Bike Tire Size report
As the public's awareness of environmental protection continues to increase, green cycling has been sought after and loved by more and more people. The most crucial step is to choose a bike that suits you first. Faced with different riding styles, you need to learn about various bicycles, such as mountain bikes, children's bikes, and cross-country bikes. Similarly, choosing the right tire is one of the essential skills you need. In addition to knowing what size tires are for your bike, there are some tips for measuring tires.
It is essential to avoid excessive tire wear. A flattened tire will increase the probability of a tire blowout during riding. Check the tire wear in time and replace the severely worn tire in time, effectively enhancing your riding experience.
A great set of tires can enhance the riding experience. Our guide covers the basics of bicycle tires, including size, structure, and how to know when to change tires. In this article, you will get a small guide on choosing the right tire size for your bike and how to measure bike tires.
What are bicycle tires?
A bicycle tire is a rubber ring with a tread fixed on the wheel. The tires are in contact with the ground and play a vital role in the riding process. For example, a tire that is too smooth for the terrain will not provide enough grip and traction. Conversely, a tire that is too smooth for the landscape will slow down the speed. Bikes can go almost anywhere, so there are many tires to choose from, covering nearly every type of riding condition you can think of, from freshly paved smooth and flat asphalt roads to muddy mountain bike trails.
Bike Tire Size Chart
If you are facing and should change the tires on your bike, you must choose the correct bicycle tire sizes for your bike wheels. Each tire size is very variable depending on the type of bicycle tire you want and what kind of bike you have. While this is a non-exhaustive list of all the bike tires out there, we encourage you to use this as a general guide to quickly understanding bike tire sizing systems. Bike tires come in a variety of sizes. With time, the International Organization for Standardization has developed a universal approach to understand better and regulate tire and rim sizing.
Note that the "c" in the size chart does not stand for centimeters. It's a holdover from an old French system that designated tire sizes using the letters a, b and c.
The ISO system uses two numbers:
- The first is the width of the tire or rim in millimeters. The actual width of the tire varies a little depends on the width of the rim. The rim width measures the distance between the edges of the rim).
- The second ISO number is the diameter of the bottom of the rim, in millimeters.
| ROAD BIKE TIRES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| ISO(mm) | Conventional Name | Inches | |
| 622 | Modern Road Bike | 700c | 29 |
| 584 | Vintage Randonneur | 650b | 26x1 1/2, 27.5 |
| 571 | High-Performance Time Trial | 650c | 26x1, 26x1 3/4 |
| MOUNTAIN BIKE TIRES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| ISO(mm) | Conventional Name | Inches | |
| 622 | 29 inch Mountain Bikes | 700c | 29 |
| 584 | Modern MTBs | 650b | 26x1 1/2, 27.5 |
| 559 | Classic Mountain Bikes | 26x1.0 - 26x2.5 | |
| CITY BIKE TIRES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| ISO(mm) | Conventional Name | Inches | |
| 622 | Hybrid Bikes | 700c | 29 |
| 571 | Older Schwinn Models | 650c | 26x1, 26x1 3/4 |
| 559 | City Bikes | 26x1.0 - 26x2.5 | |
| 507 | Cruisers | 24x1.5 to 24x2.5 | |
