About to buy a new set of tires.
In the past I have used 1.5" (38c) and found them fine, but I would like to go wider. My bike can fit up to 42 and was wondering if there is a noticeable difference between to 2 sizes?
In regards to:
Load bearing
Comfort
Handling

Thank you

At my weight, just going by the recommendations of a pressure calculator, I would be able to run about 15% lower pressure with a 700x42 compared to a 700x38. Somewhat related, I certainly noticed a difference going from 700x32 to 700x35 on one set of wheels, and making the jump from 700x38 to 700x43 on another. I run my front 700x43 @ 40psi (over 25% lower than with the 38,) and it is very plush. The lower the pressures I can run, the better, AFAIC.

Marcus, this is what I have personally felt from having bikes with 1.5 inch 38mm (real life measuring at 38mm) vs another bike with 2 inch 50mm (measuring in real life at about 45mm)

load bearing-- not ever been a concern or issue, as Im not heavy but one can feel that a wider, more volumous tire does support more weight in a more comfortable fashion, but really, 38's are still plenty wide for most touring weight examples, at least in my experience and Ive toured on 28s a lot also, so that puts things in perspective also.

comfort- my take on this is that it really depnds on the road surfaces. On good roads, 28, 32 whatever can be perfectly fine. When it gets bumpy, wider and wider becomes more comfortable and puts less stress into your wheelset--depending on the pressures of course. I toured on 38's on good to middling roads and it was perfectly fine, but I also learned not to overdo the pressures.
However, on middling to poor road to really bad roads, having the 2 inch tires made a huge difference in rider comfort AND less bashing about of my rims and spokes and baggage.

handling- again, wider tires can "handle" better, but then again, what does "handling" mean? There is more suspension effect, so that means going around a corner with bumps means the bike stays more level and doesnt bounce around--IF you use proper pressures, ie too high presssures than needed will negate any handling and comfort gains.

*** now we get to the crux of the matter--all this blah blah is completely determined by WHICH tire you use. Some tires are heavier than others, have a much stiffer carcass, sidewall etc so that compared to another tire, they will feel way less comfortable, be slower etc
So you could have a 38mm tire that has nice riding feel, and then put a heavy, stiff 42mm tire on, and the 38 one will ride nicer just because of the feel of the tire, and even with lower pressures on the 42's, they could still ride harsher, slower and clunkier than the 38's, despite the general rule of "wider being more comfortable"

plus, you will feel a diff from 38 to 42, but it may not be a huge diff, it will be there for sure.
I feel a big diff in my riding on 28s vs 35s, from 35s to 38s, and 38s to the real life 45's (but as 50mm, they do have the air volume of a true 2 inch 50mm tire)
but you may not feel the difference--depending on the tires, depending on the pressures you run, and depending on how observant you are or care (some people dont, although you asking this question shows you do have an interest of course).

oh, and my comments are more from a touring pt of view, ie on a bike with a load. If unloaded or lightly loaded, 38s do feel more sprightly than my 2 inch tires (Ive ridden the same bike with both, and notice the difference)
Interesting enough, the 1.5's and the 2inchers I am referring to have very similar weights, but the smaller contact patch does feel that it rolls easier a bit unloaded, but to be honest, I havent done any testing to know if this is all in my head--and again, this comment depends completely on which tires are involved, as how diff tires roll can be quite diff from one to another.

the 1.5's are Schwalbe regular greenguard Marathons, and the 2inchers are Schwalbe Supremes, both 26 inch tires.

what tires have you been looking at and considering?

I didn't consider a change in tire based on the OP's question-- I viewed it as "I have <tire model X> in a 700x38, would there be any advantage/disadvantage in going to <tire model X> in 700x42?"

There is certainly a tipping point where the tire gets too wide and too heavy, but I don't think that point is nestled between a 38 and a 42. I think the advantages of the 42 will outweigh any negatives in terms of weight or rolling resistance (which would well be lower.) Weight is going to be the only real drawback, but in touring terms, I think that's negated.

I guess at the end of the day, "Biggest tire that will fit" is my go-to-- but I find I tire I like first. [MENTION=199530]djb[/MENTION] is right on, if the tire is a clunker, a wider one isn't going to make it less of a clunker.

Thanks for the replies.
I was riding Schwalbe marathon greens 26x1.5, I liked them. I am now building a 700c tourer and am considering the Marathon Tour plus for the 38s and Mondials for the 42. I considered the supremes, but figure a little more aggressive tread will help on the gravel and trails.

