Wheel/tire clearance
#3
Senior Member


Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 39,897
Likes: 3,865
From: New Rochelle, NY
Bikes: too many bikes from 1967 10s (5x2)Frejus to a Sumitomo Ti/Chorus aluminum 10s (10x2), plus one non-susp mtn bike I use as my commuter
Ignoring the frame for a moment, a 32mm wide rim seems very wide for a 32mm tire.
Ideally, you want the tire to have an omega shaped profile that flares out from the rim. I shoot for roughly 5/3rds the rim's inner width, though there's plenty of latitude, so those rims would be best suited for tires in the 40-55mm range.
So, while it might fit, I suggest you look for a wheel with narrower rims, closer to 19mm inner width.
BTW there's usually some latitude in tire width spec for any frame, since it includes an allowance for untrue wheels. Meaning you can go wider IF you're willing to risk having to walk should the wheel break a spoke and go untrue.
Ideally, you want the tire to have an omega shaped profile that flares out from the rim. I shoot for roughly 5/3rds the rim's inner width, though there's plenty of latitude, so those rims would be best suited for tires in the 40-55mm range.
So, while it might fit, I suggest you look for a wheel with narrower rims, closer to 19mm inner width.
BTW there's usually some latitude in tire width spec for any frame, since it includes an allowance for untrue wheels. Meaning you can go wider IF you're willing to risk having to walk should the wheel break a spoke and go untrue.
Last edited by FBinNY; 08-14-23 at 09:42 AM.
#4
Facts just confuse people




Joined: Jul 2017
Posts: 19,427
Likes: 7,117
From: Mississippi
Bikes: Tarmac Disc Comp Di2 - 2020
What's on the bike right now. Measure your clearances to the stays and forks. Then you'll know how much more you can go. But leave some clearance for foreign objects that sometime get caught in the wheel. And also for the normal flexing of the wheel.
But I'm not certain why you wish to change the wheel just because you are going wider on the tire. More info is always helpful here. If you have some idea about aesthetics or aerodynamics that is part of the reason for your change, then tell us so we can factor that in.
Otherwise I've run some really wide tires on skinny rims and they weren't an issue for me. The ballooned out tires did look funny though.
But I'm not certain why you wish to change the wheel just because you are going wider on the tire. More info is always helpful here. If you have some idea about aesthetics or aerodynamics that is part of the reason for your change, then tell us so we can factor that in.
Otherwise I've run some really wide tires on skinny rims and they weren't an issue for me. The ballooned out tires did look funny though.
#5
Advocatus Diaboli

Joined: Feb 2015
Posts: 9,154
Likes: 1,744
From: Wherever I am
Bikes: Merlin Cyrene, Nashbar steel CX
Ignoring the frame for a moment, a 32mm wide rim seems very wide for a 32mm tire.
Ideally, you want the tire to have an omega shaped profile that flares out from the rim. I shoot for roughly 5/3rds the rim's inner width, though there's plenty of latitude, so those rims would be best suited for tires in the 40-55mm range.
So, while it might fit, I suggest you look for a wheel with narrower rims, closer to 19mm inner width.
BTW there's usually some latitude in tire width spec for any frame, since it includes an allowance for untrue wheels. Meaning you can go wider IF you're willing to risk having to walk should the wheel break a spoke and go untrue.
Ideally, you want the tire to have an omega shaped profile that flares out from the rim. I shoot for roughly 5/3rds the rim's inner width, though there's plenty of latitude, so those rims would be best suited for tires in the 40-55mm range.
So, while it might fit, I suggest you look for a wheel with narrower rims, closer to 19mm inner width.
BTW there's usually some latitude in tire width spec for any frame, since it includes an allowance for untrue wheels. Meaning you can go wider IF you're willing to risk having to walk should the wheel break a spoke and go untrue.
#6
Senior Member


Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 39,897
Likes: 3,865
From: New Rochelle, NY
Bikes: too many bikes from 1967 10s (5x2)Frejus to a Sumitomo Ti/Chorus aluminum 10s (10x2), plus one non-susp mtn bike I use as my commuter
Probably not, because I tend to be skeptical of rules.
However, I can't argue the rule per se because I don't have a wind tunnel. But, it's much more complicated than a simple rule would imply.
The rule is based on moving through still air, so may well apply to the front wheel when riding solo. The air in a Pelton, or over the rear wheel is much more turbulent, so aerodynamics are very different.
In any case, all decisions depend on the totality of factors. Wind becomes more important at higher speeds, and I doubt that someone shopping 36mm tires is riding at 20+ mph that much of the time. So, given the big picture, I'm more focused on traction and handling.
However, I can't argue the rule per se because I don't have a wind tunnel. But, it's much more complicated than a simple rule would imply.
The rule is based on moving through still air, so may well apply to the front wheel when riding solo. The air in a Pelton, or over the rear wheel is much more turbulent, so aerodynamics are very different.
In any case, all decisions depend on the totality of factors. Wind becomes more important at higher speeds, and I doubt that someone shopping 36mm tires is riding at 20+ mph that much of the time. So, given the big picture, I'm more focused on traction and handling.
Last edited by FBinNY; 08-14-23 at 02:11 PM.
#7
Sock Puppet
Joined: Oct 2022
Posts: 1,701
Likes: 865
From: Planet Earth
Bikes: 2014 Cannondale Synapse Carbon, 2017 Jamis Renegade Exploit and too many others to mention.
Ignoring the frame for a moment, a 32mm wide rim seems very wide for a 32mm tire.
Ideally, you want the tire to have an omega shaped profile that flares out from the rim. I shoot for roughly 5/3rds the rim's inner width, though there's plenty of latitude, so those rims would be best suited for tires in the 40-55mm range.
So, while it might fit, I suggest you look for a wheel with narrower rims, closer to 19mm inner width.
Ideally, you want the tire to have an omega shaped profile that flares out from the rim. I shoot for roughly 5/3rds the rim's inner width, though there's plenty of latitude, so those rims would be best suited for tires in the 40-55mm range.
So, while it might fit, I suggest you look for a wheel with narrower rims, closer to 19mm inner width.
#8
Method to My Madness

Joined: Nov 2020
Posts: 4,753
Likes: 2,086
From: Orange County, California
Bikes: Trek FX 2, Cannondale Synapse x2, Cannondale CAAD4, Santa Cruz Stigmata 3
Maybe not. Most nominally 32 mm wide tires would measure 32 mm wide only on wheels with a narrower inner width, e.g., 17 mm or 19 mm. A nominally 32 mm wide tire would likely measure at > 32 mm wide on a wheel having an inner width of 25 mm