| CHILDREN'S BIKE TIRES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| ISO(mm) | Conventional Name | Inches | |
| 547 | British and Schwinn Children's Bikes | 24x1 1/8, 24x1 3/8 (S-5) | |
| 540 | British Children's Bikes | 600a | 26x1 1/2, 27.5 |
| 520 | Classic Mountain Bikes | 26x1.0 - 26x2.5 | |
| 507 | Children's Mountain Bikes | 24x1.5 to 24x2.5 | |
| 451 | Children's Lightweight Bikes | 20x1 1/8, 20x1 1/4, 20x1 3/8 | |
| 305 | Children's Bikes | 16x1.75 to 16x2.125 | |
| 203 | Children's Bikes | 12 1/2 x anything | |
| OTHER BIKE TIRES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| ISO(mm) | Conventional Name | Inches | |
| 451 | Some BMX Bikes | 20x1 1/8, 20x1 1/4, 20x1 3/8 | |
| 406 | Some Recumbent Bikes | 20x1.5 to 20x2.25 | |
| 406 | BMX Bikes | 20x1.5 to 20x2.25 | |
| 369 | Folding bikes by Moulton | 17x1 1/4 | |
| 355 | Folding bikes by Birdy | 26x1, 26x1 3/4 | |
| 349 | Folding bikes by Moulton | 16x1 3/8 | |
| 305 | Some Recumbent Bikes |
16x1.75 to 16x2.125 |
|
| ISO TIRE SIZES | ||
|---|---|---|
| ISO | Conventional Size | Application |
| 635mm | 28x1 1/2, 700B | Commonly used in Asia and the Netherlands for utility bicycles. |
| 630mm | 27 x anything | Older road bikes. |
| 622mm | 700C, 29inch | Modern road bikes, hybrids, 29" mountain bikes. |
| 599mm | 26x1.25, 26x1.375 | Old US lightweight bicycles. |
| 597mm | 26x1 1/4, 26x1 3/8 (S-6) | Older British bikes, Schwinn lightweight bikes from the 60s and 70s. |
| 590mm | 26x1 3/8 (EA3), 650A | 3-sp department store bikes, children's 10sp bikes, Italian high-performance bikes for smaller riders. |
| 587mm | 700D | Unusual size once used on some GT bikes. |
| 584mm | 26x1 1/2, 650B, 27.5" | Schwinn mountain bikes, the French utility, and touring bikes |
| 571mm | 26x1, 26x1 3/4, 650C | Old Schwinn cruiser bikes. 650C size used for modern high-performance road bikes for smaller riders and triathlon bikes. |
| 551mm | 26x1.0 to 26x2.5 | Many modern mountain bikes and cruisers. |
| 547mm | 24x1 1/8, 24x1 3/8 (S-5) | British and Schwinn children's bikes. |
| 540mm | 24x1 1/8, 24x1 3/8 (E5), 600A | Commonly used on wheelchairs. Also used on British children's bikes. |
| 520mm | 24x1, 24x1 1/8 | Used for front wheel on some Terry bicycles. |
| 507mm | 24x1.5 to 24x2.5 | Children's mountain bikes and cruisers. |
| 490mm | 550A | European children's road bikes. |
| 457mm | 22x1.75 to 22x2.125 | Children's bikes. |
| 451mm | 20x1 1/8, 20x1 1/4, 20x1 3/8 | Some recumbent bikes, children's lightweight bikes, and some BMX bikes. |
| 440mm | 500A | European children's bikes and folding bikes. |
| 419mm | 20x1 3/4 | Schwinn children's bikes. |
| 406mm | 20x1.5 to 20x2.25 | Most BMX bikes, some recumbents. |
| 390mm | 450A | European children's bikes. |
| 369mm | 17x1 1/4 | Alex Moulton bikes. |
| 355mm | 18x1.5 to 18x2.125 | Used on Birdy folding bike made by Burley. |
| 349mm | 16x1 3/8 | Original Moulton bikes from the '60s. |
| 340mm | 400A | European children's bikes. |
| 317mm | 16x1 3/4 | Schwinn children's bikes. |
| 305mm | 16x1.75 to 16x2.125 | Some recumbents, children's bikes, trailers. |
| 203mm | 12 1/2 x anything | Scooters, children's bikes. |
| 152mm | 10x2 | Wheelchair tire. |
| ETRTO | ENGLISH SIZE | FRENCH SIZE | GERMAN SIZE | RIM CIRCUMFERENCE (MM) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 40-635 | 28 x 1½ | 700B standard | 28 x 1½ | 1994 |
| 47-622 | 28 x 1,75 | 700C | 28 x 1,75 | 1995 |
| 40-622 | 28 x 1-5/8 x 1-3/4 | 700B standard | 28 x 1½ x 1,75 | 1995 |
| 38-622 | 28 x 1-5/8 x 1½ | 700 x 40C | 28 x 1½ x 1,75 | 1995 |
