I'd say when it doesn't fit under a fender, or becomes so heavy that acceleration and climbing are seriously affected. Btw, not all wide tires are low rolling resistance. I stay away from the heavy duty Marathons as they do feel a bit leaden to me and do reduce my riding enjoyment. Also, ideal tire width depends a lot on road condition and rider+bike+luggage weight. For my 175 lbs self with sub 30 lbs bike and luggage, slick 50mm tires are probably overkill for even bad dirt roads, but might still be worth it for combining road riding with rocky single track. But 50mm might be just right for a 250 lbs rider with 70 lbs bike+luggage on chip seal.
My 1990 Fisher Sphinx monstercross/countrybike came with 700C/38mm Panaracer small block knobbies. These were not great for the road, and were replaced with a long series of 28mm Continentals for road riding, and 45mm Panaracer Smokes for off-roading. The idea of mixed surface riding hadn't occurred to me yet. However, here in Thailand mixed surface riding makes the most sense due to the plethora of connecting dirt roads. I first went to Vittoria 32s (about 31mm actual), then Jack Brown Greens (34mm actual) when I got my Hillborne, then Pasela 35s (37 actual), and now Kenda Kwickroller EZ Ride 40s (worst name ever, though accurate; 39mm actual). I think I am getting close to the point of diminishing returns, but don't think I am there yet. Dirt road performance has increased noticeably with each increase, while road performance seems similar. (These are all low rolling resistance tires; most wider tires in 700C appear to be heavier duty/higher resistance. The Kendas came in 44mm but were discontinued before I could try them). The Jack Browns do accelerate more quickly, but that doesn't really have an effect on ride enjoyment. However, the Kendas don't quite fit under the fenders I bought for the Jack Browns, so I just switched back to the Paselas to put the fenders back on (winter is dry season here, so they aren't absolutely necessary). The Kendas will go to the Fisher which has wider fenders. I am seriously contemplating the purchase of a 650B bike so I can run Hetres (42mm), which seem like the ideal tire to me: cushy, low rolling resistance, wide, light (tried them on a friend's bike). Also wouldn't mind trying some Big Apple Lightskins, but am worried that they are still too overbuilt for me, like most Schwalbes (I rarely get flats even on Jack Brown Greens at 35 psi on dirt). Cheers, Gernot On Jan 28, 11:30 am, Bob <[email protected]> wrote: > Much is said about Rivs taking big tires, those advanced, low rolling > resistance, low pressure tires that absorb shocks, stop flats, survive > long tours across the tundra, and eliminate potentially hazardous > resonances in areas of lipid storage. But when do you get too much of > a good thing and your king of the road turns into a beach cruiser? > Aside from Riv gatherings where riders compare tire widths, when is > bigger not better? -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch?hl=en.
