hersefan@comcast.net wrote:
<much context removed>
>".....wide tires overall are likely to be faster than skinny tires which have HIGHER rolling resistance).
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You forget the important words "at the same pressure."
At a given weight and pressure the contact patch is going to be pretty
much the same area regardless of tire size, the wider tire has the
rolling resistance advantage as the contact patch while the of the same
area is shorter i.e. the flat spot is not as long.
Due to structural reasons skinner tires generally can take more pressure
which creates a smaller contact patch which can quickly overcomes the
advantage of the wider tire.
It is all a compromise, there is I believe a sweet spot or zone depending on the rider, the road conditions and the weight carried.
Cobbles on a 21mm tire at 140 psi or a smooth steep climb on a 38mm tire at 50psi both would tire (pun not intended) me out pretty quickly and the reverse situation would be a definite improvement.
That said, it seems quite obvious to me that 1 1/4" or 32mm is THE perfect tire width, now how about that diameter I'm thinking 597mm. ;-)
Marcus Coles
London, Ontario, Canada