700x32 to x28
 

[Cross-post from touring, since I figure the C&V folks have thought about larger tires, too.]
Hi all,
I have a Surly LHT that I'll be doing a long supported ride on due to my "fast" road bike being lost in shipment [my Fedex thread ;)]. The Surly is kind of heavy/sluggish, and I'm trying to lighten/liven it up a bit. I'm going to ditch the rack and possibly the fenders, depending on the forecast. What I'm wondering is if going to a narrower tire would be likely to make a noticeable difference? I'm currently running 700x32 Pasela Tourguards with a kevlar bead on Mavic A719 rims--if I dropped down to some sort of x28 (the smallest tire that rim will take), do you all think I'd notice any difference? I was thinking maybe a Rolly-Poly from Rivendell...

Thanks,
Daniel

My old Nishki wore 27x1/14 which is about the same as a 700x32.
I am now running 700x28 on it and it does feel much more responsive. I have had no issues with this size of tire and a loaded bike. However the ride is not as smooth as the wider 1x1/4 tire.

I think it has less to do with tire size and more to do with construction and pressure.

I don't think you'd feel a difference between Paselas from one size to the other given how comfort is less a function of width than of tire construction; you might feel a difference with the Rolly-Polly but it might be slower. That's all according to the Bicycle Quarterly tire test in issue 5.1. The 35mm Pasela tested faster than the 21mm Clement Criterium.

Neal

How long is your long supported ride?