Fat Tire or Narrow Tire?
12-27-21, 04:46 PM
#26
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Pick a size and try it out. When those tires wear out go to the other extreme. Then you'll know better for yourself what you like and what does well in your riding conditions.
12-27-21, 07:33 PM
#27
Banned.
Thread Starter
Thank you very much. This is a very good suggestion. I believe that through this way, we can find a suitable tire for ourselves.
12-28-21, 12:47 PM
#28
Newbie
Having moved up from a standard MTB with normal width and standard air pressure tires.... to a FAT TIRE E-bike with greatly reduced tire pressures. I'd be hard pressed to return to an E-bike with standard MTB width tires......The ride quality is SOOO much better on the FAT TIRE Bike. Mind you I ride almost exclusively on U.S. Forest Service 2 track roads and single track trails. So I guess maybe it depends on your choice of riding locations. If you ride strictly on paved roads or paved bike paths then the narrow tires are probably just great for less rolling resistance and better steering response.
Happy Trails
Gary
Stanley, Idaho
Happy Trails
Gary
Stanley, Idaho
01-02-22, 07:41 PM
#29
Senior Member
Even electric-assist road bikes have wider tires than their non-assisted counterparts. For example, the Bianchi Aria-E comes with 28 tires; the regular Aria comes with 25s.
As Leisturm said (or wrote), when you add a motor and battery to a bike, you need wider tires to compensate for the additional weight -- how much wider depends on how much weight the drive system adds... in the case of the Aria, Orbea, etc., that additional weight is < 8 pounds, so a relatively small increase in tire size is sufficient.
In short, everyone is right. And let's keep our tires round in the new year!
As Leisturm said (or wrote), when you add a motor and battery to a bike, you need wider tires to compensate for the additional weight -- how much wider depends on how much weight the drive system adds... in the case of the Aria, Orbea, etc., that additional weight is < 8 pounds, so a relatively small increase in tire size is sufficient.
In short, everyone is right. And let's keep our tires round in the new year!
01-03-22, 02:17 PM
#30
Banned
On pavement there is no traction gain needed with a fat tire. A 28mm tire will provide a softer ride than a 23mm but past that the benefits decrease and tire and rim weight increases substantially. Check out what is available from the tire manufacturers and the options for fat tires, i.e wider than 2.3" is very very small. Want a tire for pavement or one for dirt or one for gravel and the narrow tires provide many more choices.
Biggest problem I had with my two fat tire bikes was that I needed to modify my 1Up bike rack so the tires would fit on the platform and I needed to buy a motorcycle ramp to have one that was wide enough for the tires. I quickly sold these two bikes and replaced them with road e-bikes using 700x28c tires. Bikes were 27 lbs instead of 69 lbs and that made a considerable difference in many respects.
Biggest problem I had with my two fat tire bikes was that I needed to modify my 1Up bike rack so the tires would fit on the platform and I needed to buy a motorcycle ramp to have one that was wide enough for the tires. I quickly sold these two bikes and replaced them with road e-bikes using 700x28c tires. Bikes were 27 lbs instead of 69 lbs and that made a considerable difference in many respects.
01-03-22, 11:25 PM
#32
Banned.
Thread Starter
Having moved up from a standard MTB with normal width and standard air pressure tires.... to a FAT TIRE E-bike with greatly reduced tire pressures. I'd be hard pressed to return to an E-bike with standard MTB width tires......The ride quality is SOOO much better on the FAT TIRE Bike. Mind you I ride almost exclusively on U.S. Forest Service 2 track roads and single track trails. So I guess maybe it depends on your choice of riding locations. If you ride strictly on paved roads or paved bike paths then the narrow tires are probably just great for less rolling resistance and better steering response.
Happy Trails
Gary
Stanley, Idaho
Happy Trails
Gary
Stanley, Idaho
01-03-22, 11:27 PM
#33
Banned.
Thread Starter
Even electric-assist road bikes have wider tires than their non-assisted counterparts. For example, the Bianchi Aria-E comes with 28 tires; the regular Aria comes with 25s.
