On Friday, March 12, 2021 at 11:29:55 AM UTC-8, wrote:
Op vrijdag 12 maart 2021 om 17:36:57 UTC+1 schreef Frank Krygowski:
On 3/12/2021 4:52 AM, Lou Holtman wrote:
Op vrijdag 12 maart 2021 om 04:17:40 UTC+1 schreef Frank Krygowski:
On 3/11/2021 12:43 PM, Lou Holtman wrote:
Op donderdag 11 maart 2021 om 17:09:32 UTC+1 schreef Frank Krygowski:
On 3/10/2021 9:43 PM, John B. wrote:

Well there is the debate about the gravel and CX bikes but here,
essentially, all the roads, or at least all the roads I see, are
paved. I've been riding 23mm tires since I switched from "sew-ups".
I think the narrowest tires ever used for more than a short time were
25mm. I've spent most of my road riding time on 28s, some on 32s, a bit
on 35s or 37s when doing loaded touring.

It seems the latest data indicates the super narrow tires have no lower
rolling resistance than similarly constructed wider tires, unless you're
on a surface as smooth as a velodrome track. And wider tires tend to be
less flat prone and more comfortable.

That is a too simple conclusion. I mentioned this earlier:

https://www.bicyclerollingresistance...000-comparison
Well, there are always more details one can consider. Care to summarize
which further details you think need mention?


If someone states that tires of the same construction (ie. Continental GP5000) the wider version will have less RR and are more comfortable he/she is mistaken. This is easy to understand. Inflate the wider version to the same pressure and it will have less RR but also is less comfortable for the same reason: less vertical deflection when hitting a bump. As for the less prone to puncture statement this is only true for the pinch flat part. I always opposed to the less RR and more comfortable ride statements of people who never used tires of the same construction for both widths. I use Continental GP5000 tires in 25, 28 and 32 mm width and my observation is exactly on par with the results of the test I referred to. Besides the higher weight and being less aero you can achieve a lower RR with wider tires but they will be more uncomfortable. You can use wider tires at a lower pressure for traction and/or comfort on rough surface without an increased chance of a pinch flat but the RR will be more. To speak in your terms wider tires are more versatile but nothing comes for free.
OK, let's dive into the rabbit hole:

Perhaps I should not have said "... data indicates the super narrow
tires have no lower rolling resistance than similarly constructed wider
tires ..." without adding "... if pressures are within about 25 psi."

Because, according to the second graph at
https://www.bicyclerollingresistance...000-comparison
if a person who switched from 23s to 32s reduced their pressure by 30
psi instead of 25 psi, they would see a 2% increase in rolling
resistance. (Whoa!)

And perhaps I should specified that wider tires are less prone to
_pinch_ flats instead of just saying they're less prone to flats...

Hmm.

But how many riders carefully calibrate their new tires' pressure to
produce the same absolute (not percentage) tire drop? I've never heard
of anyone doing such a thing.

And if pinch flats are reduced but puncture flats are not affected, does
that not still indicate the tires are more resistant to flats overall?

Never mind. I'm sticking with my original statement. For typical riders'
behaviors and riding conditions, what I said is still true: Wider tires
of similar construction have less rolling resistance and fewer flats.
Okey Dokey. Do you have data? Nevermind I knew I was wasting my time.

Lou
You weren't wasting your time with me. Those numbers pretty much proved my beliefs.