Tony: Wheels, tires, and tire pressure all relate to one thing, load. 19mm-23mm x 700c are “RACE” tires. The give up durability for performance. The are designed for speed, not longevity. Go to any bicycle race and you will see dozens of wheels at the ready for each cyclist. So keep that in mind. I weigh 250 and I use 25mm x 700c Ultra Sports or Equinox tires. I should run a 28mm on the rear. But one of my frames 28mm the clearance is to close for comfort. Almost all road tires are designed for loads under 200 pounds. So wider tires do spread out a bit bigger foot print. This helps with load distribution to the road. It also gives you a bit more traction. Go with wire bead and low thread count. Wire beads seat wider tires better to rims. Low thread count threads are thicker. This makes the side walls stiff. Stiff side walls are less prone to punctures. They prevent pinch flats. The also prevent popping a bead off a rim in cornering. If you ever been to a Crit race. You see race tires blow in the corners. Its because a Kevlar bead popped off the rim. Again we are not racing across Iowa. For heavier riders and those with panniers. The wheels can have problems. Again you have to match load with design. Rims will spider crack at nipples. Spokes will snap. Rims will buckle (taco). So its best to go with tried and proven wheelsets designed for heavy loads. They best of these are custom made. They really don’t cost much more than a quality prefabricated set. My Velocity Deep V’s were just under $400. After 3 season they still are true as the day I got them.They have proven Velocity Deep V rims that handle high loads. The wheelsmith laced (32) 14ga stainless steel spokes in a 3 cross pattern. 3 cross is one of the strongest patterns for wheel design. Race wheels typically use 2 cross rear and radial front. Which are much weaker by comparison. Combining a strong wheel to a wire bead tire with low thread count. Make for a trouble free ride. The comfort of the ride. Depends on road conditions and tire pressure. There are trade offs. Typically for heavier loads. Just like trucks. You have to run high pressure. I run at 125psi. Someone 100 pounds lighter than me would run at 85psi. To get the same roll out. If that same 150 pound person ran tires at 125psi. It would most likely be a very ruff ride. Lighter riders are fortunate that bikes are designed for there weight. Heavier riders have to consider load and adjust the bikes hardware accordingly.http://www.sheldonbrown.com

Good stuff. Thanks Tony.