Ultra wide rims...

williambowland

So - rims are getting proper wide these days. The Derby rims available through JRA seem like good value so it got me thinking...

Just how applicable are 35 - 40mm wide rims to general trail riding on short travel rigs such as my Anthem 27.5?

rockmonkeysc

They arent really suited to light xc bikes. Your bike will work best with something around 25mm max.

benpinnick

If your looking at carbon I would say 30mm external is pretty 'normal'. Suitable for all round trail duties, 35+ needs a big tyre to work best.

rockmonkeysc

Anthems used to have quite limited tyre clearance. Mine would only take a 2.35" max

williambowland

There's a fair amount of clearance to spare round the Racing Ralph 2.25 out back.

I thought ultra wide rims didn't usually require extra clearance - that it was more about squaring up the tyre? In fact the "Tire Recommendation" bit of the Derby web site (http://www.derbyrims.com/technical-specs.html) talks about "normal" sized tyres (he says likes "2.2 sized tires for most trail conditions").

I'm a bit confused...

Still - i think you've discouraged me enough for now.

rockmonkeysc

I dont think i want my tyres with a more square profile.
While DH racers are still using 25-28mm rims and 2.5" tyres I will take that as a guide to the best handling for hard riding.