acgi

If I wanted to increase rolling resistance on 20" tires (yes that's correct, to make me work harder) with the ability to ride on mixed terrain (asphalt, packed dirt, crushed gravel), what would be the recommendation for tire width and thread? I can go as narrow as 1.35 or as wide as 1.75. Will a wider tire at a lower inflation provide a noticeably higher rolling resistance than a narrow tire that is inflated at a higher pressure? Can anyone feel the difference in pedaling effort between cycling at a say a 1.35 vs. 1.5 tire? thanks,

Spoonrobot 

Depends on the tire.

However, if you really want to up the rolling resistance to work harder, just run something with aggressive knobs. I know Kenda makes some 20x1.75 knobbies.

acgi

thanks, so would an aggressive thread pattern like the one you mentioned on a wider tire provide more rolling resistance than a narrower 1.35 road tire? I ask about tire width because I read that a narrower tire is supposed to provide more rolling resistance than a wider tire.

deapee

Your statement is partially correct. A wider tire [of similar construction filled to the same pressure as a narrower tire] will have lower rolling resistance than the narrower tire.

So for what you're looking for...go as wide as you can, run as low a PSI as you can (probably 30 PSI) and get a knobby of a tire as you can.

I push a 35 pound mtb (29x2.0 @ 30 psi) on my group's gravel rides where they all use gravel grinders on 32mm's @ 70 psi -- and trust me, I work a lot harder than any one of them.

So in summary, wide as you can, aggressive as you can, as low a psi as you can.

acgi

thanks, so the reason you go as wide as you can is so you can run a lower PSI on a wider tire than a narrower tire? I was also thinking of adding tire liners so not sure if the added weight would make any significant difference or not.

Darth Lefty 

Try some bricks in your panniers

StanSeven

Working harder is generating more power. You can do that the way you want to try or just work harder - use a more difficult gear, spin a faster cadence, ride hills, etc.

Why do you want to do something more?

Darth_Firebolt

Just set your brake to rub a bit.

PaulRivers

The most rolling resistance would be the fattest knobbiest tire you can fit on there.

I had trouble finding a knobby tire in 20" though. The Schwalbe Smart Sam is the smallest tire I could find in a quick search and it's 24" in it's smallest size:
Smart Sam HS 367 | Schwalbe North America

The 20" tire I know of that would provide the most rolling resistance is the Schwalbe Marathon Plus. It's a tire with a massive amount of flat protection and it has a reputation for being a bit slow. 20x1.75" would be the size with the most rolling resistance:
Marathon Plus HS 440 | Schwalbe North America

If you want to ride on dirt, gravel, etc, and you don't care about speed (or want to be slower), a wider tire is definitely better. Your bike frame will only take a tire that's so wide though, so that will be your limit.

A 1.7" tire is definitely going to be slower than a 1.3" tire, yes.

catgita

Wider does not make a tire slower, but flexing a really crappy tire does. So get a crappy BMX tire from Wallmart, something with thick sidewalls and tread, gummy feeling rubber, as wide as you can fit so you can run soft and flex the crap out of it. Also load it up thick with sealant and a thick tube, because it is going to chew itself up fast.

The slowest 20" tire I have ever used was a Kenda Quest, which is often used on recumbents as a "performance tire". You could definitely do worse.

PaulRivers

If you've ever actually ridden wide tires, you know that while the point where it happens may be debateable, at some point wider definitely makes you slower.

acgi

thanks. I was debating between this and the Marathon (Marathon HS 420 | Schwalbe North America) which is slightly more of a off-road/touring tire and just a little bit less protection. It's way cheaper. I'm thinking about getting these and adding tuffy liners for the added protection since I don't care about the extra weight.

OldsCOOL

Just buy an old Schwang Varsity and run the tires a bit soft.

StanSeven

Right. With Schwalbe it happens between 25 and 28 per their data. That surprised me.

PaulRivers

I'm not sure you can make an assessment without knowing rider weight, so I would wonder what rider weight they assumed for that figure. It's my understanding that the ideal tire size is greatly dependent on rider weight, with a 130lb rider getting the best results out of a different tire size than a 200lb rider.

PaulRivers

Cool.

Looks like the rating in the offroad category is barely different between the two.

The Plus in your size is $52.49, the regular hs is $31.47. The Tuffy tire liner is $10 on amazon per tire, so...in my opinion it's worth the extra $10 to not deal with the additional risk of the tire liner itself causing a flat. Just my opinion.

They make a "plus" tire in mountain biking to, but it only came in 26" as it's smallest size so I didn't mention it.

prathmann

The non-pneumatic foam-filled tires also meet the OP's desire for greater rolling resistance. Get one that's particularly wide and squishy and preferably with soft knobs that bend when in the contact area.

catgita

They use rollers, not real world tests, so completely meaningless.
I use 42mm and 38mm tires, as shown in my icon on the left, which definitely do not have more rolling resistance than narrower tires. Air drag yes, but not by any other measure.