer widths. I've broken one tire lever. Any tips, or do some road tires just not mount to some 29er rims?


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## shiggy (Dec 19, 1998)

PedalDangit said:


> For the life of me I can't get my Nashbar Comfort City 700x38 tire mounted onto my Stan's ZTR Rapid rim which has 21mm inner and 25mm outer widths. I've broken one tire lever. Any tips, or do some road tires just not mount to some 29er rims?


 Notubes rims are intentionally oversized. Can make many tires very difficult to mount and remove, no matter the technique used.


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## mack_turtle (Jan 6, 2009)

Based on my brief experience working at P*Mart, none of this surprises me. Not every bike shop dude knows everything, but Performance does not pay enough to attract knowledgeable salespeople and mechanics. Very few of them stick around.


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## shiggy (Dec 19, 1998)

29ernb said:


> A 29er tire is a mountain bike tire that fits onto a 700c rim.
> 
> The 700 in "700C" refers to the fact that the outside diameter of a tire, when mounted on the rim will be about 700mm in diameter. The "C" is part of an old French system that denoted a narrow rim - with "B" being wider, and there must have been an "A" size rim too. So a 700C rim is a narrow rim intended to be used with a 700mm outer-diameter tire.
> 
> A 29er tire is bigger than 700mm (about 27.6 inches), so the 700 part of "700C" does not really apply. Also, since some 29er rims are wide, the "C" part really doesn't apply either. So a 700c rim can be used to build a 29er wheel, but technically speaking not all 29er rims are 700C (if you use the real definition). However, if you define a 700C rim as any rim with a 622mm bead diameter, then a 29er rim is a 700C rim


You have that backwards, and it is tire width, not rim width.

"A" was the narrow tire with a larger rim diameter.
"C" was the widest tire on a smaller rim.
*http://sheldonbrown.com/tire-sizing.html#french*


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## PedalDangit (Jun 2, 2011)

shiggy said:


> Notubes rims are intentionally oversized. Can make many tires very difficult to mount and remove, no matter the technique used.


Good to know. Thanks. So I took the rim with the partially seated tire to REI to see if they could do it. The guy rolled the last 8 inches or so of bead into the rim with his bare hands using a technique I've never seen before. So I said, cool...thanks a lot and went home to do the same thing on the other wheel. I tried exactly what he did and NOT EVEN CLOSE. Now I'm wondering what voodoo he performed on my rim to get that tire on there. And I'm left deciding whether to go back to REI with a crisp 5 dollar bill and get him to seat the other one, or (since they're clearly going to be a pain to get on and off) forget these tires and try something else. Maybe the Geax Evolutions.


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## shiggy (Dec 19, 1998)

PedalDangit said:


> Good to know. Thanks.  So I took the rim with the partially seated tire to REI to see if they could do it. The guy rolled the last 8 inches or so of bead into the rim with his bare hands using a technique I've never seen before. So I said, cool...thanks a lot and went home to do the same thing on the other wheel. I tried exactly what he did and NOT EVEN CLOSE. Now I'm wondering what voodoo he performed on my rim to get that tire on there. And I'm left deciding whether to go back to REI with a crisp 5 dollar bill and get him to seat the other one, or (since they're clearly going to be a pain to get on and off) forget these tires and try something else. Maybe the Geax Evolutions.





http://mtbtires.com/site2/tech/77-how-to/103-how-to-no-tools-tire-mounting-video



No tire is going to be easy on your rims.


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## PedalDangit (Jun 2, 2011)

I picked up the Geax tires and they go on way easier. They won't roll as fast but at least I can get them on and off, and until/unless I invest in a second dedicated set of wheels for road use I need to be able to switch between these and knobbies easily.


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## pimpbot (Dec 31, 2003)

jahfakin said:


> Ok, maybe I'm the stupid one.
> 
> I recently bought a 29er about a month ago from Performance bikes after about 17 years of doing nothing. I'm thinking about getting a set of road tires, until I'm ready to hit the trails.
> 
> ...


