WHICH TIRES ARE BETTER: NARROW OR WIDE?

For nearly a century, cyclists have known that narrower tires roll faster. Some have realized that, in theory, wider tires are faster due to their shorter contact patch, which deforms as they roll. But the thinking was that, in practice, the lower pressure required for wider tires limited their performance. If you want to go fast, choose narrow tires. Therefore, the question arises: Are narrow or wide tires faster on a bicycle?

Our ADO experts tested on real roads with a rider on a bicycle and found that the increased vibrations of the narrower tires caused energy losses that negated the gains from the reduced flex. These suspension losses are mostly absorbed by the rider's body.

The faster we ride, the higher the frequency at which our bicycle vibrates, because our tires are hitting road imperfections at higher speeds. Narrower tires also increase the frequency of the vibrations they transmit. Essentially, a bicycle with narrow tires feels faster, even though it may actually be slower. Conversely, wide tires vibrate less and therefore feel slower to most cyclists.

Narrow or wide tires on a bicycle? What does that mean for us riders? It means we can freely choose our tire width without having to worry about performance. Of course, this doesn't mean that a wide touring tire performs as well as a narrow racing tire. The casing determines 95% of a road tire's speed. To achieve good performance, you need a supple, high-performance casing. (The other 5% comes from the tread thickness.)

In summary, tire width affects the riding feel, but not the speed. If you're looking for the fast, road-hugging feel of a racing bike, choose narrower tires. If you want superior cornering grip and the ability to maintain speed even when the roads get rough, choose wider tires (such as...). A20F+ ).