Originally Posted by
lyrictenor1
Btw, this whole "bigger is better argument" is a slippery slope. Sure, perhaps there is less sidewall deflection with wider tires, so what's stopping people from using 32s and wider tires on their road bikes? After all, according to the above argument, there would be even less sidewall deflection than say, 25s or 28s.
I mentioned earlier that the 32's are a lot heavier and generally low TPI, beefed up and harder rubber. Someone else mentioned that around that size, many or most tire makers change up the construction designing them as durable, comfortable but more sluggish tires. Top end, lightweight supple 32mm tires, if you can find them, carry a price tag that I balk at. And a lot of road bikes can't fit a 32.
Plus there's that 1% drag that I mentioned above, which might wind up actually being more than you'd gain from rolling resistance if you're comparing against the highest quality racing tires.