Originally Posted by
greatscott
You don't need 45c tires to commute on, especially on pavement, it's far to wide of a tire.
I have 45c's that came on my new touring bike, I'm only going to do paved touring and maybe some gravel, and I've done that before on 32c tires; so as soon as tires come back in stock I'm putting on 38's. Also I commute to work on a bike with 25c tires, been doing that for a couple of years, prior to that I commuted on 23c tires for over 40 years.
While you don’t
need a 45c tire for pavement, some people prefer wider tires. Saying that it’s far too wide of a tire is a matter of opinion. I personally ride on Rene Herse 38’s for my main road tires. But I also have a 650B wheelset with 47mm WTB Horizons on them. I love riding on those Horizons for casual riding. Super comfy and plenty fast. Really don’t lose any rolling resistance with them being that wide.
Going wider gives you more traction, more free suspension, and a smoother ride. How wide is “too wide” is anyone’s guess. With the right tire, it really doesn’t matter how wide it is. You’ll still be able to maintain a high rate of speed regardless. What really matters is what the goals are for the rider. If they’re after a more comfortable ride then I tell them to go as wide as you can with lower pressure in a tubeless setup. Otherwise, find a middle ground that is a bit wider than normal.
Plus, what’s the goal of the “commuter bike”? What’s the purpose? Speed? Comfort? Traction? Maneuverability? You can have all those things in a tire that’s a bit wider than you think. I used to run 32c tires on my road wheelset. They worked and was pretty happy with them. But after switching to a 38c, I don’t think I’ll ever go back to a 32c. 35c is probably the smallest I would go now.