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28 on back 25 on front

Old 08-30-20, 09:02 AM
  #26  
burnthesheep
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For road, not for off road: you all need to STOP spreading misinformation. You don't have a clue. For road riding, for CRR, aero, and the weight distribution...........smaller goes up front if you're choosing to do this. Of course do WTF ever you want to do.

If you're saying you're going to put bigger up front, then you've got room out back to also put the same size. If you're trying to say you're putting bigger up front and smaller in back..........go ahead, do it. Enjoy. You've got no clue.

There's people in here who know what they're talking about, and some that need to take a hike. This isn't a matter of opinion. Grab a scale and try out the weight distribution. A race prepped TT bike gets closer to 50/50. But everyone in here with a positive rise stem and their hoods level with the saddle aren't even close.

Why do you think a dually pickup has dually rear tires? Tongue weight for trailer loads. Weight distribution. Race cars, equal or staggered larger in the rear (weight dist upon acceleration).

Do you all ever chat with Andy from HED wheels about mating tires and wheels up? I assume not. So you don't know what the eff you're talking about.
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Old 08-30-20, 10:02 AM
  #27  
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Wow! Comparing a bike to a 1000HP race car as an example of larger tires in the rear and then saying no one here has a clue. All this for a measly 3mm difference in tire size. Are you serious?

John

Edit Added: If someone has to ask the question, they probably don’t have the legs to take advantage of it.

Last edited by 70sSanO; 08-30-20 at 10:17 AM.
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Old 08-30-20, 10:13 AM
  #28  
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I used to do reverse, bigger, gripper tire front for control but I know people who did reverse without any issues, they enjoyed the setup. One thing that you have to take care of, when taking sharp turns while riding fast(road downhill) or on slippery surface like ice, uneven tire setup might work against you, no matter which tire is front, the bike won't lean perfectly and it's easy to slide. Different types of tread and tire inflation, depending on setup, might also be cause of issues. So be careful.

Note, I've also used semi-semi-semi-slick tire front like Maxxis Detonator and totally smooth-slick tire on rear of same size, also for control reasons. I have tried same and different tire pressures and came to conclusion that front tire will get slippy if overblown, even if treaded. So it's not only about tire size but also other things.

Last edited by cuyd; 08-30-20 at 10:28 AM.
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Old 08-30-20, 10:42 AM
  #29  
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I doubt that anyone here would say that their front tire wears out before the back one,

and a larger tire has a shot at lasting longer.
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Old 08-30-20, 10:54 AM
  #30  
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Maybe, but many people swap tires. When rear tire is getting worn they swap current front for rear and buy new front one.
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Old 08-30-20, 01:04 PM
  #31  
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I can only speak from my experience!

I have been running a 40mm on the back, and a 35mm on the front for many years now. Schwalbe Marathon Supremes, and I run them slightly higer than the recommended pressure, at 92PSI, because that is where they roll the best for me. I weigh between 175-210#, 180 now.

I experimented with many sizes, and put them on different ends, and this is what I like the best on my Soecialized Crosstrail, which came with 45mm as OEM. In addition to paved trail riding (mostly), it is also my grocery getter.

I like the 35 on the front for more precise and quicker steering, and it's not twitchy at all. This is the perfect size for that, for me 28s, and 30s were more much harsh, and bordered on being twitchy and unstable. The 40 or 45 left the steering slow and heavy. The 35 on the front does not degrade ride at all, compared to the 40 or 45. I can feel the difference with the 30 or 28 on there.

I like the 40 on the rear, because it is as comfortable as the stock 45s, has additional load carrying capacity compared to the 35, and is definitely quicker than the 45. Much more comfortable than the 35, 30, or 28. Very stable, more so than the 35, 30, or 28.

So, to your original question, and yes, there was a lot of time involved mounting tires..... but, I'm retired, and I got time!

I love the mix of the 35 on the front, and the 40 on the back, and wouldn't hesitate doing it on other bikes.

I just may put one of the 30s on my Sirrus, on the rear, of course, and keep the 28 on the front..... It just may ride better, and it already steers good.
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Old 08-30-20, 01:49 PM
  #32  
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Biggest tire I can fit on the rear of my Trek is 25mm but the front takes a 28mm. So that's what I did. Made sense since I was feeling more of the rough road in the front. Difference in ride quality? Maybe a little.
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Old 08-30-20, 01:56 PM
  #33  
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Has anyone seen the set sold by Continental of 23 front and 25 rear?

If you read the reviews it will confirm what a few of us said. It is basically the same principal as a set of motorcycle tires. More stability, better braking, more efficient power transfer and a less twitchy front because of a slight bias of rotational weight to the rear.

I suppose this setup is a less popular offering because it makes rotating tires virtually impossible and would result in added cost to the consumer.

Dynamically it’s self evident, at least to me. Conceding though the advantage is more technical than practical.
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Old 08-30-20, 01:57 PM
  #34  
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Originally Posted by 70sSanO
Wow! Comparing a bike to a 1000HP race car as an example of larger tires in the rear and then saying no one here has a clue. All this for a measly 3mm difference in tire size. Are you serious?

John

Edit Added: If someone has to ask the question, they probably don’t have the legs to take advantage of it.
I didn't know you know more than Continental. You realize they made a product JUST for this exact example, right? With a 23mm front and 25mm rear citing EXACTLY what I've already said about aero and weight distribution. You all need to stop. Seriously.

https://www.continental-tires.com/bi...tack-and-force

https://bikerumor.com/2016/10/28/con...cx-tires-more/
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Old 08-30-20, 02:49 PM
  #35  
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Originally Posted by burnthesheep
I didn't know you know more than Continental. You realize they made a product JUST for this exact example, right? With a 23mm front and 25mm rear citing EXACTLY what I've already said about aero and weight distribution. You all need to stop. Seriously.

https://www.continental-tires.com/bi...tack-and-force

https://bikerumor.com/2016/10/28/con...cx-tires-more/
Rene Herse.

