Tire size for least rolling resistance? - Page 2 - Cycling Mob: Road Cycling, Mountain Biking and More

04-05-2004, 05:23 PM

"Raymo853" <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote in message
news:c4si3e$1hvu$[Only registered and activated users can see links. ].psu.edu...
>
> Take a look at this:
>
[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]
>
>

I came across this site before and I suspect that Schwalbe recommend running
wider tyres because their tubulars aren't rated at the high pressures of
some of the other brands.

Marty

>
> "Tom Kunich" <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote in message
> news:Z%icc.16054$[Only registered and activated users can see links. ].pas.earth link.net...
> > "Chris Hansen" <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote in message
> > news:6902ac92.0404051149.2074b076@posting.google.c om...
> > >
> > > I've seen it mentioned that sometimes a wider tire can have less
> > > rolling resistance than the skinny tires that racers use so I was
> > > wondering what tire size would offer the least rolling resistance?
> >
> > It's strongly dependent on pressure. A 25 mm tire at 100 psi can have a
> lot
> > lower rolling resistance than a 20 mm tire at the same pressure but the
20
> > beats the 25 at 150 psi.
> >
> > That's why 23's and 25's are now the most popular sizes. For the sorts
of
> > pressures that people normally run they are the best compromise.
> >
> >
>
>

04-05-2004, 05:23 PM

"Raymo853" <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote in message
news:c4si3e$1hvu$[Only registered and activated users can see links. ].psu.edu...
>
> Take a look at this:
>
[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]
>
>

I came across this site before and I suspect that Schwalbe recommend running
wider tyres because their tubulars aren't rated at the high pressures of
some of the other brands.

Marty

>
> "Tom Kunich" <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote in message
> news:Z%icc.16054$[Only registered and activated users can see links. ].pas.earth link.net...
> > "Chris Hansen" <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote in message
> > news:6902ac92.0404051149.2074b076@posting.google.c om...
> > >
> > > I've seen it mentioned that sometimes a wider tire can have less
> > > rolling resistance than the skinny tires that racers use so I was
> > > wondering what tire size would offer the least rolling resistance?
> >
> > It's strongly dependent on pressure. A 25 mm tire at 100 psi can have a
> lot
> > lower rolling resistance than a 20 mm tire at the same pressure but the
20
> > beats the 25 at 150 psi.
> >
> > That's why 23's and 25's are now the most popular sizes. For the sorts
of
> > pressures that people normally run they are the best compromise.
> >
> >
>
>

04-05-2004, 05:23 PM

"Raymo853" <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote in message
news:c4si3e$1hvu$[Only registered and activated users can see links. ].psu.edu...
>
> Take a look at this:
>
[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]
>
>

I came across this site before and I suspect that Schwalbe recommend running
wider tyres because their tubulars aren't rated at the high pressures of
some of the other brands.

Marty

>
> "Tom Kunich" <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote in message
> news:Z%icc.16054$[Only registered and activated users can see links. ].pas.earth link.net...
> > "Chris Hansen" <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote in message
> > news:6902ac92.0404051149.2074b076@posting.google.c om...
> > >
> > > I've seen it mentioned that sometimes a wider tire can have less
> > > rolling resistance than the skinny tires that racers use so I was
> > > wondering what tire size would offer the least rolling resistance?
> >
> > It's strongly dependent on pressure. A 25 mm tire at 100 psi can have a
> lot
> > lower rolling resistance than a 20 mm tire at the same pressure but the
20
> > beats the 25 at 150 psi.
> >
> > That's why 23's and 25's are now the most popular sizes. For the sorts
of
> > pressures that people normally run they are the best compromise.
> >
> >
>
>

04-08-2004, 05:32 PM

On Mon, 05 Apr 2004 20:07:21 GMT, "Tom Kunich" <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]>
wrote:
>It's strongly dependent on pressure. A 25 mm tire at 100 psi can have a lot
>lower rolling resistance than a 20 mm tire at the same pressure but the 20
>beats the 25 at 150 psi.