As Leisturm said (or wrote), when you add a motor and battery to a bike, you need wider tires to compensate for the additional weight -- how much wider depends on how much weight the drive system adds... in the case of the Aria, Orbea, etc., that additional weight is < 8 pounds, so a relatively small increase in tire size is sufficient.
In short, everyone is right. And let's keep our tires round in the new year!
As Leisturm said (or wrote), when you add a motor and battery to a bike, you need wider tires to compensate for the additional weight -- how much wider depends on how much weight the drive system adds... in the case of the Aria, Orbea, etc., that additional weight is < 8 pounds, so a relatively small increase in tire size is sufficient.
In short, everyone is right. And let's keep our tires round in the new year!
01-03-22, 11:33 PM
#34
Banned.
Thread Starter
On pavement there is no traction gain needed with a fat tire. A 28mm tire will provide a softer ride than a 23mm but past that the benefits decrease and tire and rim weight increases substantially. Check out what is available from the tire manufacturers and the options for fat tires, i.e wider than 2.3" is very very small. Want a tire for pavement or one for dirt or one for gravel and the narrow tires provide many more choices.
Biggest problem I had with my two fat tire bikes was that I needed to modify my 1Up bike rack so the tires would fit on the platform and I needed to buy a motorcycle ramp to have one that was wide enough for the tires. I quickly sold these two bikes and replaced them with road e-bikes using 700x28c tires. Bikes were 27 lbs instead of 69 lbs and that made a considerable difference in many respects.
Biggest problem I had with my two fat tire bikes was that I needed to modify my 1Up bike rack so the tires would fit on the platform and I needed to buy a motorcycle ramp to have one that was wide enough for the tires. I quickly sold these two bikes and replaced them with road e-bikes using 700x28c tires. Bikes were 27 lbs instead of 69 lbs and that made a considerable difference in many respects.
03-15-22, 04:03 PM
#39
Banned
REI sells a city e-bike that comes with 27.5 x 1.95 tires which is the most common size used with mountain bikes and so one has more than a dozen tire manufactures and more than a hundred tire types and models from which to choose. If the 27.5 x 2 inch tires work for mountain bike riders on a wide variety of terrain and surfaces anything wider is not needed. The fat tire e-bikes provide far fewer tire options and require a much greater reliance on the bike's motor to go anywhere.
Once a tire is wider than 3 inches a bike rack becomes a problem and ones that work cost much more. Even putting the bike tire into a standard bike stand is not going to work. While I appreciate the softer ride for people who like to throttle around town, for those who want to get some exercise and pedal their bikes and want motor assist primarily for headwinds and steep hills, these bikes are not a good choice.
The comment about road bikes not being able to carry groceries shows remarkable ignorance. The Vietnamese defeated the French and U.S. miliitary by moving supplies along jungle trails on simple bicycles. All one needs is a sturdy rack and panniers regardless of the bike used. The city bikes are more likely to come with factory racks and fenders and even head and tail lights powered off the motor's battery but it is a trivial matter to add racks and lights to any bike.
I started out with two folding fat tire e-bikes and each weighed in at 70 lbs. and so I spent $1000 on a special hitch mounted bike rack and another $100 on a folding motor bike ramp. I needed to carry large wrenches to be able to remove a wheel if I had a flat and special motor bike tire levers. I was much more in the realm of the motorcycle riders than a bike rider. I sold these two bikes and replaced them with road e-bikes that each weigh less than 27 lbs and use 700x28 tires and my replacement tube, pump, multi tool, and tire levers fit neatly inside a Topeak F25 saddle bag that is 6.7” x 4.7” x 3.1” in size.
It is interesting that the much heavier fat tire e-bikes appeal to the least fit rider and as they require less effort by the rider they are providing far less in the way of any health benefit.
Once a tire is wider than 3 inches a bike rack becomes a problem and ones that work cost much more. Even putting the bike tire into a standard bike stand is not going to work. While I appreciate the softer ride for people who like to throttle around town, for those who want to get some exercise and pedal their bikes and want motor assist primarily for headwinds and steep hills, these bikes are not a good choice.
