Originally Posted by
smd4
A lot of you seem to be reading-comprehension-impaired, but for me, the takeaway that a lot of the TdeF guys are running tires as narrow as 25c and as high as 160 psi is enlightening, and seems to give lie to "the pros are going to way wider tires at much lower pressures" type-statements that are frequently found here. Apparently, wider/softer = better/faster doesn't always seem to be the case.
Actually comparing the type of equipment a 150 pound professional cyclist uses and benefits from with what a 200+ pound weekend warrior who uses his bike to haul groceries will benefit from is kinda ....nonsense really.
Pro's generally need narrower tires because they are able to produce speeds that cause the wind resistance of a larger tire to be a factor...at speeds above a certain MPH wider tires cause more wind resistance that negates their other advantages. Most recreational cyclists can not produce these types of sustained speeds.
And their is some impairment here but I doubt it is of the reading comprehension variety.