"RoadBikeRider.com Newsletter"
i receive a RoadBikeRider.com newsletter. it's full of mostly roadie/racy type stuff, but it's free and why not? the issue received yesterday has a fascinating bit of stuff about tire pressure, tire width, and the dreaded 23C. seems they gleaned some info from BicycleQuarterly that, in effect, Grant has been right all along. hence:
---Tire pressure has only a small effect on the rolling resistance of most tires. Narrow 23-mm tires seem to roll fastest at pressures of 105 psi (7.2 bar) or more. However, running these tires at 85 psi (5.8 bar) for improved comfort increased the test times only 2%. Wider 28-mm tires are as fast at 85 psi as they are at higher pressures
---Wide tires do not roll slower at lower pressures. In fact, testing indicated that a wide tire at lower pressures rolls faster than a narrow tire at high pressures, if all other factors remain the same. Even narrow tires can be ridden at comfortable pressures with only very small concessions to performance.
---Perhaps the most important result of the test is that tire pressure does not significantly affect rolling resistance. Wide tires in particular do not need high pressures to roll fast. But because many current wide tires are designed to handle high pressure, they have strong casings that lack suppleness. This results in higher rolling resistance than necessary
Grant's been saying for years that the way to go to wider, mushier and more comfortable. this premise has been "proven" as valid, at least according to a study done by this "Bicycle Quarterly". guess i'm glad i went to 28C on the Blueridge after all. 'course, what would make me faster is dropping 5-50lbs.
---Tire pressure has only a small effect on the rolling resistance of most tires. Narrow 23-mm tires seem to roll fastest at pressures of 105 psi (7.2 bar) or more. However, running these tires at 85 psi (5.8 bar) for improved comfort increased the test times only 2%. Wider 28-mm tires are as fast at 85 psi as they are at higher pressures
---Wide tires do not roll slower at lower pressures. In fact, testing indicated that a wide tire at lower pressures rolls faster than a narrow tire at high pressures, if all other factors remain the same. Even narrow tires can be ridden at comfortable pressures with only very small concessions to performance.
---Perhaps the most important result of the test is that tire pressure does not significantly affect rolling resistance. Wide tires in particular do not need high pressures to roll fast. But because many current wide tires are designed to handle high pressure, they have strong casings that lack suppleness. This results in higher rolling resistance than necessary
Grant's been saying for years that the way to go to wider, mushier and more comfortable. this premise has been "proven" as valid, at least according to a study done by this "Bicycle Quarterly". guess i'm glad i went to 28C on the Blueridge after all. 'course, what would make me faster is dropping 5-50lbs.
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