Urban Bent riders..............
 

Sidewalk cracks, ledges, drops, curb ramps,
and for when you 'drop off' the sidewalk edge to yield to a pedestrian,, you should yield btw,
Its a 'SideWALK' not a bike trail.. Unlike a DF bike We cannot hop things.

Anyway, My LWB Tour Easy had a 700x28c rear and I had to keep it just south of 100 psi. This caused me concern for my perfectly true factory made wheel.
Some of my Impacts felt like they could destroy my rear wheel, FYI:my comfort was fine in that oh so fat comfy cool back seat. :)

So I mounted a 'Hybrid' bike Tire, A Bontrager H5 Hard Case Lite 700x35c, It has a max psi of 60 or 4.1 bar $29.99 plus a fatter tube was needed.
A relatively cheap experiment and IMO it was a success.

The LBS guy said it would be a lot slower, my answer, "I will get stronger". On level ground below 10 mph I feel no difference at all,
as I pour on the power I need to spin a bit higher cadence, One gear lower is plenty, and when I hit a grade again a gear lower equals things out.
But The Bump factor,, wow, Night and Day. Noticeable at the first bump at the bottom of my drive way.
Those piles of sand at the Intersections where the side walk ramp ends, no longer are an Issue.

My best comparison would be, a 2 inch sidewalk section drop off, you know, near an Oak tree that's lifting the side walk.
a Two Inch drop feels like a ONE inch drop off with a less sudden thump and I can feel the tire rebounding nicely.

It's a keeper and as for a MPH less top speed, I don't spend time at top speed, I spend it at wide range of speeds constantly changing.

I did 20 miles this AM on the new tire, one of the 20 mile routes I've done many times, I don't feel any different, no sign of a harder workout.
But I'm not Into data, no computer on my bent, no Strada, no smart phone,

Only the wind In my face :D


A Penny for Your Thoughts ?

Currently running 1.5" front and rear on the bike I use for my suburban/urban commute - was using 1.35/1.25 F/R. Not sure how much difference I feel. Would never use anything skinnier due to imperfect road surfaces. Sidewalks? Very, very rarely on them. Between peds and intersections, they don't seem a viable alternative to streets.

I hear ya. My Sidewalks are mostly empty and the last time I was in the bike lane (We have plenty), my Instinct told me to get up on the side walk.

I did, then right In front of me a Cowboy Cadillac drove right into the bike lane where I was, doing about 60 in a 45 and skipped off the curb.
His 4X4 mudder tires were almost as wide as the bike lane.

I would have been Hamburger meat.....

I use bike lanes only when there are no cagers or on my Early AM rides when the roads are mine.
The closest paved 'Mup' is about a mile from me and a combination of sidewalks, parking lots and bike lanes get me to it.

FYI, when ya come up behind two joggers running side by side on the nice wide mup and you holler, "On Your Left" they tend to split one left and one right
while they turn their heads to look at you,,,
When I call out, "Passing On Your Left" the one on the left tends to run into the one on the right,,LOL

Contrary to conventional "wisdom" a lot of road tires that are larger and high pressure roll almost as easy as skinny hp "racing' tires. A HP 1.5 bent tire wont be so prone to snake bite flats and will protect your rims.