I run my tire clearance close. Where I draw the line is if there is a lot of debris being scraped off the tire and ending up on my brake calipers. If you think about how a wheel turns before it passes under the brake bridge or fork crown, something would have to be very securely embedded in the tire to stay on, like a nail, screw, or thorn, to ever hit that caliper. A loose rock or twig will fly off long before it reaches that far.
I had not had any problems on pavement, but if you ride on dirt or gravel, you'll probably end up scraping lots of debris off both tires. But I can't see a catastrophic event ever happening. Certainly anything is possible, but I've got bigger worries. Like squirrels trying to jump through my spokes.
Last edited by Lemond1985; 07-30-19 at 01:26 PM.