hybridbkrdr

I'm curious if those who've tried both would comment on your experience hitting rocks and roots. Ideally with 27.5" tires.

Or, how about sand, mud or snow.

c_m_shooter

It is hard to beat a tire in the 2.5 range with a fast tread design for average trail riding no matter the wheel size. I have bikes with 26, 27.5 and 29 rims. I rode sand with 2.5s until I got my fatbike maybe 10 years ago. Nothing works in the mud, and snow has a ton of variables.

Kapusta

The 2.4 is way, way better, assuming you drop the pressure accordingly.

prj71

Who rides a 2.0 tire anymore????!!!!

Kapusta

That's like Gravel Bike size, now

fietsbob

So, why must I try it for you?

Just feel lucky you can find any tires at all with Covid interfering with the world supply chain..

I have a 30 year old pair of Suomi Nokian Studded Tires ... 26 x 1.9..





...

Darth Lefty 

I went from 2.0 to 2.3 when I refurbished my last 26er some years ago. It was also a step up in tire quality and tread design, and I went tubeless. And I dropped the pressure by about a third. So I can't really isolate the tire width out of all that, but it was a tremendous change in feel. Like changing from sneakers to cleats. At least as good as the change from the stock cheap Suntour fork, to a Rock Shox with oil damper.

I'm on 27.5+ tires right now. In fact just bought a new 3in tire for the rear that's bigger than the 2.8 it came with, mainly because it was a nice one on sale. I've begun to feel like plus tires were a step too far, and the 2.5-2.6 29ers on offer now are a better compromise between the sizes. But it's the bike I have right now, so I'm sticking with it unless / until something goes wrong or the bike gets sold.

c_m_shooter

Put the 3.0 on the front and drop to a 2.5 in the back.

Darth Lefty 

thank you for the idea. My rims are really too wide for that and I already have a soft Nobby Nic on the front that I like a lot, the one going on the back is a hard Rocket Ron

bikeme

I run a 2.4 in front and a 2.2 in back for XC training and racing. My wife has 2.4 on both. The 2.4 (I also used to run a 2.3 on front) floats over sand way better than a 2.1 or 2.2. Part of making it across sand is a higher cadence with weight back a little to help float the front wheel.

2old

My experience is with 26"; still pretty close to 27.5 in diameter. Socal riding is mostly hardpack or light sand where my wife and I ride and, for us, there's no reason for tires wider than 2.1. 2.4's are great on my ebike as they consume more tortuous terrain, which my wife and Ia eschew when we ride together, better.

Sorcerer

Had to laugh at the remark that 2.00 is gravel tire width now.

When 26x2.0 was normal I was happy as a clam and rode all over the same places I ride today. It wasn't a handicap.

​​​​​​Bigger is better though, to a point, depending, is my opinion.

On a 29" hardtail I've been running 2.25 rear and 2.35 front for the last couple of years, and it feels fine. These are fairly old school tire sizes.

​​​​​​Still, the 2016 Stump jumper I have with 27.5x2.8 Maxxis tires is the best combination I've had yet.

I'm pretty sure 29+ wheels would serve a fantastic ride. Pity I haven't tried them, yet.

biker128pedal

I crammed a 2.4 on front and 2.25 on the rear of my cobbled together 26er. Went from running 1.9 and or 2.0. Even a 2.1. I can run lower pressures without pinch flats. Oh I run tubes. But for being 215 lbs the wider tires roll over the rocks and roots smoother on a hard tails with an old RS Tora fork.

I agree wider is better for rough terrain. Smooth single track or rail trail gravel don’t need em.

telebianchi

You don't say if you are running tubeless or not.

Summer of 2019 I bought a 2012 Raleigh XXIX from a friend (full rigid steel single-speed). It came with 29x2.2 clinchers.

After about two months, I switched to a 2.4 Goma up front and a 2.3 High Roller out back. It definitely made for more cushion and grip.

However, the bigger change was when I got wider rims (25mm internal vs 19mm) and went tubeless. That allowed for lower pressure - I now run about 20 psi based on my cheap floor pump gauge. The wider profile + lower pressure + less fear of flats really opened up my riding. I'm not a very aggressive rider, but on just the first ride with the new wheels I was setting PRs on some downhills and rockier/rootier sections of trails I ride on a weekly basis.

Earlier this summer I borrowed a Niner Jet 9 RDO from a friend (100 mm travel full suspension XC race bike). It was set up with 29x2.2 tires. I so hated those tires and lack of grip even with the full suspension. I wasn't planning on buying that bike (just rode it one day for the fun of it), but one of my thoughts on it was, "This would be so much more fun with wider tires."

Hope all that helps.

Russ Roth

I'm running 2.3 and find it nice, snow and sand wider is better and for both I'd prefer 3.0 or even wider. For trail I think 2.5 is really getting to be too much and the weights seem to really go up a lot as tires get bigger, not being the best climber I like lighter tires. Haven't ridden a 29" 2.0 or 1.95 so I don't know how much of the better ride is running the 2.3 and how much was just the switch to a 29er.

Amt0571

I went from a bike with 26x2.00 tires to another with 29x2.35.

Regarding traction there's no contest: I run the 2.35 at a far lower pressure and they have such an amount of traction that places that were difficult to climb with the 2.00 are easy with the 2.35. The same happens when descending on technical sections.

However, on smooth trails or asphalt, especially if it's flattish, the rolling resistance of the 2.35 can be certainly felt.

The bike with 2.35 is definitely slower, but more fun.

WannaGetGood

Lots of people here posted so I'll add one more up vote for upping your tire size. I went from a 2.3 Maxxis DHF front and back to a 2.6 Butcher in the front and 2.3 Eliminator in the back. The butcher is far better than I would have expected. The eliminator is great too, but if your going to have to go black diamond casing in the rear. The up size in the front made a huge improvement.

CodyDog

2.5 all the way for roots and rocks.

Tracks_Of_Death

Its always nice to find your question answered on an existing thread. Does anyone have recommendations for budget 26-inch tires for the pnw?

reconnaissance

I don’t know about budget, but the only 26” tires I could find are 2.3 and 2.5 and the local bike shop sage said they wouldn't fit my 97 stumpjumper but I’m going to put them on anyway.

Riveting

2.3 tubeless on my 29er, wouldn't want anything more, or less.

Sorcerer

One of my oldest mountain bike buddies I hadn't seen in a while was on the ride today and he brought up the topic of all the old narrower tires we used ride all over the place back in the day.

We both laughed at how we rode 26" 1.9 tires all over the place with rigid bikes and later on crappy front suspension forks and we're as happy as can be. Heck, we rode some gnarly stuff on those.

And so we were thinking it was possible then, and I thought of course it's possible now too. I have saved some good old pizza cutters. One day I'll ride them, tubes and all, just for the fun of it.

​​​​​​2.4 in nearly every case is going to be better.

Back in the day we focused a lot on climbing and the 1.9 and 1.95 tires were pretty light.
​​​

Kapusta

Yeah, I remember when 2.1 was considered “high volume”