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I like to change my tires with the Continental 4000S II 28mm width tires. Do I need new tubes for the wider tires or can I use my old ones from my 23mm tires?

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    23 is usually sold as 19-23 so getting it to 28 would be a stretch. I would just buy new tubes when you get the tires.
    – paparazzo
    May 27, 2015 at 9:49
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    Yeah, basically it's what's stamped on the tube. If the tube tops out at 23 you could stretch to 28 in an emergency, but it would not be wise in a planned situation. (Tubes are cheap.) May 27, 2015 at 10:58
  • There are tubes in slightly different sizes, which would make the difference much less than @DanielRHicks says. There's a bontrager 23-25 and a boardman 25-28. But you probably don't know what you've already got. A 23-28 is listed on amazon. This would be an option if you thought about changing tyres back again. In general as tubes are cheap compared to tyres I'd buy a good tube for the new tyres and carry the old one as a spare.
    – Chris H
    May 27, 2015 at 14:45

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A tube will have a range. Most likely the original range of that tube did not include 28. Small tubes are usually sold as 19-23. Yes the rubber would probably stretch to 28 without bursting but it would definitely be weak. If you are going to spend money on new tires then spend money on new tubes. Even same size I put new tubes in new tires. Save the old for emergency. Better yet save the old tires with tubes for emergency unless the tires are just plain shot.

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    For what its worth, I've had 19-23 tubes in a pair of 28's for over a year without problems. It's better to have the right tube, but 28 wont kill ya.
    – Batman
    May 27, 2015 at 17:57
  • @Batman And cigarettes might not kill you. Does not mean they are good for you.
    – paparazzo
    May 27, 2015 at 19:10
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Depends on the tubes. Schwalbe makes some (i.e. SV20) which go from 18-622 to 25-622, so you could probably risk the 28-622 (if the tire is even really that wide, they are often quite a bit narrower than specified).

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