In one of our calendars, we featured a lovely 1982 Colnago built for Guiseppe Saronni, who won the world championships that year, with 650C wheels. You often pose the question of why it has taken so long for the cycling community to realize that wider is not slower. Weve tested on rougher surfaces in the past, and there, wider tires are significantly faster. Performance is constant plus minus how many percent? Your planned ride sounds like a lot of fun, and a perfect place for our tires: a mix of pavement and grael. I get there are a lot of variables at play here such as aerodynamics, casing, tread, weight, etc so lets use the bon jon tread/ casing as an example. But all this was forgotten in later decades, as racers went to narrower and narrower tires. Really! Even on very smooth asphalt, you dont lose anything by going to wider tires (at least up to 54 mm). What would be the fastest width of this tire all the way from 19mm to 50+ mm, what is the fastest width given all the variables? The shape of a tyre once mounted and inflated is the most critical factor in determining how it performs, both individually and as part of that system with the wheel rim. So the supple casing uses less energy on both counts. Weve put my Firefly through our back-to-back hillclimb tests, and its performance matches that of the best bikes weve tested. Its too much for a simple blog post. All the courses are of global standards and recognized by competent authorities, thus with its very stiff frame climbed better for me with the tires at gravel pressure than at the higher road pressure. However, because they are, hopefully, your only contact point with the ground, you must also consider traction, comfort, flat resistance, and durability. A stiff, heavy touring tire is much slower than a supple high-performance tire no matter how wide it is. The reason is simple: Bicycles dont accelerate very quickly. In fact, I dont remember him crashing at all. While Id love to give a quick and easy answer that applies to all riders, thats not how cycling equipment works. Your comment is true I think if youre talking about a surface without suspension losses but real world Velodromes arent that. Schwinn marketed all skinny tire bikes as racers and as light bikes. What makes a high-performance casing is more complex than just a simple number like TPI we wrote about that here: https://janheine.wordpress.com/2015/01/05/tpi-and-tire-performance/. That sounds good in theory, but is there hard evidence? Perfect E learn helped me a lot and I would strongly recommend this to all.. But in theory, a larger diameter wheel due to wider tire will make the bike ride differently. For the actual data, please check the back issues of Bicycle Quarterly. I not so sure it is a myth, as MIT university did studies on bike science quite a while ago. That said, when everything is optimized, there is no reason why a bike with wider tires should climb slower. Please excuse the tangential question, but what bar tape is pictured at the top of this post? And in the 1920s, Vlocio, the editor of the French magazine Le Cycliste, discovered that as long as wide tires had supple casings, they rolled as fast as narrow ones. It might be a fun subject to test: Add invisible weights to one set of test wheels but not to the other (identical one), and then ride both wheels up a hill, measuring power and speed. test, which makes it an ideal choice for Indians residing With a crosswind, the wider tire was very slightly less aerodynamic. The first thing to accept is that we dont ride on smooth roads, says Donz. As I mentioned in an earlier comment, I think the situation is more complex: When you climb out of the saddle, the lateral acceleration of the bike is actually quite large at 90 rpm, the bike has to go from zero to maximum and back to zero three times every second! I do question a statement in the last section. So we started by testing 20, 23 and 25 mm tires (same tire model). The German magazine TOUR built a sophisticated setup with a motorized dummy rider and found that a 28 mm-wide tire had the same wind resistance as a 25 mm tire when the wind was coming from straight ahead. Youd expect a heavier wheel to smooth out the riders power stroke, but reality seems to be more complex nobody ever claims to have climbed better on heavier wheels! If you ride much faster, then its possible that wider tires have a little more wind resistance, but the difference will be so small that itll get lost in all the other factors that influence your bikes speed. Deduct the smaller, lighter rims and shorter spokes, and the difference is even smaller. Finally, aerodynamics. While fat tires are heavy and stiff, Cardiovascular and metabolic inefficiencies are an important consideration for riding in cold weather. Do you think the result generalizes well to other kind of tires that are identical except for the width, whatever that means, or are there certain kind of tires where things would likely be different? The first is friction what most people think of as rolling resistance. Were at a point where the rider can now save on every point. The track is smooth, suspension losses are negligible so wide tires arent needed. This is because tyres dont work in isolation but need to be viewed as part of the wheel system. Most riders like you and me cant just focus on just one factorweight, rolling resistance, aerodynamicsand ignore practical considerations like comfort, puncture resistance, longevity, traction, and price. This will affect performance perception and ride quality. We never sell your personal information. We can say that 54 mm tires arent slower than 25 mm tires, but what happens beyond that nobody knows! Yes, air does have mass, but it is pretty negligible. Equalize the bike weight using water bottles filled with weight for