Do you need to change your road bike tires for commuting?

If you commute in town, you’re likely to need a more heavy-duty option. Broken glass and general debris mean the probability of slitting your tires is way higher. Speed isn’t everything for commuting, so you’ll want to look out for a hard-wearing tire that will give you some longevity for the money.

Best road bike tyres for summer riding

One of the best road bike tires mounted on a rim

(Image credit: Future)

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Best Road Bike Tires Buyers Guide

By Simon Smythe

last updated 2 August 2023

in Buying Guides

The best road bike tires will add some extra speed, grip and comfort to your summer riding. There are plenty of choices out there, with manufacturers putting a lot of R&D into their rubber compounds and tire construction for the best road bike tires in their ranges.

Speed can come at the expense of durability though, particularly once the weather starts to deteriorate as winter approaches, so you might want to swap to more robust winter tires for the cooler months and keep your best road bike tires for next summer. Paired up with the best road bike wheels, you'll appreciate the edge they give when the weather perks up again.

You can trust Cycling Weekly. Our team of experts put in hard miles testing cycling tech and will always share honest, unbiased advice to help you choose. Find out more about how we test.

What are the best tires for a road bike?

There are three types of bike tire on the market - clinchers, tubulars and tubeless - and they each have their pros and cons.

First up is the clincher, the choice of the majority of road riders. This features a bead around the outside of the tire which hooks under a lip on the rim, with a separate inner tube running inside.

The main advantage of this system is convenience, with the inner tube being easy to change in the event of a puncture. There are a vast number on the market, so we rounded up the best bike inner tubes to help you find the best fit for your clincher.

Next is the tubular tire. With this design, the inner tube is sewn into the tire, with the whole thing then attached to the wheel using glue or adhesive rim tape. This is the choice of a lot of racers due to the generally lower rolling resistance and weight, particularly of the wheel rim since this doesn't need a lip, but is a faff to set up, expensive and can be impractical when you puncture.

Finally, you’ve got tubeless tires. These are similar to clinchers, but with the tire sitting firmly enough against the rim to hold the tire’s pressure, eliminating the need for an inner tube altogether. The tire is then filled with sealant, which plugs cuts or gashes in the rubber.

Our tubeless sealant buyer's guide explains all you need to know when choosing the right product for your tubeless tires.

This system has very low rolling resistance and greatly reduces the chance of punctures, although the snug fit that is required between the tire and the rim can make tubeless tires difficult to fit and it can be awkward to get the tire to seat properly.

The puncture protection offered by tubeless tires is very impressive. To see how impressive watch the video below where we hammer nails into a tire!

What are the best puncture resistant road bike tires?

The three main categories to look out for in a tire are puncture proofing, the tire's rolling ability and grip levels. Whilst in an ideal world we’d have all three, in reality, we have to limit one to increase another.

In order to boost puncture protection, manufacturers will usually add an extra layer - a Kevlar or Vectran breaker in most cases - to catch foreign objects before they reach the tube. The tougher these layers are, the heavier and more sturdy they'll make the overall rubber - making them slower or less supple, so reducing grip.

Ultimately, you need to decide what's more important to you. Riders commuting on less than perfect road surfaces - especially during the winter - will favour puncture protection. If this is you then you'll probably want to choose from one of the best winter tires for road cycling instead.

A rider racing on a closed circuit may be more concerned with rolling resistance and grip.

If you are after maximum protection from flatting on a ride, then head over to our page dedicated to the best puncture-proof tires for cycling.

What is the best width for a road bike tire?

We have a couple of things to consider before we go in-depth. A standard road wheel size is 700c with the most common tire options being 23, 25 or 28mm widths.

Traditionally, 23mm widths were put on race bikes, 25mm for training and 28mm widths for a mixture of hard and rough roads.

With modern technology allowing for better tire construction, we’ve seen a definite shift in how different width tires are used. For example, most road riders now like to use 25mm tires as they handle better in the corners, can lower rolling resistance by dampening out uneven surfaces and can be run at lower pressures than 23mm tires.

Wider tires can deliver better comfort, puncture protection and grip, mainly at the cost of weight. They're better for wet winter roads too.

With modern disc brake road bikes generally offering greater tire clearance, 30 and 32mm tires are becoming more commonplace, especially on endurance or audax bikes.

Should you change your road bike tires depending on the season?

Summer brings good weather, clean roads and the best road bikes out to play, so it seems ludicrous that we would stick a slow-rolling and heavy-duty tire on our bikes.

If a fast rolling tire is your thing, you’ll be expected to have lowered protection from punctures with a thinner puncture protection belt to help reduce weight and rolling resistance, which will help that fast feeling we all desire.

However, come the colder months many riders will opt for winter road bike tires to counter the associated bad weather and gritty harsh roads, to save them from being victims of the dreaded flint or glass puncture. If you're new to cycling, or even a recent returner, it's always good to know how to fix a puncture and mend an inner tube.

Larger tires allow for lower pressures that help absorb the bumps, increasing grip and comfort too. Watch out for mudguard clearance though as larger tires could be limited if you have minimal clearance.

If you're after something for more off road adventures, then it's worth investing in the best gravel bike tires.

Are cheaper road bike tires any good?

What are we really paying for? In basic terms we pay for technology in the rubber, quality of the construction and weight.

Cheaper options tend to lack in grip and puncture protection and are usually supplied with a heavier, steel bead. Rigid steel beaded tires, other than being harder to transfer around off the bike, are heavier than folding alternatives.

Though cheaper, they can also be a pain to put on and pull off the wheel, mostly at the expense of your thumbs.

Although you may feel that a cheaper option is ok for you, some tire manufacturers ensure their compounds work well in a good range of temperatures, meaning either grip, protection or longevity works better all year round. It may be a big outlay but might pay to save money in the long run.

How do you know if your road bike tires are worn or damaged?

Keeping an eye on your tread is important too. Not only for the life of the tire, but watching out for stuck glass or flints that haven’t penetrated just yet.

Ideally, cleaning your bike regularly and giving your tires a quick once over before each outing could save you a puncture during your ride, unless you pick something up en-route of course.

If your time is limited, then it's worth knowing how to clean your road bike in seven minutes.

What do you need to repair a puncture?

As you’ll know, it doesn’t matter how well you prepare, you’ll inevitably get a puncture... there, we’ve said the P word!

There are seven essentials you need to take on every ride. In your pocket or seatpack you should carry at least a set of tire levers, puncture repair kit, two tubes, a mini-pump and a business card just in case you have a complete blow out. It does happen.

Simon Smythe is a hugely experienced cycling tech writer, who has been writing for Cycling Weekly since 2003. Until recently he was our senior tech writer. In his cycling career Simon has mostly focused on time trialling with a national medal, a few open wins and his club's 30-mile record in his palmares. These days he spends most of his time testing road bikes, or on a tandem doing the school run with his younger son.

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