Originally Posted by
Dave Mayer
OK: here goes: "We” should all be riding reasonably sized tires (23-28mm) on the road because larger tires are heavy, non-aero, and have high rolling resistance. Add one more: when travelling with the fast crowd, they make you: uncompetitive.
So
Pogačar, whose tires were over 32 mm wide in the most recent TdF, was somehow "uncompetitive" despite his decisive win? The tires were called 30 on the label but were measured as over 2 mm wider than that by BikeRadar. Here's the quote from the linked article:
"we measured the 30c Conti GP5000 STR tyres on Pogačar’s V4Rs at 33.3 and 32.5m wide, front and rear, mounted on a 32mm-wide ENVE SES 4.5 wheelset."
Any theories as to why such a light skinny guy would ride such slow, heavy, non-aero tires, and win anyway?
And if
Pogačar (or his team) determined that's the best width for him, then I feel pretty good about my non-scientific, seat o' the pants conclusion that 38 or 40 is the fastest tire for me at my <ahem> slightly heavier build and lower airpseed.
This year of course, stupid UCI regulations are requiring narrower tires, but it seems to me that the evidence points to wider being faster, with the return to 28 mm tires being a rules-compliance choice, not based on science. Those of us who don't need to be UCI-compliant can ride the objectively better tires.
But please note that Pogačar's tires for 2026, despite being labeled as 28s, actually measure over 31 mm, according to BikeRadar.
C&V riders should keep riding 19 to 21 mm tires on their vintage bikes or whatever they were made for, if being period-correct is most important to them. But if "faster" is the main goal, and if you believe the pro teams aren't stupid, then consider something more modern.
To be fair, I should mention that part of the reason pros are using wider tires might be indirectly because of another UCI regulation, namely the minimum bike weight. Pogačar's bike came in slightly under the minimum weight, so they need to fatten it up a little to be legal. That takes away any incentive to minimize the weight of the tires. But they would still have a strong incentive to minimize RR and wind drag. So it seems to me, this is still evidence that Pogačar's fatties can't be all that slow. I'm not saying it's proved, but I think it's fair to say it's solid evidence that can't simply be overlooked.
What's your theory for why the pro teams are wrong?