Tyrell

I know alot of MTB'ers put a wider tire on the front than the rear to help soak up the bumps and such... I was thinking it might make sense to put a wider tire on the rear of a commuter since most of the weight is there. I'm currently rolling on a 700x25 rear and a 700x23 front but it's not by design - my rear was trashed and out of necessity I grabbed a tire from my finace's bike to use until my new ones show up.

MMACH 5

I've been riding small-front, large-rear for the last few years. It started because I was sick and tired of all flats I was getting. I had 1-1/8 x 27" tires and picked up an Armadillo for the rear, but the smallest I could get was 1-1/4. It worked out well, so when I got my new bike and it had 700c wheels, I put a 25 on the front and a 28 on the rear. I don't think the weight savings is probably worth much, but I like the setup.

ehsiung

The obligatory Sheldon Brown linkie about mixing tire sizes.
https://www.sheldonbrown.com/tires.html#mixing

thirdin77

I recently went to a 700x25 rear so as to spare my rear wheel of some of the beating it had been taking. I noticed a little more rolling resistance but, in addition to the increase in ride quality, I noticed that I didn't need to get out of saddle as often to absorb a bump in the road. That being, I added a 700x25 to the front of the bike as well and it did make my steering response a bit slower- which doesn't matter when I'm commuting across my valley- but it also meant I needed to get out of saddle yet less often meaning I can more often just sit and pedal instead. I like.

Given the negligible increase in rolling resistance and the big improvement in shock absorption, I can see myself going to a 700x28 on my current road bike or a 700x32 on a light touring or a cross bike.

charly17201

Oh.... THAT kind of different tire size

Okay, so I ride a 'bent 20" front/26" rear. But I also use different widths. 1" front and 1.25" rear. With the skinny front I do get better speeds, but I also get a rougher ride - but that is also directly related to the higher tire pressure.

But, it is also nice to read that the honorable Sheldon Brown didn't have a problem with mixing tire sizes either.

Tyrell

I've noticed the same regarding the increased rolling resistance and the improved shock absorption from the wider rear than front with my current setup. Glad it's not just in my head!