After nearly three decades away from serious cycling, I returned to find the cycling world transformed. Sure, I'd kept a bike around for the occasional coffee shop run or library trip, but I hadn't been pushing myself on rides. When I decided to get back into pushing myself on a bike, one change stood out: wider tires. And I’ve become interested in the discussion about tire width and speed.
The Skinny Tire Era
Like many older cyclists, I came up in the era of skinny tires. My road bike back then sported 700 x 20C tires pumped up to a rock-hard 125 psi. The logic seemed unassailable: less rubber on the road meant less rolling resistance. Coming back to cycling, I discovered that this orthodoxy had come to be challenged. My personal experience with wider tires has been great. The additional tire surface connection to the road makes me feel safer, especially on varied road surfaces. The comfort improvement is undeniable.
A Recent Test
A recent article in Bicycling magazine by Dan Chabanov caught my attention because it challenges the new conventional wisdom that wider tires are actually faster. Chabanov conducted a controlled test on a closed 1-mile loop, maintaining a consistent 275-watt effort over 3-mile runs with 25mm, 28mm, 30mm, and 32mm tires. His results? The narrowest tires were definitively faster – 17 seconds faster over 3 miles compared to the widest option.
Context Is Everything
Chabanov points out three crucial factors that influenced
his results:
- Surface
quality: He tested on "fresh, perfect pavement"
- Speed
matters: At his 23 mph test speed, aerodynamic drag is a dominant
force.
- Wheel optimization: His Reserve wheels were actually optimized for 29mm tires, which happened to be what his "25mm" tires measured when mounted. This perfect pairing gave the narrower tires an additional advantage.
The Other Side: Why Wider Tires Aren't Slower
I found the Chabanov testing to be interesting, but I think that the testing by Rene Herse Cycles adds a lot of valuable information. Their real-world tests showed virtually no speed difference between 28mm and 44mm tires on smooth roads. More importantly, when roads get rough, wider tires actually become faster because they can absorb surface irregularities without bouncing the rider. The lower pressure of wider tires acts as suspension, reducing energy-sapping vibrations.
The Placebo Effect of Speed
Here's something fascinating from the Rene Herse research: narrow, high-pressure tires create more vibrations, which our brains interpret as speed. We've been conditioned to associate that harsh, buzzy feeling with going fast. Wider tires at lower pressure filter out these vibrations, creating a smoother, quieter ride that can feel slower even when it isn't. This might explain why I feel slower on wider tires even though my Strava times don’t suffered. The sensation of speed and actual speed are two different things.
My Take: It Really Does Depend
The beauty of modern cycling is that we have choices. If you're racing crits on pristine pavement maybe 25mm tires do give an edge. If you're like me – rediscovering the joy of cycling, exploring our beautiful region, and prioritizing the journey over the destination – wider tires offer a compelling combination of comfort, versatility, and yes, sometimes even speed.
The discussion about tire width isn't really about finding a universal truth. It's about finding what works for you, your riding style, and your local conditions. For this returning cyclist, wider tires have been great. They've made cycling more enjoyable and accessible, encouraging me to ride more often and explore roads I would have avoided on those old 20mm tires. And if the science says I'm not actually any slower? Well, that's just the cherry on top of an already sweet ride. The most important thing is that I’m out there riding.
Resources for Further Reading:
- Dan
Chabanov's tire width testing: Bicycling
Magazine
- Rene
Herse Cycles on tire width and speed: Why
Wider Tires Are Not Slower