2.2 or 2.4 tyre size

Tony1976

Afternoon everyone,

Could you tell me wether this difference in tyre sizes affects in anyway the handling of the bike? or improves anything when riding?

Cheers

.blitz

Wide tyres roll better than narrow ones because they have a short/fat contact patch compared to the long/thin contact patch of a narrow tyre. The diffence in radial length of the contact patch means that the wider tyre is 'rounder' as it turns and hence rolls better.

But narrow tyres can withstand higher pressures to counteract the deformation at the expense of ride comfort. Up to about 14 mph the ride is better with wider tyres. And they look cooler.

Tony1976

Thats great thanks,

The reason i ask is i was looking at some Conti Mountain Kings and didnt know what the difference would be between the 2.2 and 2.4.

Due to the fantastic weather we are having at the moment do the bigger tyres make a difference when its very muddy or does that not really matter?

crashtestdummy12

For mud you usually use something like a 2.0 in order to cut through the sloppy mud and get to the harder ground beneath

abbots_mike

narrow tyres roll better surely?
road tyres are narrow, if i have lower pressures in my tyres, therefore making them wider, they roll slower, and downhill tyres, which are designed for massive grip at the expense of rolling quickly are also usuallly 2.35" plus.
wide tyres give a softer ride, but narrow tyres roll better.

supersonic

Rolling resistance depends on a few factors - width of tyre, tyre pressure, wheel size, compounds and lug pattern. And of course terrain. What 'rolls' better is a rather vague term I feel, as doesn't directly mean 'less rolling resistance, and different tyres will perform better/worse in certain conditions and terrain.

From Sheldon Brown:

"A common debate among cyclists centres on the issue of whether a wider tyre has more or less rolling resistance at the same pressure. The constant pressure is proposed because it appears more scientific to eliminate this as a variable, but this is not realistic in practice. The short answer to this question is that, yes, a wider tyre of similar construction will have lower rolling resistance than a narrower one at the same pressure. This fact is, however, of no practical value. If you are comparing two tyres of similar construction, with the same load, and the same pressure, either the wider tyre is overinflated, or the narrower tyre is underinflated!"

The reason roadies have narrower tyres is that they are more aerodynamic, and hold higher pressures better, reducing the contact patch. Tyre width and pressure is of course related.

synchronicity

It's like asking: "chocolate or strawberry icecream?"
Only you can choose!