... Ah, Performance Bike strikes again. Sometimes they know what they are talking about, sometimes they are super clueless.... and instead of saying they don't know, they make junk up.

No, 700c and 29er rims are pretty much one in the same... well, apart from tire width. You can put road tires on XC kinda 29er rims, but make sure the tire is wide enough. I wouldn't go smaller than a 30c 700c tire.


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## shiggy (Dec 19, 1998)

pimpbot said:


> ... Ah, Performance Bike strikes again. Sometimes they know what they are talking about, sometimes they are super clueless.... and instead of saying they don't know, they make junk up.
> 
> No, 700c and 29er rims are pretty much one in the same... well, apart from tire width. You can put road tires on XC kinda 29er rims, but make sure the tire is wide enough. I wouldn't go smaller than a 30c 700c tire.


...And the OP is 4 years old...


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## bachman1961 (Oct 9, 2013)

Glad to see this information get cleared up. 

I bought a city or 'breeezer' bike for my wife a few years ago and she thinks a wider tire will make her feel more stable on dirt or gravel paths. I did some measuring and converting to see that (my impression) the 29er tires would fit on the 700c and offer a better variety of tread and width options. It appears a 2.0 will fit the frame w no problem. 

I was looking into this last summer and a bike store here didn't seem to sure of a yes or no answer on the fit. I think they wanted me to bring the bike in so they could try or test it. I didn't see a 29er tire price that was very inviting so I figured one of these days I'll pick up an urban style tread 29er at a big box store price. The local 'Mart' here has some at $19.


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## shiggy (Dec 19, 1998)

bachman1961 said:


> Glad to see this information get cleared up.
> 
> I bought a city or 'breeezer' bike for my wife a few years ago and she thinks a wider tire will make her feel more stable on dirt or gravel paths. I did some measuring and converting to see that (my impression) the 29er tires would fit on the 700c and offer a better variety of tread and width options. It appears a 2.0 will fit the frame w no problem.
> I was looking into this last summer and a bike store here didn't seem to sure of a yes or no answer on the fit. I think they wanted me to bring the bike in so they could try or test it. I didn't see a 29er tire price that was very inviting so I figured one of these days I'll pick up an urban style tread 29er at a big box store price. The local 'Mart' here has some at $19.


 ...resurrecting a thread after 9 months...

The cheap tires are not worth using if you are looking to improve the ride. Heavy, stiff, poor ride.

There are literally hundreds of tire models available in the 700x38-50 (1.5-2.0") range that are not "29er" tires, slick to full knobby tread, that may suit your needs.

The LBS is right to want to fit the tire to the bike rather than send you home with something that may not fit in the bike.

The link you posted is garbage.


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## bachman1961 (Oct 9, 2013)

shiggy said:


> ...resurrecting a thread after 9 months...
> 
> The cheap tires are not worth using if you are looking to improve the ride. Heavy, stiff, poor ride.


OOps....

I don't remember posting much within the past 9 months and I think at the time, this is the thread I was looking at regarding 700c tires.
Might just be a strange coincidence though. 

I think the LBS has a variety of tires, $45 to $100 per copy. I was just a bit leary of a bike shop being evasive about the subject of 700c and 29" tires .... kind of like what others have reported on some posts as per bike shop knowledge on the subject.

I have 26" _big box sporting goods store tires_ on my older bike and they are the city bike type of tread. Wanted to get away from the big knobs. Bell is the brand and definitely as you say, the lower end. Some bike tire maker puts Bell on the sidewall, I'm sure.

Thing is, they roll fine and at 26", appear to offer a taller sidewall than the 700c my wife has. I'm thinking the sidewall will help with ride rather than hurt it although ride is not her complaint. This is true of car tires anyways.

She has her mind set on the skinny tires being/feeling less stable on dirt or gravel paths. I can understand that. I believe I'll gain better than a 1/4" in tire height and get her a wider 29". If a lower end tire is less ride quality, more sidewall might compensate. There is usually a fairly wide range of psi most tires allow as well. Maybe some trial and error will help if she feels a difference in ride.