Huh? Why, at 150 psi, would a 20 beat a 25? If they're both the same
150 psi...the 25 ought to be better. Right?

If you're saying that the 25 is likely to be limited to 100psi and
the 20 is good for 150 psi, and that the result is less RR from the
20, then that's probably right.

Narrower tires are more aero, too...though the 5mm is probably too
tiny an aero penalty to worry about for general riding.
--
Rick Onanian

04-08-2004, 05:32 PM

On Mon, 05 Apr 2004 20:07:21 GMT, "Tom Kunich" <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]>
wrote:
>It's strongly dependent on pressure. A 25 mm tire at 100 psi can have a lot
>lower rolling resistance than a 20 mm tire at the same pressure but the 20
>beats the 25 at 150 psi.

Huh? Why, at 150 psi, would a 20 beat a 25? If they're both the same
150 psi...the 25 ought to be better. Right?

If you're saying that the 25 is likely to be limited to 100psi and
the 20 is good for 150 psi, and that the result is less RR from the
20, then that's probably right.

Narrower tires are more aero, too...though the 5mm is probably too
tiny an aero penalty to worry about for general riding.
--
Rick Onanian

04-08-2004, 05:32 PM

On Mon, 05 Apr 2004 20:07:21 GMT, "Tom Kunich" <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]>
wrote:
>It's strongly dependent on pressure. A 25 mm tire at 100 psi can have a lot
>lower rolling resistance than a 20 mm tire at the same pressure but the 20
>beats the 25 at 150 psi.

Huh? Why, at 150 psi, would a 20 beat a 25? If they're both the same
150 psi...the 25 ought to be better. Right?

If you're saying that the 25 is likely to be limited to 100psi and
the 20 is good for 150 psi, and that the result is less RR from the
20, then that's probably right.

Narrower tires are more aero, too...though the 5mm is probably too
tiny an aero penalty to worry about for general riding.
--
Rick Onanian

04-09-2004, 05:03 PM

Raymo853 wrote:

> Take a look at this:
> [Only registered and activated users can see links. ]
>

OTOH, take a look at this:

[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

Seems to me the general trend is that narrower tires do slightly better.

But: I don't know what the road surface looked like for those tests.
ISTR that the smoother the road, the better narrow tires do, but that
for rougher roads, wider tires offer less rolling resistance. And
incidentally, by "rougher" I don't necessarily mean potholes. If I
remember right, just a rough texture is enough to harm the rolling
resistance of narrower tires.

This is probably a good question for rec.bicycles.tech

--
-------------+
Frank Krygowski [To reply, omit what's between "at" and "cc"]

04-09-2004, 05:03 PM

Raymo853 wrote:

> Take a look at this:
> [Only registered and activated users can see links. ]
>

OTOH, take a look at this:

[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

Seems to me the general trend is that narrower tires do slightly better.

But: I don't know what the road surface looked like for those tests.
ISTR that the smoother the road, the better narrow tires do, but that
for rougher roads, wider tires offer less rolling resistance. And
incidentally, by "rougher" I don't necessarily mean potholes. If I
remember right, just a rough texture is enough to harm the rolling
resistance of narrower tires.

This is probably a good question for rec.bicycles.tech

--
-------------+
Frank Krygowski [To reply, omit what's between "at" and "cc"]

04-09-2004, 05:03 PM

Raymo853 wrote:

> Take a look at this:
> [Only registered and activated users can see links. ]
>

OTOH, take a look at this:

[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

Seems to me the general trend is that narrower tires do slightly better.

But: I don't know what the road surface looked like for those tests.
ISTR that the smoother the road, the better narrow tires do, but that
for rougher roads, wider tires offer less rolling resistance. And
incidentally, by "rougher" I don't necessarily mean potholes. If I
remember right, just a rough texture is enough to harm the rolling
resistance of narrower tires.

This is probably a good question for rec.bicycles.tech

--
-------------+
Frank Krygowski [To reply, omit what's between "at" and "cc"]