Q. Will I benefit from different tire size or type?



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"Rick Onanian" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:eek:[email protected]...
> On Fri, 08 Aug 2003 01:08:40 GMT, Pete <[email protected]> wrote:
> > A 200lb rider/bike creates a 2 sq in patch for a bike tire pumped to 100
> > psi. No matter what the width or diameter.
>
> Close. Actually, this would be correct: A 200lb rider/unicycle creates a 2 sq in patch for a
> unicycle tire pumped to 100 psi. No matter what the width or diameter.
>
> Forgot that some of the rider's weight is on the _other_ bicycle tire? :)
>

ok, ok

But the concept still stands.

Pete
 
On 2 Aug 2003 19:19:02 -0700, [email protected] (Joe Samangitak) may have said:

>- First of all, will it work to put different width tires on my hybrid/city bike, or is there an
> issue with narrower widths coming off the rim, etc.?

Not knowing the rim width, it's hard to say what range of sizes will work well. You may be able to
go down a few sizes, but do you want to? Less rubber between the road and the rim can yield a
harsher ride and an increased probability of punctures.

>- Secondly, is there an advantage to using a different tire size if I can, or should I assume the
> original 700 x 35 tire size was already designed ideally for city driving?

Make no unwarranted assumptions; the size could have been chosen for any number of reasons that may
or may not be relevant to you. All that you can likely assume is that 700x35 is a safe size to use
on your rims.

>- Lastly, I read expert testimonials that said slick tires are best for pavement riding, cornering,
> wet driving, traction and have less rolling resistance, basically because more rubber contacts
> the road.

For bicycles, that's pretty much true. Unlike motor vehicle tires, where the tread is essential to
prevent aquaplaning due to the large size of the contact patch, a 700x35 bike tire has a small
enough patch (and is typically used at a low enough speed) that the aquaplaning issue simply doesn't
apply. While there are some who will state that a treaded tire will not slip as easily on a damp
polished concrete surface (which is inherently treacherous territory), it's been my experience that
such surfaces are only likely to be found indoors or in locations where you're more likely to be
walking than riding. A car's tread wouldn't prevent a slip on such a surface, so a bike's tread
isn't likely to help either. As such, the only remaining reason to favor a siped or treaded tire
over a fully slick one is the fact that you won't be caught by surprise when it wears out; the
disappearing sipes or tread make it really obvious without even having to pay close attention. I
would not consider minor siping or patterning to be a drawback that disqualified a tire that was
being bought for commuter use, since the sipes or patternings most likely would not reduce the
tire's useful life by a tremendous amount.

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