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What difference does width of rims make?

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What difference does width of rims make?

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Old 12-16-18 | 07:40 PM
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The problem with any formula -- such as sticking with one particular brand of tires -- is that there are too many variables. We won't know for sure until we try the tire on a rim, or get reliable measurements from someone else who already has the same set of tires and rims.

Continental tires don't all run wide. Conti Speed Rides are nominally 700x42 but everyone who rides 'em agrees they're actually closer to 700x38, which is what they measure on my rims.

Conti Ultra Sport II are very tight fitting but actual size is nearly dead on to the specs. Ditto Schwalbe One.

Michelin Protek tires, especially their Cross and Max versions, generally run quite a bit wider than spec. The 700x40 nominal size for Protek Cross Max is well short of the actual measured 700x45 width. No idea about their road tires, haven't tried 'em.

And if a manufacturer switches factories or makes any change in a favorite tire -- such as when Schwalbe revamped the Pro V-Guard into the Pro One tubeless -- all bets are off.
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Old 12-18-18 | 04:30 AM
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Certainly some info here. Not sure of the relevance for OP.

23s fit almost everything out there, 25s too. Probably not much reduction in height with a wider road rim, unless 1 mm is necessary.

Sometimes, wider is not better. Some 25s and 28s are sluggish, and even more so on a wider rim.
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Old 12-18-18 | 06:33 AM
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I am not saying my approach is correct, but it has served me so far. I don't really pay attention to rim width. I started riding in 1991 on mountain bikes. I had the standard Smoke and Dart in the 2.1 and 2.2 widths on fairly narrow rims. I never had a problem with tires rolling off the rim. My riding style was much wilder then than it is now so the prospect of putting a 35 on a standard road rim does not even rise to the level of concern. That being said, if I was setting out to buy or build a nice wheelset, rather than finding a good deal on a used set, I would go with a wider rim.
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