Been riding my Pearson touché for last year or so but started to get bored with both the bike and bone shaking ride (running 700 x 25 armadillos at max psi). I had a rusting (and much hated stretched out steerer tube cut too low) bad boy in the garden with slicks, so upgraded with 45 degree on one stem, high riser bar and 2.2 halo twin rails at 50 psi. Result = armchair ride over North Londons third world road network. However most surprising was that I get to work in exactly the same time….even thought the chainset is knackered and the bike feels a couple of kilos heavier. Conclusion is that due to traffic lights and traffic, ‘upgrading’ to skinny tyres just for commuting is utterly pointless

commuting IN LONDON is utterly pointless

used to enjoy a great run on the road bike in the lakes

I’ve ridden 23mm tires in London for my commute since 1995 and have never had a problem for my 40 mile round trip. Maybe I’m doing something very wrong?

There are a lot of people that get their physics in a twist regarding rolling resistance and tyre width. The main reason to make tyres narrow is to reduce aerodynamic drag not rolling resistance. As the relationship between speed and wind resistance is exponential at lower commuting speeds it becomes less relevant. Wider tyres (sufficiently inflated) can have less rolling resistance than narrow ones.

When you also consider the reduction in fatigue from a wider tyres on rough roads and the reduction in need to constantly get out of the saddle over rough ground and the consequent improvement in pedalling smoothness and I could well imagine it being faster. Just because it works for T de F riders at T de F speeds does not necessarily mean it transfers to joe average on his commute.

Lower commuting speeds? Just because the average is low doesn’t mean that I don’t ride fast when I have the opportunity. On my commute I have 127 sets of traffic lights, the thought of setting off repeatedly with a heavy bike as opposed to a reasonably light bike isn’t one that works for me.

Gone from langster fixed, 25mm tyres to inbred alfine 8 with some large slick tyres for 8 -10 mile commute in south london- the inbred is slower and harder work.

“max psi”
and you wonder why the ride is harsh?
or are you a 15stone pie eater?

+1 MrSmith – it’s not as though Armadillo tires aren’t harsh riding even before you pump them up too hard.

“The main reason to make tyres narrow is to reduce aerodynamic drag “

look at the current thinking on the aero rim/tyre width/shapes from the likes of HED and Zipp firecrest. width means less drag.

armadillos have a thick carcass with high tpi so no wonder the ride is harsh. commuted in london for several years and use 4-seasons/gp4000’s in 23c and had less than a handful of punctures (i can’t actually remember what year i had any in) the ride is fine at 80-90psi but then i only weigh 10stone.

Part of my rural Staffordshire commute is along badly resurfaced roads with a kind of ripply undulation; I’ve noticed that along this stretch I am faster on my inbred with 2.2″ summer tyres than my cross bike with 23mm slick tyres on, I think simply because I can sit and spin more efficiently without being bumped about all the time. The cross bike is faster overall, but I do wish they would resurface that bit properly…

I use GP4000s in 23c and 25c on my London commute – much much better than stiff armoured tyres which just rattle over the road surface and leave you in fear of sliding out all the time.
I have them at 90-100 psi, but then I’m a bit healthier than MrSmith.
So skinny tyres aren’t pointless, they’re a preference.
If a hybrid works for you, then great.

Just because the average is low

This is the important bit – although to be fair with lots of accelerations so is rotating weight which would favour the narrow,light tyre.

I was a time trailer through the late 80’s and early 90’s as the fad was to go narrower and narrower in the mistaken belief that is was faster – I rode for years with 18c tyres/tubs and even used old race ones in the winter when money was tight 😳

Short article from Bike Radar

All that article says is that Specialized tires are now better than they used to be.
Anyway, back to the OP – have you tried inflating the tires on your road bike to a better pressure?

Commuted in that London many years ago. Heavy steel framed mountain bike with fat slicks was best for me – comfortable and could hop up and down kerbs, over potholes etc. without worrying about flats. May not have been fastest but was most fun…

I’ve run at reduced pressure but still not great (although to be fair probably as much due to lightweight flat tubed aluminium frame on the Pearson – I’m an avid pie eater but tip scales at 13 st) – my point was more about the speed really (although the comfort bit was the initial reason for turning the ‘sad boy’ into a pub bike). In heavy traffic and lights I reckon your speed has more to do with leg strength / technique / suicidal traffic light approach tendancies than lightweight kit – also now spend less time looking out for potholes.

I run 2 commuters for that London – Explosif running 2.3 UST Vredestein Killer Bees at 35psi, and heavy steel tourer / hybrid on Schwalbe Marathon touring tyres (35mm) at 60 psi. Latter for the better part of the year, the Explosif for the worse weather.

Personally I find the tourer more comfortable due to the riding position (on the hoods) regardless of tyre pressures and quicker to get up to speed. As for the rest, it depends on the surface – a rougher surface is more likely to slow me down more on the tourer, but on a smoother one the narrower tyres are definitely quicker. As I’m as aerodynamic as a brick I can’t think the benefit is much to do with that!

After years of London commuting I have ended up preferring to ride Schwalbe Kojack 26 * 1.95 slicks in town*. Light and puncture resistant, need to be light as otherwise lots of energy lost to accelerations from dead stop. Big air volume and contact patch mean I don’t find myself swerving around to avoid cracks, potholes and metalwork nearly as much as on 23c conti 4000s on the other bike. On a super clear run probably faster on race rubber, but normal day to day run same time.

* “in town” for me is what I think of as red light zone anywhere within about 5 miles of Trafalgar Square. Rides including big distances outside this 23/25c is still first option.