the lighter wheels, empty bottles for the heavier wheels. Its true that a higher pressure effectively reduces how much a tyre deforms and hence lowers energy loss, but thats only really of benefit if were riding on perfectly smooth surfaces, like a velodrome, Marchment says. If you continue to use this site, we assume that you are OK with this. At some point tires have diminishing returns based on how wide they are, otherwise we would be all racing on fat bike tires on the road. If you like the buzzy, connected-to-the-road feel of a racing bike, choose narrower tires. Being able to ride with much, much lower tyre pressures can potentially help far more to make bikes faster than we could have imagined. You are right wider tires change the handling of the bike because the wider tires stabilize the bike this works a bit like the geometric trail of the front-end geometry, and thus its called pneumatic trail. exams to Degree and Post graduation level. A more aerodynamic wheel is a faster wheel, but there are also other ways in which a wider tyre can improve speed. If somebody tells you otherwise, ask them why professional racers dont use the smallest (and thus lightest) wheels the rules allow. In our testing, weve only gone to 54 mm we need tires that have the same casing, same tread pattern, same tread rubber and thickness, etc., but come in different widths. At some point, tire performance must get worse as tires get wider. From what I can see, you can see tires getting narrower in the 1930s. Using our latest rims and comparing a 28mm tyre at much lower pressures even down to the 55-65psi range [with a 75kg rider] versus a 25mm tyre inflated up to 90-100psi, there is a profound effect on power. The 53s are probably overkill (I only weigh 140lbs) but theyre my favorite. And that likely means the Classic has (at the same tire width) a higher CRR (measured rolling resistance) than the Race. That will be a tight fit. Thanks for the interesting article. The reduced sensation of fatigue allows the rider to focus more exclusively on smooth power input through the pedals. The weight of air is negligible compared to the weight of the rubber that encloses it or the weight of steel and aluminium that supports it, let alone the weight of the engine. Thus, every climb is a long series of small accelerations, resulting in what I believe would be a more significant cumulative effect of the otherwise insignificant weight difference felt in a single acceleration. Also, aerodynamics matters a lot, lot more, which is why narrower tires are better. Wont this make the wider tires harder to accelerate? The question is, when does the increased aerodynamic drag of a wider tire swamp its lower rolling resistance? Weve built a rolling road like a treadmill for bikes to carry out very specific test protocols, but weve also done a lot of real-world testing and we couldnt believe the numbers we were seeing. Since overall bike weight affects climbing speed, the small extra weight of a wider tire will cost a little speed. Even though some weighed over 40 pounds. Every motor sport that races on rubber tires uses the biggest ones the rules allow and puts in as little air pressure as they can get away with. As a Post Script Andy Stow asked above about fat bike tires and his feeling of riding on molasses. If you want superior cornering grip and the ability to go fast even when the roads get rough, choose wider tires. tuition and home schooling, secondary and senior secondary level, i.e. And a 32mm tyre is only about 2 watts slower than an equivalent 28mm tyre. So given everything weve just discovered about the benefits, and with disc brakes eliminating a lot of the restrictions around rim size, why not opt for even wider rims and even more voluminous tyres? The only thing it changes is the gearing. Muscles have to burn energy reacting constantly to the vibrations, and that is ultimately energy that could be put into going forwards. We know the benefits weve discussed so far to be true and quantifiable, Marchment says, but there is a third level that is far less understood, and it could prove to be the biggest benefit of all. It would be interesting to see an article that covered both topics and either prove or dispel the idea of the higher the TPI, the better the tyre. Developing a conducive digital environment where students can pursue their 10/12 level, degree and post graduate programs from the comfort of their homes even if they are attending a regular course at college/school or working. A 650B tire at 42 mm width inflated to 3 bar holds about 8 liters of air more than it displaces. Its half gravel road (with a reputation for wrecking car tires) and half rough paved road, about 1400 km in total. The same gear rolls further with wider tires, making it harder to pedal, which may contribute to the perception that wider tires are slower. Unfortunately, the company no longer exists. or do you think Id be better going with a stiff touring tires to avoid flats, sidewall tears etc. A superfast TT (time trial) tire with no flat protection doesnt save you much time overall if you end up changing a bunch of flats along the ride; a compound thats superfast in dry conditions is of little use when youre trying to descend a winding mountain pass in cold rain. This is a great time to remind you that one of Bicyclings member perks is that members are free to email me anytime with their questions and Ill do my best to answer them. Thanks. Do you have any knowledge or predictions about how this applies to fat-bike tires? Basically, a lot more going on than a myth or belief. I commute on 42 mm tires. in the various widths, in practice, they are different tires. Even then, the wider tires required only 5 watt more on real roads, the reduced suspension losses probably make up for that. Now, with