| 37-622 | 28 x 1-5/8 x 1-3/8 | 700 x 38C | 28 x 1-3/8 x 1-5/8 | 1995 |
| 32-622 | 28 x 1-5/8 x 1-3/8 | 700 x 35C | 28 x 1-1/4 x 1-3/4 | 1995 |
| 28-622 | 28 x 1-5/8 x 1-1/8 | 700 x 32C | 28 x 1-1/8 x 1-3/4 | 1995 |
| 25-622 | 28 x 1-5/8 x 1 | 700 x 38C | 28 x 1 x 1-1/4 | 1995 |
| 23-622 | - | 700 x 25C | - | 1995 |
| 32-630 | 27 x 1-1/4 | - | 27 x 1-1/4 | 1978 |
| 28-630 | 27 x 1-1/8 | - | 27 x 1-1/8 | 1978 |
| 25-630 | 27 x 1 | - | - | 1978 |
| 32-597 | 26 x 1-1/4 | - | - | 1876 |
| 37-590 | 26 x 1 3/8 | 650 x 35A | 26 x 1 3/8 | 1854 |
| 25-571 | 26 x 1 | - | 26 x 1 | 1854 |
| 32-590 | 26 x 1-3/8 x 1-1/4 | 650 x 35A | - | 1854 |
| 40-590 | 26 x 1-3/8 x 1½ | - | - | 1854 |
| 40-584 | 26 x 1½ | - | - | 1834 |
| 37-584 | 26 x 1½ x 1-3/8 | - | - | 1834 |
| 47-559 | 26 x 2 x 1-3/4 | - | 26 x 1,75 x 2 | 1755 |
| 32-541 | 26 x 2 x 1-3/4 | 650 x 35A | - | 1699 |
| 40-540 | 24 x 1-3/8 x 1½ | - | - | 1695 |
| 37-540 | 24 x 1-3/8 | - | 24 x 1-3/8 | 1695 |
| 40-534 | 24-1½ | - | - | 1676 |
How to Get the Right Bike Tire Size
Buying new tires for your bicycle shouldn't be too complicated. Your tire size will be printed on the side of your current tire. If you need to check your new bicycle tires' tire size, it is essential to check what numbers are on the old tire – it is the correct tire size. They are usually on the side of your bicycle tires.As long as your new tire’s size matches one of these sets of numbers, the new tire should fit your bike.
Signs For A New Bike Tire
Several signs show that it is a time to change a new bike tire:
- Your tread edges are noticeably worn down, and you can see a lot of flats.
- Your bike's handling has gotten noticeably worse.
- Your tire tread appears rounded or uneven.
- You notice a thread pattern (hashtags) on the sidewall of the tire.
- Rubber is beginning to crack or flake off of the knobs or sidewalls
- You notice a distortion in the tire caused by a damaged casing underneath the outer wall.
How to measure a bike tire
Bicycle tire measurements have two components. The larger number is the tire diameter in inches, and the smaller number is the tire width in inches. Although most tires have the measurements imprinted on the tire, the numbers can become worn and unreadable over time. You can find two setps of bike tire measurement below.
Step 1: stand up the bicycle with the kickstand, or lean it up against a sturdy wall.
Step 2: measuring diameter. Place a tape measure against the center of the bicycle wheel, and then extend the tape in a straight line towards the tire’s outer edge.
Step 3: measure the flat surface across the tire's tread from one side of the tire to the other. This is the tire width.
Step 4: Combine the measurements of tire diameter and width to obtain the tire size.
Choices In Tire Widths
The bike tire size is printed on the side of the tire. The next component of tire size is width. This is the second number in the tire measurement. We list several typical tire sizes below:
- Fat tires and tires work well on snow or sand and offer a relaxing, grippy ride wherever they go. Its width may reach 4".
- Cross-country bikes: 1.9" to 2.3" wide.
- Trail and all-mountain bikes: 2.3" to 2.5" wide.
- Downhill bikes: up to 2.5" wide.
- Road bike tires: Most road bikes have a 700mm outer diameter, with widths starting at 23mm. Most road tire widths are less than 30mm, but you can also find tires as wide as 45mm on bikes intended for gravel roads.
- Kids' bike tires: Typical diameters are 20" and 24", though you also see wheel sizes below 20" for tiny children's models, widths vary widely as well.
