Mountain Biking - Wide tire high pressure vs skinny tire low pressure

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PiratePete
07-08-04, 10:31 PM
What are some pros and cons or using a lighter, say 1.95" tire with lower pressure than a 2.25 with higher pressure. Given the same traction (in a straight line) wich one will have lower rolling resistance. The higher pressure tire will be more responsive and "confidence inspring" in corners, right? How much lighter is the skinnier tire?

PeterG1185
07-09-04, 07:34 AM
What are some pros and cons or using a lighter, say 1.95" tire with lower pressure than a 2.25 with higher pressure. Given the same traction (in a straight line) wich one will have lower rolling resistance. The higher pressure tire will be more responsive and "confidence inspring" in corners, right? How much lighter is the skinnier tire?

In real life nobody would run a smaller tire with a lower pressure because it'd be more likely to pinchflat and if you're running a smaller tire odds are you want to have it roll faster which means you're going to run a higher pressure. If you run the 2.25 with a higher pressure it's still going to have more rolling resistance, but still be better in the corners because of its bigger footprint
a2psyklnut
07-09-04, 07:37 AM
If you are trying to find a compromise between rolling resistance and control in corners for more race oriented XC rides, I suggest you use a 2.1 tire for the front, and a 1.9 for the rear. More pressure in the rear. This will give you a bigger tire for better traction up front, but a smaller profile and higher pressure for hammering on the flats.

L8R