my 42s, 5000 miles is normal, and often, they last even longer. If a wide tyre is fitted on a narrow rim it will have mostly negative effects on performance, says Bastien Donz, wheel product manager at American brand Zipp. Like you say, other aspects of the bike do seem to make noticeable differences in climbing. There are of course some drawbacks to using even wider rims and tyres, he says. One issue I face is pinch flats on rough spots if my tire pressure is lower than 80psi or so (in 20 years of commuting, Ive bent 3 rims irreparably on road imperfectionsI love Denver, but our pavement sucks). The rim is so important in making this possible. We ride our tires on gravel all the time. Educational programs for all ages are offered through e learning, beginning from the online In other words, a bike with narrow tires feels faster even though it may actually be slower. I guess it depends on the terrain and everything. After doing research on just Schwinn, its obvious narrow tires are a product of marketing and reducing weight. I think the myth is mostly due to the difficulty (and expense) of finding high quality wide tires. And of course, since the supple casing absorbs vibrations better, a high-performance tires is more comfortable, too. Wider tyres run at lower pressures dont only make your ride more comfortable they can make you faster too. have discontinued my MBA as I got a sudden job opportunity after This is because the contact patch of a wide tyre is shorter and wider, or rounder, compared to the longer, slimmer elliptical shape created on a narrow tyre. Above is just one of many test sessions, with Rene Herse Extralight tires. While the Classic 28s are wider, they also have different construction, use a different rubber compound, and have a different tread pattern. Looking forward to the other 11 myths being destroyed. Cyclist contacted Wheel Energy, an independent test lab in Finland, to find out. helped me to continue my class without quitting job. For almost a century, cyclists knew that narrower tires roll faster. Myth #1 is not a myth on velodrome. We tested our tires on smooth pavement at29.5 km/h (18.3 mph), and found no speed difference between narrow and wide tires (see above). cheers. Its conceivable that your bike will climb slightly slower (or faster) if you go to wider tires. Plus, speed is just one factor to consider when considering whether or not to use a wider, or any, tire. Towards the aim, Perfect E learn has already carved out a niche for itself in India and GCC countries as an online class provider at reasonable cost, serving hundreds of students. Now imagine if the rider had put out their max power on a frame with better performance and had been riding supple tires designed for speed the difference would have been even greater. It took Bicycle Quarterlys real-road tests to show that a vibrating bike (and rider) is absorbing energy that reduces the bikes speed. Can you say anything else about climbing, long slow climbing on wider tires? A wider tires wont be much slower, but itll be a little heavier, and even if the difference is mostly psychologic, it can make a difference. Climbing would feel different to. A narrow tire with a high-performance casing will outperform a wide tires with a stiff touring casing, and vice versa. MBA is a two year master degree program for students who want to gain the confidence to lead boldly and challenge conventional thinking in the global marketplace. Myths Debunked: Higher Tire Pressure is NOT Faster, Myths Debunked: Wide Tires Are NOT Slower. Highlights From the 2022 Tour de France Femmes, 7 Best Kickstands To Prop Up Any Type of Bicycle. Which brings us nicely to Marchments third point. The benefits were astonishingly high; as much as 40-50 watts on rough road surfaces.. Thats a much more excruciating scenario to test, I realize. Probably Michelin or some other tire company decided to make tires narrower to conserve resources or to make more money per tire sale. That only tells us energy expenditure through the cranks and doesnt measure the work done by your arms, neck or back muscles. The wide tires referred to on this post cost north of $50 each, while I can get my 25mm Michelins for $30 or so (sometimes in a bundle that includes inner tubes!). Based on this and other testing, we developed our Rene Herse tires and optimized them for performance and comfort on real roads. How we test gear. Suspension losses are evident on velodromes too. What we needed to know was how much speed we would give up by going to wider tires. What all this means: If you run wider tires at lower pressures, you increase the flex of the tire (negative), but you reduce the suspension losses (positive): the two effects cancel each other, and your speed remains the same. Sorry. In other words, less rolling resistance. Compared to a balloon tire bike, any skinny tire would be faster. Of course, not all wide tires are fast. A wheel with a heavier rim is slower to accelerate uphill, but also decelerates slower. I recently got a question from a reader (see below) that illustrates why Im careful to dole out generalist answers and why you often cant focus on just one area of equipment performance and ignore the rest of the picture. Whats more, we have also found, contrary to what logic dictates, that this broader tyre shape can improve wheel aerodynamics overall, especially when stability in crosswinds is considered.. Placebo effect:The faster we ride, the higher the frequency at which our bike vibrates, because our tires encounter road irregularities at higher speed. The fastest tires are also the least durable. And with bicycles, the tires are pretty much the only suspension one has. That doesnt answer why riders believed that narrower tires are faster.
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