What tire size is faster on pavement... 26",27.5" or 29"?

wintor

Im buying a mountain bike because it fits my style more, feels better and looks better than a road bike...plus I like to do some stunts (like wheelies, jumps and drifts). But I wont be riding it on mountains or anything, just on the road and maybe some trails from time to time. So I need to know which tire size is faster on the road? Is it the 29ers? Or 27.5"? Or 26"?

Also btw, these are some bikes Im considering right now, so if you tell me which one you think is best, i would really appreciate the advice!

-Rockrider 540 -> https://www.decathlon.ie/rockrider-540- ... 20355.html
-Giant ATX 2 (2017) -> http://www.giant-dublin.ie/en-ie/bikes/ ... 87/101110/
-VooDoo Aizan --> http://www.halfords.ie/cycling/bikes/mo ... ntain-bike
-Carrera Vengeance --> http://www.halfords.ie/cycling/bikes/mo ... bike-black
-Carrera Vulcan --> http://www.halfords.ie/cycling/bikes/mo ... ntain-bike

Dave_P1

Assuming like for like on tyres, a 29er is the fastest

LimitedGarry

I can get my 26" €350-ish hardtail to pretty much the same speeds as my 29" €1300-ish hardtail. The 29er takes more effort to get rolling, but once you get it to a certain speed, it takes less effort to maintain that speed. So to give you an answer that doesn't start a flamewar, the 29er is better suited for travelling long distances at high speeds.
Which I guess is what you want. You can get some light semislick rubber and have a touring/adventure bike capable of riding most illegal and wild trails. Wouldn't take it to a trail centre personally.

snowster

Worth a look and better than the 540 https://www.decathlon.co.uk/rockrider-5 ... 36093.html

wintor

snowster wrote:

Worth a look and better than the 540 https://www.decathlon.co.uk/rockrider-5 ... 36093.html

Not from the UK fam

The Rookie

On Tarmac there is very little in it between the wheel sizes, the advantage comes as the surface gets rougher where the bigger wheels acommodate the lumps and bumps better with less drag.

Bojangle

fact on paper 29"!

yiannism

From my experience i felt 29'' faster on tarmac, but when you go off road and so some technical my choice is 27.5, the handling at cornering is much better and the acceleration especially at climbing is way faster and feels lighter.

By the way if your main use is tarmac why to chose an MTB? Trekking bikes are better suited for that and you still can go some off road too.

cycleclinic

The ammount of effort required to get a bike moving is dependeant on total weight and rolling resistance for my 29er it is easier to get it moving and keep it speed than my 26ers becuse it is lighter and the wheels have lower rolling resistance, better tyres too. Bigger wheel have lower rolling reistance.i would the schwable marathin supreme tubeless tyres to your 29er when you get it.