Ive been through all this before, comparing the various models and balancing this and that.

the plus tours 37-622, 700x35 are about 900g, 890g. rolling marked as 3.5 out of 6
mondials 42-622, 700x40, are 650g, rolling 4 out of 6
supremes 42-622, are 490 or 590g depending on which one, rolling 5.5 out of 6

and the prices vary a lot too, although I imagine they are less expensive in Italy. Here, you are easily looking at 50-90 dollars canadian per tire, so it very possible to spend 200 dollars to find out how you like a tire or not.....

to me it comes down to how much you realistically think you'll be on gravel, and what sort of gravel. Regular marathons and similar with that sort of tread, works fine for me on nearly all kinds of stuff I ride on, and I also rode the more slick supremes on a lot of dirt roads, but they were not super rocky (where sharp edges could cut the supremes thin sidewall) and I could ride on it fine.

I can say that the supremes do roll very very nicely, and if one pays attention, are remarkedly good for punctures, but that depends a lot on rider attention and using common sense. I rode my 26x2 supremes through half of mexico, central america and across france and didnt get a puncture on the trips, but I realize this is perhaps an exception--and also, I was not riding on really rough dirt roads and very rocky, tough little trails , mostly on all sorts of levels of paved roads from great to horrible, and mostly "regular" dirt roads.

Generically I think everything between 38 and 42 would ride about the same as another tire that was constructed to the same specifications, that is a range of only about 10 percent. Your 1.5 width tire is probably also labeled as 40mm.

I have never ridden a Marathon Plus, but I have heard that the thick soft layer (blue in cross sections in diagrams) makes that tire very slow.

The folding Mondials and non-folding Mondials have a different construction specification, there might be some difference in how they roll.
https://www.schwalbetires.com/bike_t...rathon_mondial

You mention gravel and trails, for that I suspect you will be happier with the wider tire. But it depends on what your gravel/trails are really like. Some trails like GAP, C&O, Katy usually have a very good smooth surface, on that even a 32 might work ok. When I did the GAP/C&O, there were three of us. We had 35, 47 and 50 mm wide tires on our bikes. And all three of use concluded that we had the perfect tires for that route.

But the bike trails in my state have been starved of maintenance funding for almost a decade, it is getting to the point where some of the trails I will only ride with a 57mm tire because in many places they have used beach sand to fill in washouts, and if you ride into that with a narrow tire you have a good chance of crashing. Twice this year I rode into some loose sand or gravel and crashed.

and as tourist refers to, riding on gravel is also very much a personal thing, and how your bike handling skills are and what you are comfortable with, and really only you know what works for you and what sort of stuff you'll likely be riding on.
Also, I figure its good to be realistic about the percentage of riding you'll be doing on X type of gravel. If its past a certain amount, then clearly wider is better, and depending on the gravel type this will also be a factor--which still comes back to it being you that will make this decision based on factors.
Also, having panniers on, especially with front ones too, wider is going to help a lot with not digging into soft stuff. I rode some soft stuff this winter that was ok for an hour or so, but would have been a pain all day, especially on some of the really softer, deeper sections, but the majority of this section could be ridden, and I just evaluated the surface as i went along, and did some short walking when I started pushing the front too much, but then I have fun in these sketchy sections, but wouldnt want to do it all day.

I would say asphalt to gravel is about 70/30.
I do not have to decide right away, I'll look around a bit, see if there are some bikes with different sizes.
Thanks

Supemes and Mondials are about 35 euro $50 Cdn, so does not seem that much of a difference, but you're right; one of the worst things is buying a part, not liking it, but not wanting to spend more money to replace it. It's like a saddle sore every time I ride.

But as a side note for Cdn prices. I am looking for an outdoor watch and like the Casio PRG 270.
Amazon Italy- 200 Euro
Amazon US- $140 US
Amazon Ca-$98!! Cdn
Figure that out

cant explain that one.

As an example, 700x40 Mondials are $106 each at a popular outdoor/bike store here in Montreal.

https://www.lacordee.com/en/schwalbe...0-folding-tire

so $212 plus 15% taxes is close to $245 dollars for two tires.

if you think riding will really be 70/30 asphalt/dirt, I wouldnt go too heavy and tready, but again, only you know your abilities and what kinds of trails.

I generally like to have equipment that will handle most of the bad parts of my riding. The good parts of my route take care of themselves. If I was looking at 30 percent gravel and 70 percent road, I would look for a gravel oriented tire that rolled adequately on pavement instead of looking for a smoother road tire.


I can't explain the unusually low Canadian price, but the Euro price likely includes VAT, the USA price probably does not. But there were a couple times I ordered something on Amazon that had a really good price and then I got an e-mail later that the seller canceled the order, after which they raised the price. In other words, they entered the wrong price on their computer.

I'd pick the tire first, then the size. Going through your choices there, changing tire model is going to affect you far more than changing tire size within a model.

