running 35-622 Vittoria Randonneur Pro's that measure > around 34 mm on my rims. The extra width didn't give me significantly > more comfort on pavement
Talking about tire size makes sense only when comparing similar casings. Given a choice between a harsh-riding 35 mm tire (like most Schwalbes) and a 24 mm hand-made clincher like the now-gone Challenge Triathlon, I'll prefer the racing tire any day. We have found that casing and construction have a much greater effect on comfort and performance than tire width. Once you compare apples to apples, the wider tires obviously have more air and thus can run at lower pressures without degrading performance or risking pinch-flats. If you live in a place with glass-smooth roads or ride on the track mostly, you probably get very few benefits beyond 25 or 28 mm width. However, there are few disadvantages until you reach about 42 mm (when it becomes hard to make a bike with narrow crank tread/Q factor), so why not go a bit wider, for the day when the road has been chipsealed or you go on that trail where roots have pushed up the pavement? Of course, I live in Seattle, where the roads and trails are so bumpy that even 32 mm tires feel awfully narrow. And then you have streetcar and railroad tracks. Even if you know how to bunny-hop them, it's nice not having to worry about them. Jan Heine Editor Bicycle Quarterly Follow our blog at http://janheine.wordpress.com/ -- 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.
