Tire size for least rolling resistance?

"Chris Hansen" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

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.

On 5 Apr 2004 12:49:52 -0700, [email hidden] (Chris Hansen)

wrote in message : said:

what tire size would offer the least rolling resistance?

36" as fitted to the Coker, I should imagine.

--
Guy
===
May contain traces of irony. Contents liable to settle after
posting. chapmancentral.co.ukchapmancentral.co.ukOpen ↗

88% of helmet statistics are made up, 65% of them at
Washington University

Take a look at this:
schwalbe.comindex.plOpen ↗

"Tom Kunich" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:Z%-
[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"Chris Hansen" <[email hidden]> wrote in
message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

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

Quoted message said:

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.

"Raymo853" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Take a look at this:

schwalbe.comindex.plOpen ↗
act=1164&bereich=&einsatzbereich=&produktgruppe=

Quoted message said:

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

Quoted message said:

"Tom Kunich" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:-
[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"Chris Hansen" <[email hidden]> wrote in
message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

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

Quoted message said:

lower rolling resistance than a 20 mm tire at the same
pressure but the

20

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

beats the 25 at 150 psi.

That's why 23's and 25's are now the most popular sizes.
For the sorts

of

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

pressures that people normally run they are the best
compromise.

On Mon, 05 Apr 2004 20:07:21 GMT, "Tom Kunich" <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

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

Raymo853 said:

Take a look at this: schwalbe.comindex.plOpen ↗
us=lang&punkt=265&abstract=1164&bereich=&einsatzbereich=&-
produktgruppe=

OTOH, take a look at this:

terrymorse.comrolres.htmlOpen ↗

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"]