hybridbkrdr

I read about the advantages of 650b wheels so I tried two 27.5" hybrids.
The first had 55mm or 2.16" tires. I was able to ride over train tracks, 1 inch rocks, grass, roll on and off street curbs like it was nothing. Even though the isolation from road vibrations was a dream, the bounciness almost made me think of a "gum balloon toy bike". Then I tried a bicycle with 44mm or 1.73" tires and thought I was at the other end of the spectrum.
Then I thought about something I heard in a Youtube video about the Trek Dual Sport Generation 5. Someone said Trek had determined a good speed/comfort compromise was 2 inches. So, what would you choose: 1.75", 2.00" or 2.15"?

Ironfish653

What are you, some kind of Heathen?

2.0” are never acceptable at BeikForumz; even 1.75” is pushing it.



Seriously, though, given the same tire construction and tread pattern, a larger tire gives you more air volume, which can make a big difference in comfort, if you’re riding unimproved surfaces.

Wide tires don’t have to be something heavy like a beach cruiser tire or an aggressive MTB knobby. Both the Gravel/Adventure segment and “big-wheel” BMX (26” -29”) offer a lot of high performance, high-volume tires that do well on mixed surfaces.

unless you’re planning on seeing a lot of muddy, loam or snowy conditions, I’d go for the biggest ones that’ll fit between the frame rails

PeteHski

It would depend on where I intended to ride the bike. But you've kind of answered your own question. You thought 2.16" was too bouncy and 1.73" too harsh, so it sounds like 2.00" would be a good compromise.

Personally I ride 2.4" tyres on my mtb for technical trails (rocks, roots, dirt etc) and 30 mm tyres on my road bike. I think for a comfortable hybrid used for road and a bit of easy off-road I think 2" sounds reasonable. But then so does 1.75". I would agree that 2.2" sounds like overkill for that use case. But it also depends a lot on the actual tyre model i.e. how supple the casing is, what sort of tread etc.

hybridbkrdr

That tire looks gorgeous. Can you say what kind of tire it is?

Ironfish653

It’s a Haro Group 1 BMX tire, in this case, a 26x2.1. They also come in a 29x2.2.
The gray/black version was discontinued, but they still come in a black/skinwall version.
Tioga PowerBlock and Schwalbe Table-Top are similar as well

Clyde1820

On Trek's website, they list the spec for max tire size to be 27.5x2.0".

https://www.trekbikes.com/us/en_US/b...gen-5/p/36826/


My own ride is a mid-'90s Trek 970, 26" rims, sporting ReneHerse Rat Trap Pass 26x2.3" tires: photo. Fairly lightweight tires, very good rolling, supple and cushy enough to suck up trail and roadway imperfections, yet grippy enough for hardpack dirt and gravel paths. They also make a variety of tires for the 650B and 29er formats. Not inexpensive, but quite capable.

https://www.renehersecycles.com/prod...ts/tires/650b/

RCMoeur 

I'd tend to think 2.0s are a bit chubby for criteriums or hour record attempts (you weren't specific about which cycling type you are most interested in). But the 2.1s on my mountain bike could stand to be a bit wider when I'm on an ultra-steep climb or loose flat scree. I did run lightweight high-pressure IRC Metro 26 x 2.0 street-tread tires on our tandem for several years - my dear wife is, shall we say, not petite. But we were happy with the ride and durability, although they definitely did not accelerate as fast as 1.50s or 1.25s.

I run 1.25 to 1.5 on nearly all my street / road bikes, and unfashionable 23s or 25s on my racer. And someday I may get a fat bike with 4.0 to 5.0s and finally make it up those trails I currently lose traction on. But not yet.

veganbikes

My rule of thumb these days is cram the widest tire you can without causing issues. I have found I like wider and wider tires because for some reason as the year changes I get older? I could generally care less about speed, it is more about comfort. However for you, ride the tire that feels the best.

The biggest thing from a tire is finding one with a nice supple sidewall to give you the best ride or if you experience a lot of flats that are not due to pinching or other user errors then going with something with more puncture protection and if you do that I would certainly go wider to help give you a better ride from those much stiffer sidewalls and a bit deader ride.

CrimsonEclipse

"Are 2.00" tires acceptable?"

Absolutely NOT!!

Anything less than 4" tires are merely children's trinkets!

Iride01 

Only you will know what tire works best for you in your riding environment. As well there is a lot of personal opinion that might be unique to you as to why you prefer what you think is the better tire size for you.

hybridbkrdr

I read the international standard is 6mm clearance on each side. I guess you can go a bit lower than that. Although being very precise might be a challenge since a number of tires aren't always exactly the size stated.

Polaris OBark

If your tires are basketballing, it is because of the air pressure, not the width. Lower the pressure.

As for clearance, if you can fit a credit card between the tire and the chain stay, you probably can add another mm.

Calsun

The wider tire has a greater volume and so a rider's weight can be supported with the tube at a much lower PSI. The lower PSI makes for a less harsh ride.

On a road bike most of the effort goes into overcoming air drag and not tire to pavement issues. The wider tires and their rims will be heavier so there are some drawbacks.

veganbikes

6mm is probably the better way to go. You certainly want to go on the wider side if you are going through mud or anything like that but if used for pure road no mud no snow nothing to get stuck like sticks and branches and stuff then less can be done.

hybridbkrdr

That's a surprise. I had assumed I needed to raise the pressure. lol '

Polaris OBark

Think about how a basketball behaves if it is a little bit under-inflated. Wider tires work like a suspension system, but in order to have dampening, you need some compliance.

rumrunn6

depends on the bike & where I'm riding. meaning I have 3 bikes, each w/ progressively wider tires