Originally Posted by
qmsdc15
I'd rather have traction up front and smooth ride in the rear.
If your front tire gets loose, it's scary and sometimes painful. If the rear loses traction, it's less serious.
The rear tire carries more weight so if a smooth ride is your goal, a smooth tire in back makes more sense than up front.
I would put wider in front if using dissimilar width tires.
Different strokes for different folks I guess. The road leading to my house is mostly a sand clay mix, a smooth tire on the rear slips when you apply power, the front tire, being smooth cuts down into the sand and rolls along just fine. When I did run the cyclocross tire on the front it added a buzz to the feel when riding. FWIW the tires are 35-590.
Aaron
