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Difference in going from 700x37mm to ~42mm - worth it?

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Difference in going from 700x37mm to ~42mm - worth it?

Old 04-30-18, 04:57 PM
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Difference in going from 700x37mm to ~42mm - worth it?

I ride a 2012 Opus Legato. It's a touring bike but handles incredibly well, is built like a tank and handles mixed surfaces like a champ. I ride mostly gravel, dirt and singletrack on this bike with some pavement thrown in.

I can fit approx 42mm tires in the rear but the fork maxes out at a 38mm tire or so. I am currently riding 700x33 Clement LAS which measure out to 37mm true width on my rims. They're a tremendous tire and I love them, but... if 37mm is good then 42mm is better!

I've been thinking of buying a Surly Cross-check fork which has clearance for 700x45. Worth it or no? I'm happy with how it performs currently but with most adventure-purposed bikes fitting 40mm+ tires out of the gate I feel like I'm missing out on something.
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Old 04-30-18, 05:39 PM
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I put a Surly Double Cross fork on a Origin8 CX700 "Monstercross" build. This allowed the use of the 700x45 WTB Riddler both front and rear. I continue to use the 700x45 Riddler on the front whenever I ride a route with faster descents. At higher speeds, I like that the larger tire has plenty of stability and grip. I know that if I need to make an emergency stop or lane change, the fatter tire will respond.

I also liked the ride comfort and braking response of the Surly fork. It was a good upgrade over the much heavier unicrown fork that was included with the frameset.

See: Origin 8 CX700 3x9 Monster-cross build
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Old 04-30-18, 07:06 PM
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Originally Posted by Barrettscv
I put a Surly Double Cross fork on a Origin8 CX700 "Monstercross" build. This allowed the use of the 700x45 WTB Riddler both front and rear. I continue to use the 700x45 Riddle on the front whenever I ride a route with faster descents. At higher speeds, I like that the larger tire has plenty of stability and grip. I know that if I need to make an emergency stop or lane change, the fatter tire will respond.

I also liked the ride comfort and braking response of the Surly fork. It was a good upgrade over the much heavier unicrown fork that was included with the frameset.
Nicely done - that's a great build and pretty much exactly what I'm aiming for with my bike, down to the Woodchippers and all.
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Old 05-02-18, 03:36 PM
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Originally Posted by jarude
I ride a 2012 Opus Legato. It's a touring bike but handles incredibly well, is built like a tank and handles mixed surfaces like a champ. I ride mostly gravel, dirt and singletrack on this bike with some pavement thrown in.

I can fit approx 42mm tires in the rear but the fork maxes out at a 38mm tire or so. I am currently riding 700x33 Clement LAS which measure out to 37mm true width on my rims. They're a tremendous tire and I love them, but... if 37mm is good then 42mm is better!

I've been thinking of buying a Surly Cross-check fork which has clearance for 700x45. Worth it or no? I'm happy with how it performs currently but with most adventure-purposed bikes fitting 40mm+ tires out of the gate I feel like I'm missing out on something.
You mention that your bike is a "touring bike" and that you like the way the bike handles/performs. Do you know the rake (a.k.a. offset) and axle-to-center distance of your current fork and if the Surly Cross-check fork has about the same figures?

If it's a lot different then the handling may not feel as good. Just something to consider.
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Old 05-02-18, 03:46 PM
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I wouldn't do it. Maybe for 10mm increase, but 5 isn't a huge change. I tend to ride 30, 40, or 54mm tires.
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Old 05-04-18, 07:14 AM
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For singletrack I would want every mm I could get. So yeah, for that I think it will make a difference.

As for the dirt roads? I would not do it for that.
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Old 05-07-18, 04:43 PM
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I would go with the wide tire up front, 80% of my rides in Cambodia are gravel and having a big front tire helps.
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