Considering I weigh 105 kg, Most 23c tires would not be able to take me and a full load

Maybe we can trade 2 tires for a watch

ha, good sense of humour!
nice idea, just that little problem of 6000+ kms......

if you weigh 105kg, thats more than 40kg more than me, and more than me and the heaviest load Ive ever carried touring, so I really would recommend going as wide as you can. If your bike will go to 42 then thats the limit, as going wider then is a whole other topic of a diff bike.

I've used several different folding touring tires in the 700x30 to 700x50 range. Road surface and tire construction is more important than size. I weight 225 lbs.

Tires used;

700x30 Schwalbe G-One, these measure 32mm wide and are wide enough for touring on pavement or very firm rails-to-trails. I've used these on the KATY trail when the trail is firm. I'll run 90 psi. These are very fast rolling and ride supple. Not super durable, but should last 2000 miles while touring.

700x38 Vittoria Voyager Hyper. Much like the Schwalbe above. Can be used at lower air pressure due to the increased size, but I'd keep at least 70 psi if the bike and rider are more than 250 lbs.

700x50 (folding) Schwalbe Supreme, these measure 46mm wide. These are much heavier and more durable than the G-One or Hyper. These can run at 50 psi, but don't provide a super supple ride or low rolling resistance.

The bigger size alone won't provide a big improvement or extra float on regular well-maintained gravel than a 700x38 tire. If you spend many miles on rural gravel roads, a Schwalbe Marathon or a WTB Riddler should be considered. These provide real stability on moderately soft gravel. Otherwise, just use a tire with minimal tread, low rolling resistance and a smooth ride. Most good quality tires from 700x32 to 700x40 are suitable. If I was buying a touring tire today, I'd probably pick one of the Panaracer Gravelkings.

Try the Continental Speed Ride. Nominally 700x42, actually measures 700x38 on most rims. Sweet tires for the money, around $15/each for the wire bead version with reflective sidewall.

Great for pavement, groomed gravel/chat trails, light off road in dry conditions. Very responsive to personal PSI to suit your needs and the terrain.

Good puncture resistance, but with emphasis on a smooth fast ride.

Only reason I switched to Conti Sport Contact II recently was to fit some old fenders. Needed 700x35 or smaller. Speed Ride is one width only.

The Sport Contact II weigh the same. They'll run higher pressure. They're narrower. But they feel sluggish compared with the Speed Ride.

I may swap back and buy wider fenders.

I am interested in this thread as I just received my Surly DT. nice tires stock but will upgrade for puncture resistance when these wear down.

hi barretts, been a long time it seems, dont see your name up here much anymore.
Having ridden a lot on my 26x2in 50mm supremes, I personally had the opposite opinion than yours. I found they rolled well, and at the right pressure did a great job at absorbing bumps and stuff.
This year I went on a ride with a friend, me on my touring bike with the supremes, and him on his 700x32 conti touring plus or whatever they are. We both had one pannier on, but he weighs probably 80lbs more than me, and I was surprised how on a shallow downhill I distanced him when we did a "no pedal" simple test, probably starting at less than 15kph, no real head wind to speak of, and probably getting to maybe 30kph tops. I know there are other factors like hubs and how smooth they are, but I do think the bumps on the bike path played a part, and also the slickish supremes also was a factor.
Ive also noticed this when touring with similar loaded riders, that I am at least equal if not faster on downhills than others with my 50mm (mine measure also to 45mm) compared to them on either narrow tires and or much heavier riders.

I didn't mean to imply that the 700x50 Schwalbe Supreme is a slow tire. In contrast to the Vittoria Hyper or a much narrower Schwalbe G One, the extra size and weight of the 700x50 tire reduces the acceleration and responsiveness of the bike.

It doesn't surprise me that the tire is faster than an alternative on a decline. A heavier, smooth tire will roll downhill at a good rate. It's performance uphill will require greater effort than a smaller and lighter tire. A heavier, more durable tire, can be the right choice for a long tour over various roads. It's just not the fastest or best riding option.

re teh underlined part, absolutely agree. Even on a touring bike, I specifically chose the supremes over regular or plus marathons because of the weight, and on top of it, my wheelset on that specific bike is a lighter 32 spoke set , so as a small guy without lots of power, its nice to try to lighten up the rotating mass a bit.
The supremes also were very impressive for puncture resistance, given their weight, so I cant complain, so for me, they were in fact the faster or as I think of it, less power robbing tires for my trip, which I appreciated given just how much climbing was involved in my travels.

I used the 50mm tires specifically because I knew I was going to be riding on rough surfaces, as I did two trips in Latin America, and Im glad I used them. I had thought of just using the 1.6in 40mm, but I had the 50mm's, and in the end, it was the right choice as it made a real diff on the various rough surfaces I encountered over the months.