When you purchase or upgrade a road bike, you have lots of components to consider, from the seat to the frame. With tires, you'll want to take into account tread pattern, air pressure and size. Road bike tires come in a set of standard sizes.
Rim Size
Two numbers come into play in determining tire sizes. The first is the rim size that the tire will fit. The standard rim size for road bikes is 700c. You'll also find 650c rims, which are good for riders who are shorter than 5 foot 7. Bikes are standardized with the European measurement set by the International Standards Organization and recognized by the European Tire and Rim Association. That's why you don't see formerly common tire sizes such as 27 by 1 inch or 27 by 1 ¼ inches on newer bikes.
Width
The second size on the tire refers to how wide the tire is. The main tire sizes you'll find on road bikes are 700 by 28c, 700 by 25c, 700 by 23c, 700 by 20c and 700 by 19c. You'll want narrower tires for time trial riding and track riding. You'll want the fatter tires for rough roads. The tire size for your road bike is limited by the bike's frame and brake clearance.
Considerations
Your typical road bike size is 700 by 23c. If you are a heavier rider, it makes sense for you to pick fatter tires so less shock is transferred up from the road to your hands. Fatter tiers give more suspension to your ride and also have a larger surface area, which creates more drag. The bigger surface area is more prone to issues like punctures.
Measuring
The tire width is not measured from rim to rim, Instead, it is based on a formula applied to the total length of the tire casing. ISO rules call for taking the distance between the tire's two beads when measured over the tire tread and dividing this by 2.5.
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