A Cycling & bikes forum. CycleBanter.com

Go Back   Home » CycleBanter.com forum » rec.bicycles » Mountain Biking
Site Map Home Register Authors List Search Today's Posts Mark Forums Read Web Partners

Wide Mt. Bike Tires vs. Thin Tires



 
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old March 7th 05, 05:02 PM
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default Wide Mt. Bike Tires vs. Thin Tires

For the sake of this discussion assume that all things are equal
regarding quality of parts. I have an inexpensive mt bike with the
standard fairly wide tires and am thinking of getting a new inexpensive
26 in. bike however this one has the very thin tires. The mt. bike
tires appear to be at least three times as wide and possibly 4. Since
there is much less friction associated with the thin tires and remember
all things considered equal can I assume that the same energy and
exertion that I put into pedaling the mt. bike will be at the very
least 2 or more times effective when pedaling the bike with the very
thin tires.

Ads
  #4  
Old March 7th 05, 06:11 PM
David
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default


wrote in message oups.com...


95% pavement.


Instead of another bike, you could buy new tires. Or new wheels & tires, if you wanted
to swap 'em regularly. They don't really need to be skinny tires, just low rolling resistance
slicks. And those work fine for *light* trail use too. I've had MTBs for many years, but I
ride my road bike (26mm tires) on dirt & mud sometimes too.


  #5  
Old March 7th 05, 08:48 PM
BB
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

On 7 Mar 2005 08:40:25 -0800, wrote:

Do you ride on dirt trails, gravel paths, or pavement?


95% pavement.


There have been lengthy discussions on this; in short, the finding was
that the width doesn't make that much difference. Seems counter-intuitive
to me, but that's what they say.

The KNOBS, however, do make a big difference in the rolling resistance.
There are road tires with a bit of tread but no knobs.

That's what I use on my secondary/mostly-road bike. They work fine on
fireroads and dry trails, and are only lacking in wet conditions or where
you need good grip (i.e. steep climbs). I use Michelin Rock, but these are
becoming increasinly difficult to find and other companies have come out
with competing products. If this is the sort of off-road riding you do,
perhaps a new set of tires would do.

If you're getting a second bike for road use and want to keep it cheap
because of theft worries, an old used mountain bike is a good option. You
can get a bike that was top-notch for its time but is just outdated, and
might look beat up enough that no one cares to steal it. Some people even
spray-paint them with multiple colors to make them even less attractive.
:-)

On my old mountain bike, I changed to more roadworthy tires, a slightly
more padded seat so I don't have to wear bike shorts, and a riser
handlebar for comfort and foamy grips so I don't have to wear gloves.

--
-BB-
To e-mail me, unmunge my address
  #6  
Old March 7th 05, 10:52 PM
D T W .../\\...
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

wrote in message
oups.com...
For the sake of this discussion assume that all things are equal
regarding quality of parts. I have an inexpensive mt bike with the
standard fairly wide tires and am thinking of getting a new inexpensive
26 in. bike however this one has the very thin tires. The mt. bike
tires appear to be at least three times as wide and possibly 4. Since
there is much less friction associated with the thin tires and remember
all things considered equal can I assume that the same energy and
exertion that I put into pedaling the mt. bike will be at the very
least 2 or more times effective when pedaling the bike with the very
thin tires.



It sounds like your describing a hybrid bike tire and not an MTB?
A hybrid is not an MTB, but it sounds like what you want if you ride 95%
pavement.
How thin is "very thin"? Most MTB tires are @ 2.1"
1/4 of that is @ .5" ,,,,,,,,,,NOT
How about 1.5"?

--
DTW .../\.../\.../\...

I've spent most of my money on mountain biking and windsurfing.
The rest, I've just wasted.


  #7  
Old March 8th 05, 12:39 AM
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default


BB wrote:
snip

There have been lengthy discussions on this; in short, the finding

was
that the width doesn't make that much difference. Seems

counter-intuitive
to me, but that's what they say.


Who is they : ) I was expecting at the very least twice the distance
and half the effort for my skinny tires. Hard to figure out if there is
less resistance why the same amount of energy is needed to go equal
distances all things being equal.

  #10  
Old March 8th 05, 02:14 AM
David
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default


wrote in message ups.com...

BB wrote:
snip

There have been lengthy discussions on this; in short, the finding

was
that the width doesn't make that much difference. Seems

counter-intuitive
to me, but that's what they say.


Who is they : )


A web search will reaveal rolling resistance test results.

As BB mentioned, getting rid of the knobs is key. Not all slicks
are created equal though. Some tires of the same size have less
rolling resistance than others. Since you seem interested in this,
find actual test results if you can.

I've had various slicks on MTBs, between 31 and 48mm (1.9"). The
fastest were probably the 31 (although I didn't do side by side testing).
The 48s seemed as fast or faster than the 32mm tires, and the slowest
was a 38mm "slick-like" tire (slick tire with siping grooves) designed for
road-going MTBs. Real slicks are noticeably faster than mostly-slick tires.
I think that's due to the thinner tread layer in the real slick.

If you're gonna do 95% pavement, 5% light dirt, and want to be faster on the road,
buy this tire, from these guys:
http://harriscyclery.net/site/itemdetails.cfm?ID=1320

If you decide to do loose dirt, or serious MTBing, spend a few minutes to put your
knobbies back on.


 




Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

vB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Forum Jump

Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
if you wanted maximum braking, where would you sit? wle Techniques 133 November 18th 15 03:10 AM
Rec.Bicycles Frequently Asked Questions Posting Part 1/5 Mike Iglesias General 4 October 29th 04 07:11 AM
Some questions etc.. Douglas Harrington General 10 August 17th 04 02:42 AM
Couple questions about bike tires Dan Musicant General 19 July 24th 03 09:56 PM
Couple questions about bike tires Dan Musicant General 3 July 18th 03 08:18 PM


All times are GMT +1. The time now is 12:01 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.6.4
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Copyright ©2004-2024 CycleBanter.com.
The comments are property of their posters.