Originally Posted by
Homeyba
I did a little digging on what shoes the Pro Peleton is currently wearing and there is a trend towards 25mm tires but there isn't a consensus by any means and it doesn't appear to have a lot to do with rolling resistance. It appears that a lot of this has more to do with the fact that a number of the wheel manufacturers are making wider (supposedly more aerodynamic) wheels which work better with the wider tires. "Lampre-ISD and Euskaltel-Euskadi have stuck with 23c, as has Androni, Movistar, and Ag2R." All these teams are sponsored by companies without an ultra-wide wheel." They, of course, are getting their queues from the tire and wheel manufactures as to which tire/wheel combo will be the fastest for them. I think the little extra comfort of the 25mm tire is a bonus and not a criteria for them.
Nothing is ever as clear as we think it is.
A few years ago I read an interview with a pro team mechanic who mentioned that rider's resistance to wider tires came from wind tunnel test results. But he also said that in his opinion the problem resulted from fitting wider tires to narrower rims, and that wider rims would improve things all around. So I think you might have it backwards: the wider tires came first - after it became common knowledge that they roll better - and the wider rims came as a result.
Originally Posted by
Homeyba
Regarding the Bicycle Quarterly tests, I have a hard time believing there is no bias from someone who has both a professional and financial interest in the outcome of the tests.
BQ sells tires and participates in the development of Grand Bois tires.
Take out of it what you will.
Yeah, but steel drum tests done by tire manufacturers to "prove" that ultra-narrow, ultra-high pressure clinchers are fastest are still gospel, right?
