Originally Posted by
Sentinel1
In every wev. They barrel up to speed easier. And staying over 20mph is easier. More efficient. The routes that used to feel rough on my 20 inch Dahon. I glide over on the X11. The ride is more stable. I Corner at Greater speed. I can go off road and run over uneven paths alot better. Jump on and off deep curbs.
You feel like you can do anything on an X11. On a smaller wheel folder. You feel the limitations.
Most of what you are saying equates to better rolling efficiency. Which a skinnier 451 should be superior to a wider/deeper 406, though not necessarily; Bicycle Quarterly and GCN have both tested wider road tires and gotten equal rolling resistance, sometimes even better, if they are supple enough to absorb the small vibrations present in typical pavement, not an indoor bike track, but can have higher aero drag. If the 451s feel "smoother", it is not due to the size per se, the outside diameter is nearly identical, it's that the specific 451 tires probably have a thinner, more supple tread area, in comparison to the 406s. I think a 406 with similar design and quality tires in the same section height would roll just as smooth, and in a higher section height, even smoother, provided the tread area is not too thick and stiff.
The (leaned) cornering ability you speak of is very dependent on the tire shape, in terms of a smooth blend of tread to sidewall, and again, your *specific* 451 tire is probably good in that respect. A 406 tire where that area is a bit more "squared off", will not corner hard well, and most especially if treaded there and not smooth.
So my point is, it's not the 451 size, but the quality of tire. Put the same quality tire on 406, and have fork geometry tuned to each size, and you get extremely close results, because they are extremely close in size.
Until now at least, 406 is a more versatile size, where you can get smooth and racy tires as well as treaded for off-road. I think 451 tires are more narrow selection to sporty road tires, although that could have changed.
Used to be the same with 26" vs 700c, you could find any tire in 26" including smooth/baldy/kojak road tires, whereas 700c was generally more limited, a store might stock a cyclocross tire in 700c. But now we have 29er tires, very deep section on 700c rims, in aggressive treads, if your frame has the clearance for them.
In automotive road tests, with sporty cars coming with different tires, it's extremely important to know how much handling is due to the vehicle and suspension design, and how much due to tires, as the tires can be changed.