Roadini/Roadeo official tire clearance uprated?

[Matt D]

Riv recently added a new explainer to the "Bicycles & Frames" page on the website. It includes this line concerning the Roadini and Roadeo:

Rivendell differences: More comfort, safer, more useful, more beautiful, and much more versatile. The bigger tires improve life on rough roads, and the clear fenders with tires up to 32mm, or without fenders, tires to 35mm. . Most other road bikes still being made max out at 28mm, with no fender at all. 

But here's what the Roadeo page says concerning clearance

FOR SURE: The Jack Brown, which is NOMINALLY 33.333mm wide on most rims--but that's irrelevant, remember?--measures about 700mm on a 24mm rim. It's the fattest unfendered tire we can categorically commit to fitting the ROADEO fork. If you want fenders also, best limit the tire to 682mm height...which will be about a 28.

And likewise, from the Roadini brochure:

2. the same tire clearances (as the Roadeo)—up to a 35mm with no fender, and easily a 28mm with.

So what should I believe? Roadeo said 28 fendered/33 1/3rd unfendered, Roadini said 28 fendered/35 unfendered, and now it's come down that supposedly they'll work with 32s and fenders. And then of course we have at least one person on this list further muddying the waters by revealing that with careful caliper choice up front you can wedge 38s in a Roadini, but that's for sure unofficial. It does serve as an argument in favor of the original clearance estimated perhaps being a little conservative, though.

So, I know I've asked this on here before but maybe it's worth revisiting - who out here is running tires over 28 with fenders on a Roadeo/Roadini? How's it going? I hear tell you have official support now.

[Eamon Nordquist]

Matt said, "So what should I believe?"

Believe it all. There just isn't one answer that fits everyone's situation. Yes, someone has fit 38's in a Roadini, despite Rivendell recommending 35mm as the max. That doesn't mean Rivendell was too conservative, it just means someone was willing to fit a 38 in there with very little clearance for debris, out of true rims, etc. (the pictures I saw showed a TIGHT fit). It's all about how little clearance you're willing to accept (or how much risk). On frames with that brake reach, 28mm with fenders and 35mm without are always going to be the safe bet. 32mm with fenders can probably fit too, but probably only with well setup fenders and no venturing offroad (where debris might get caught between fender and tire, causing a lockup). I've had a front fender get jammed, and when that fender accordions up to the fork crown, you are over the bars faster than you can imagine.

There are a lot of factors to consider if you want 32mm tires and fenders. Do your brakes hang down low enough that you can't get your fenders snug up against the fork crown and chainstay? For most sidepulls, the answer is probably yes, and it's safer to stick with 28's. Centerpull brakes are your friend here, as they typically leave more clearance. My vintage Trek with similar clearance will fit 32's and fenders using Dia Compe 610 centerpull brakes, but no modern dual pivot sidepull I tried left enough room (at least with clearance I was comfortable with). The type of fenders can make a difference, and tire width/height varies from manufacturer to manufacturer, plus the rims the tires are mounted on can change the dimensions.

Eamon

Seattle

[Steven Garen]

I have Paul racers on my Roadeo and have fit 32mm tires with honjo fenders on 19mm internal rims. Yes it worked, but it was annoying because leaves kept getting caught. Thankfully never had anything significant get stuck cuz worst case that could crumple the metal fender and jam it into the wheel causing a not fun crash. So 28s work awesome with fenders. But this winter I may split the difference and try Challenge 30s with fenders. RItchey also makes a roadish 30mm tire. Without fenders I clear Compass 35s on 19mm internal rims just fine. I hesitate to jam 38s because that seems like it would get a little wide for my rims, and 35s feel plush and fast. If anything, considering building some velocity quills (21mm internal) to eek out a little more footprint on the 35s.