Originally Posted by
Dr.PooLittle
I'm having some 36-spoke Deep V's built up, and am considering what width tires to put on them. I'm 260, ride in the city, and I hate going out of true or getting flats, so I'm looking for pretty much maintenance free. Is it worthwhile to go to a wider tire (~29) or is this gonna slow me down on my 10-mile commute?
Thanks!
There are some rules about tires, a narrower tire has less rolling resistance, but needs a higher pressure to hold the same amount of weight, because of a smaller contact patch. The higher the pressure, the harder the tire, therefore the more road vibration that gets transmitted to the frame and rider. To prevent flats, don't run over stuff and/or use a tire that is more puncture resistant. A properly built and tensioned wheel, will take a long time to go out of true, some will wear the rims out from braking before needing truing.
It's not uncommon for touring bikes to run wider tires, some as wide as 40mm, because the lower pressure requirements make for a more comfortable ride. For a 10 mile commute, it probably doesn't make much difference, however some frames, particularly racing and racing like road frames are designed for narrow tires, and you can't fit a wide tire in there. You need to check your frame for width, to make sure there is enough room for a wider tire. If your frame is narrow, that limits your choices.