John
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Old 08-30-20, 07:34 PM
  #36  
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The reason I use 25mm on the front and 28mm in the rear is thats the biggest tires they will accept. If I could get a 28mm on the front I would, but the front fork will only accept a 25mm. Fortunately the rear will accept a 28mm. I like the combo!
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Old 08-31-20, 08:12 AM
  #37  
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Well, I slapped a 30 on he back of my Sirrus.
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Old 08-31-20, 08:13 AM
  #38  
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If 28s will fit (many road bikes have very limited tire clearance), then give it a shot. I run 35mm tires on the front and 38mm tire on the rear of my touring bike and it works great.
Unless raising your rear by a couple mm somehow negatively alters the fit of your bike there is no reason not to.

The strategy on mountain bikes BITD was to run a fatter front tire than rear tire to soften the ride for your hands and arms.
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Old 08-31-20, 09:29 AM
  #39  
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I'd do it to use up stock of tires on hand or to reduce toe overlap problem. Do it on gravel bike, 37 gravel tire rear, 30 cyclocross tire front. Handles fine.
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Old 08-31-20, 09:44 AM
  #40  
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bigger for rear to prevent pinch flats & be more comfortable at a lower psi has worked for me. YMMV.
front is subject to load being pushed, but I tend to use 30 or 32 if it'll fit.
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Old 08-31-20, 09:53 AM
  #41  
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Assuming the 28 will fit in the rear, I think it makes a lot of sense. You can run a lower pressure, so more comfort and potentially less rolling resistance. And a 28 in the rear is largely out of the wind, which removes any concern about not being as aerodynamic as a 25. I've actually thought about doing the same thing on my TT bike.

I also pick tire size based on the purpose of the bike. On my wife's endurance bike (Trek Domane), she wants to comfortably cover miles, so I mounted 32 mm tires. At her weight, she typically runs 60 psi. Pretty dang comfortable.
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Old 08-31-20, 10:10 AM
  #42  
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Originally Posted by Mulberry20
I cannot think of another application where the larger tire goes on front.

Physics would confirm the rear.
Pontiac Grand Prix GTP. That was a very particular, high-power FWD car though.
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Old 08-31-20, 10:16 AM
  #43  
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Originally Posted by Mulberry20
Physics say yes, what say you?
Since this discussion is really in the weeds especially 23, 25, 28 and trail changes, I really think it doesn’t really matter with these small changes.

What do you gain by putting a smaller tire in front? Better handling? Lighter feel? Less lean?

What do you gain with a larger tire in the rear. More traction? A heavier tire you have to turn? More comfort?

Over the years I’ve looked at tire data showing that rolling resistance decreases with tire width, (up to a point but don’t want to go there).

The biggest issues are whether aerodynamics outweighs rolling resistance on real roads and does rolling resistance out weight tire weight.

There are so many variables, that include rider weight and rim width, I don’t think there is a definitive answer on a one size fits all.

John
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Old 08-31-20, 10:21 AM
  #44  
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Bigger tire on front, smaller tire on rear = always going uphill = more work
Bigger tire on rear, smaller tire on front = always going downhill = perpetual motion!
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Old 08-31-20, 10:35 AM
  #45  
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Originally Posted by Chuckles1
I'd do it to use up stock of tires on hand or to reduce toe overlap problem. Do it on gravel bike, 37 gravel tire rear, 30 cyclocross tire front. Handles fine.
I did it once because my rear tire (28) wore out but I still had one of my original 25's from when I switched from 25's to 28's. I like the 28's much better but didn't feel like buying another new one, so switched the good 28 on the front to the rear and put the old 25 on the front. Ran them that way for quite a while until my 28 on the rear started wearing out, and then realized that I forgot I had two different sized tires on there. However, to replace the tires I went ahead and bought a pair of 28's. I just prefer to have the same size tires on front & rear.
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Old 08-31-20, 10:43 AM
  #46  
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Originally Posted by Mulberry20
I cannot think of another application where the larger tire goes on front.

Physics would confirm the rear.
Big tire up front used to be fairly common in BMX racing, in the 80s, it's what I ran as well. the wider tire was to give better traction in corners. A smaller tire in the front will work fine. I doubt you will even notice any difference with a 25 up front and a 28 in back. Of course as others have stated, the larger tire will soak up bumps better, provided of course the pressure is lower with the larger tire, which it really should be. In practice, a 25 and a 28 won't give a great ride anyway, for people like me who are used to much wider tires.

Put whatever combination strikes your fancy, and ride on.
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Old 08-31-20, 01:18 PM
  #47  
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Originally Posted by Mulberry20
Physics say yes, what say you?
Depending upon your weight and the balance of your bike and the roads you ride on that works well with me. I'm 190 lbs and California roads are getting too rough, that I'm running 28's on both ends. You also use reduced air pressure What is adds up to is that your bike is absorbing more of the road shocks and spending less time bobbing up and down. And it is REALLY plain to me.
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Old 08-31-20, 02:47 PM
  #48  
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Originally Posted by Mulberry20
I cannot think of another application where the larger tire goes on front.

Physics would confirm the rear.
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Last edited by mr_bill; 08-31-20 at 02:51 PM.
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