I appreciate the thoughts on a big range of 700c tire treads and widths and that is probably the easy and safe way to go. A smooth rolling 2.0 or so. I just dislike going mail order and stores here don't have the variety on hand to even look at for 700c. I usually support the LBS's but in this case, I may find what works and spend half or less. I think the 29" that I saw were Bell and $19 per.

Worst case, I can always show up at the LBS who'll take my $120 + labor and spend a day or three experimenting with 29" tires to find out what others here have already posted or taken pictures of... lol !


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## JVW (Dec 13, 2014)

*Your not the stupid one!*

I don't get why some LBS do stuff like that. I've found that the local Trek Store I go to where I bought my wife her Trek X-Caliber, ( I got mine used ) that one of the guys at the store occasionally tells me untruths about things; when I know damn well he actually is lying to me.

Anyway, I switch out a pair of 700CC Armadillo tires with my 29er XR1s all the time with no problems at all.


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## mscir (Aug 21, 2018)

*Great discussion, thx*



JVW said:


> I don't get why some LBS do stuff like that. I've found that the local Trek Store I go to where I bought my wife her Trek X-Caliber, ( I got mine used ) that one of the guys at the store occasionally tells me untruths about things; when I know damn well he actually is lying to me.
> 
> Anyway, I switch out a pair of 700CC Armadillo tires with my 29er XR1s all the time with no problems at all.


I got my first 29er frame and am slowly building it up, got some decent used wheels with bent rims (bad shipping experience) so I wanted to make sure I got the right size rims. So thanks to everyone who posted.


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## shawnwyatt (Jul 4, 2020)

I know this is an old thread but I wanted to add something. First my main bike is a Wilco custom KVA SS, carbon Lefty 2.0, etc... I am using ZTR Flows and I originally built the bike with Hookworm 29s. I liked them but felt they were a little too wide. I then went with 29x2.0 tire typical MTB tire. I ride more on asphalt so I wanted less rolling resistance but something less wide than the Hookworms. I grabbed a 700x38 tire and it was almost impossible to get on the rim. When I finally did I damaged the tube doing so. So I am assuming the narrower the tire the more work it's going to be trying to get it on a 29er rim. I am going to try a 700x42 next as close to a slick as I can get


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## vbcusi (Jul 3, 2020)

I know this old and ihave been trying to research on this setup, if i am going to use a 700 x 35 on the 29 with 21mm inner width, it is ok?

Can I go tubeless or do REALLY need an inner tube for this set up?

Thanks!!!


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## mack_turtle (Jan 6, 2009)

Yes, a 35mm 700C tire will fit just fine on a "29er" rim. it's the same diameter rim.

Tubeless compatibility will depend on the tire and the rim. is the rim designed to work without tubes? Do you have it taped with a tubeless valve installed? Is the tire in question designed to be set up tubeless?

For reference, I have a set of Stan's Arch EX "29er" rims on my cyclocross bike with 35mm Panaracer Gravelking SK tires. the tires and the rims are designed to work without tubes. The tubeless setup works just fine. I could put tubes in these wheels in a pinch if I need to.


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## vbcusi (Jul 3, 2020)

Thanks!


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## vbcusi (Jul 3, 2020)

Seeing a 700b 40-635 28 × 1 1/2 orange tire on sale for my giant 29. 


Is this still okay? Inner width of my rims is 21mm?

If you compare it to a 700c, is it bigger than 700x40c?


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## HollyBoni (Dec 27, 2016)

vbcusi said:


> Seeing a 700b 40-635 28 × 1 1/2 orange tire on sale for my giant 29.
> 
> Is this still okay? Inner width of my rims is 21mm?
> 
> If you compare it to a 700c, is it bigger than 700x40c?


No. 700b/635 is an ancient wheel/tyre size, those tyres won't fit on your rims. You need to look at tyres that are marked 622, 700c, 28" or 29".


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## Kdogg9176a (May 13, 2021)

jahfakin said:


> thanks, I'm ordering some tomorrow...I just lost confidence in the guys at Performance Bikes.


Performance Bikes lost my Business 5 years ago. They just wanted you to buy more and from them...


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