We take a look at 5 indisputable(ish) reasons why you should.
I will confess, like a truly tech-sceptical roadie, it took me a while to try out wider tyres. Thankfully, part of my job is testing cycling kit and this gave me the chance to try a range of wider tyres. It’s safe to say that I’m now converted.
Buyer’s guide to tubeless tyres — all your options in new technology rubber
My race bike runs 26mm tyres while for general riding I love the comfort provided by the lower pressures of 30mm rubber. But that’s just me.
What are you all using? What setup has been working for you and what would you suggest avoiding when it comes to choosing tyres? Is your choice influenced by the quality of roads in your area, or limiting factors like space in your frame?
34 of the best road cycling tyres
Let us know down in the comments below.
6 thoughts on “Video: Should you ride wider tyres?”
The video is wrong, but why
The video is wrong, but why let facts get in the way of a good story:
Taken from the Rolling Resistance website quoted:
“We’ve adjusted all air pressures to values that provide the same comfort level (4.5 mm tire drop) and what do we see… a flat line! All sizes of the GP 5000 now have nearly the same rolling resistance. We even see the 25-622 being the slowest (by 0.2 watts) which can be traced back to it being the tire with the highest tread thickness. “
“We feel the rolling resistance at the same comfort level is the most important part of this test as it equals the playing field for all tires. We have now learned that going to wider tires does not directly result in a lower rolling resistance but only if you’re ok with giving up comfort at the same time.”
Also: “In the previous tests where we tested all tires at the same air pressures, the bigger tires had a lower rolling resistance. At the same air pressure, a bigger tire will be less comfortable as tire drop will be less and subsequently works as a harder spring. “
So for same comfort levels rolling resistance doesn’t change no matter what size tyres you are running and at the same pressure the wider tyres are actually less comfortable!
They are also less aerodynamic and weigh more. Why are we riding wider tyres again??
BRR is a fantatsic website
BRR is a fantastic website but all their tests are carried out on a smooth drum.
We don’t ride on super smooth tarmac in real life and hence we knowingly ride wider tyres at lower pressures to increase comfort even if rolling resistance is affected. In reality I find that the more comfortable I am the faster I go.
On a velodrome for sure, narrower is still faster. Also you’d be mad to spend loads on deep rims and have tyres wider than the rims but if using shallow rims then in my personal experience the wider the tyre the better.
Strange that everything he
Strange that everything he put forward as definate advantages aren’t and the only sure thing (resistance to pinch punctures) he’s not certain of? I had some 19mm tyres years ago and they were noticably more comfortable than 23’s (both pumped as hard as I could manage). Just had to be careful of potholes but there were less about then which is why we need even wider tyres now…
Surely wider tyres will make
Surely wider tyres will make maintaining social distancing more difficult?
I take umbridge with the more
I take umbridge with the more aero comment, a star next to the headline does not make it less of a headline.
The width of the wheel and the depth of the rim contribute to the aerodynamic’ness. The size of the tyre has naff all to do with it. The 105 rule is king – https://blog.silca.cc/part-5-tire-pressure-and-aerodynamics#comments-listing
Also common sense dictates, all things being equal, a narrower tyre/wheel combo would fly in the face of the headline and be more aerodynamic than a wider tyre.
In the real world, I’m running a tubeless tyre on a 17/26mm wide rim, it’s a 23mm, which blows up at 80psi to 26mm. I run a 25 on the rear, where it matters far less.
Why are most of us bothard
Why are most of us bothard about aero/rolling resistance etc. Why can’t people just go out and ride their bikes and enjoy the experience. To hung up on weight or lack of, aerodynamics all all the other stuff we are being told we need, just so we can ride the occasional sportive.
I get it if you race, we all like a bit of an edge in a TT and when I raced I would look for little gains, never helped I was rubbish.
loved the 19mm tyres. It was the narrower the better. Then I think Michelin made some 23’s and it may have been Fagor, with Laurent Fignon in the TDF who started the wider tyre fashion. Now it’s just got a bit silly, we don’t know what to use or how. But positively 23 mm tyres will become cheaper and I’ll use them, but I’d still use 19’s.