Which tire is faster?

This is pretty cool.

I especially like the 23c vs 25c thing and the 26" vs 29".
 
During the summer months we normally run Michelin Pro 3 race on the tandem@ 120 psi. Over the winter I normally change to 25's as the ride seemed more comfortable and the wider tire seemed to wear longer.When changing back to 23's in the spring I always felt the 25's gave a better ride. The 23's wear a lot faster using sometimes 4 or 5 tires over the spring, summer, fall season. I guess the added rolling resistence might explain that.
You only need to ride a 29er once to feel the difference in the rolling effort vs a 26er. Thanks for the article, Bill.
Ed and Pat Gifford
the Snot Rocket tandem
 
Can't you combat casing deflection in a 23 with higher pressure? Shouldn't this give you both lower weight and equivalent (if not better) rolling resistance? Of course at the cost of a supple ride....
 
25c tires are also easier to mount.

When I 1st worked in a shop (1992) all the roadies wanted 20c tires. They were a huge pain to mount.

I usually sell tires to most folks in 25c rear / 23 front anyway.

Based on this, I might just go all 25c and see how it goes.

Roadie types are creatures of habit and as a rule they prefer a higher psi and narrower tire.

Vredistein tires say 175 psi on them and that alone often sells the tires over other brands. That being said a tire at 175psi feels fast because it is so stiff. It actually starts to bounce down the road and looses the glide of a tire at a lower psi. It is also noteworthy that the rims are most often designed to max out at 120 psi.

Personally I am sold on the Tubeless concept. The lower psi ride very smoothly and the sealant makes for flat-free living.

The article says that a gain can be felt with a latex tube over a butyl tube. That points to a lower rolling resistance in a setup that is tube free. I think??
 
jdog said:
The article says that a gain can be felt with a latex tube over a butyl tube. That points to a lower rolling resistance in a setup that is tube free. I think??
Click to expand...

I wasn't sure but that is what I thought too.
 
ellbiddy said:
Can't you combat casing deflection in a 23 with higher pressure? Shouldn't this give you both lower weight and equivalent (if not better) rolling resistance? Of course at the cost of a supple ride....
Click to expand...

I was left thinking the same thing. Perhaps higher inflation results in more energy being absorbed thus increasing rolling resistance. I was under the impression that the larger tire (25c or 29er) experienced less 'natural' deflection when inflated to recommended pressures. Perhaps internal displacement of air is a factor? i.e. there is a point where increased internal air pressure and air displacement starts to absorb too much energy?

Does this mean that brands who use this service will now advertise the optimal pressure for rolling performance? I would like to see some number on running higher and lower pressures.

Also, at what size does the increased weight and contact patch negate the advantage of the larger tire size? if a 25c has a 10% benefit over a 23c, what about a 28c? Is the next mtb craze going to be the 36er?

edit: holy sh*t, I am turning into a bike geek!
 
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