Originally Posted by
HTupolev
I don't see that correlation.
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And it's hard to characterize what's optimal. Partly because it depends on loads of variables, and partly because the direct effects of tire width on bicycle performance change ridiculously slowly with respect to width. People debate the merits of 23 vs 25 vs 28 in threads like this...
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I think you may be on to something here-- e.g., about the 20 years age, etc. -- us oldies have learned to ride on our sit bones after 1,000s of miles and the full rainbow of saddles and as the road bike sport is slowly dying, kept afloat by a few mtb fat-tire riders that have migrated over to the road, we now have this broadening of the class with the fixation on pneumatics which taken to the extreme pretty much negates the advantages of CF frames if an underinflated fat tire on an alloy bike is thought to not only give a comfortable ride but also is the most efficient on the road.