The comment about road bikes not being able to carry groceries shows remarkable ignorance. The Vietnamese defeated the French and U.S. miliitary by moving supplies along jungle trails on simple bicycles. All one needs is a sturdy rack and panniers regardless of the bike used. The city bikes are more likely to come with factory racks and fenders and even head and tail lights powered off the motor's battery but it is a trivial matter to add racks and lights to any bike.
I started out with two folding fat tire e-bikes and each weighed in at 70 lbs. and so I spent $1000 on a special hitch mounted bike rack and another $100 on a folding motor bike ramp. I needed to carry large wrenches to be able to remove a wheel if I had a flat and special motor bike tire levers. I was much more in the realm of the motorcycle riders than a bike rider. I sold these two bikes and replaced them with road e-bikes that each weigh less than 27 lbs and use 700x28 tires and my replacement tube, pump, multi tool, and tire levers fit neatly inside a Topeak F25 saddle bag that is 6.7” x 4.7” x 3.1” in size.
It is interesting that the much heavier fat tire e-bikes appeal to the least fit rider and as they require less effort by the rider they are providing far less in the way of any health benefit.
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03-17-22, 02:05 PM
#40
Full Member
Fat tire and narrow tire have their own advantages and disadvantages, how should we choose? Here are some points for your reference.
Fat tire: The tire has large contact area with the ground, large friction force, strong grip on the ground, and stable riding on wet and slippery roads. But at the same time, because of its strong friction and heavy tires, it also consumes more electricity.
Narrow tires: Narrow tires are light in weight, less in friction and smaller in floor space, which saves more electricity than fat tires. However, the tread's contact area is small, and the grip is affected to some extent. When the road condition is bad or the slope and curvature are large, the riding will be unstable.
The above is the most basic difference between fat and narrow tires. If it were you, which one would you choose?
Fat tire: The tire has large contact area with the ground, large friction force, strong grip on the ground, and stable riding on wet and slippery roads. But at the same time, because of its strong friction and heavy tires, it also consumes more electricity.
Narrow tires: Narrow tires are light in weight, less in friction and smaller in floor space, which saves more electricity than fat tires. However, the tread's contact area is small, and the grip is affected to some extent. When the road condition is bad or the slope and curvature are large, the riding will be unstable.
The above is the most basic difference between fat and narrow tires. If it were you, which one would you choose?
You've missed the most significant thing about wide vs narrow tires: you can use less pressure with wider tires, which, if coupled with a supple casing, adds a lot of riding comfort. Pneumatic tires were, after all, invented to provide suspension. A supple wide tire won't have any higher rolling resistance (you're calling it "friction," but really you're talking about casing hysterisis) than narrower, higher pressure tires but they will ride a lot more comfortably.
For my soon-to-be-built Alchemy eRonin I am choosing a wide, supple, fairly light weight tire: Rene Herse Switchback Hill 650Bx48 road (i.e., fine file) tread tires with the "Standard" casing. I've used the Herse tires in a number of sizes - 700Cx28, 700Cx32, 650Bx38, 650Bx42. Although they all have different names (typically named after passes in the Cascade Mountains) they're all the same tread. They come with a choice of casings: Extralight, Standard, and sometimes several varieties of heavier casing.
Tires like these are the closest thing to tubulars in a clincher format. They're light for their size, they are fast and they're very comfortable. They also provide great handling. They're not heavy duty utility tires, but the eRonin is a very light weight, sporty gravel bike not a commuter or a grocery delivery bike. It's actually no heavier than a typical traditional steel frame touring bike -- around 30 lb in a moderately large frame size -- and can be ridden with the motor switched off entirely. In fact, since it has the Fazua drive system you can actually remove the motor and the battery, replacing them with an empty cover, and ride it as a 22 lb carbon gravel bike.
I knew a rider who had a 2016 or 2017 vintage Trek e-bike, one of those 55 pound Class 3 flat-bar bikes, who used the 700C x 44 (I think) version of those same tires, also with the standard case, and was very happy with them. He said they transformed the ride of the bike. But he, too, was using the bike as a recreational bike for road rides, not as a commuter or utility bike.
Even though wide tires are typically far less flat-prone than narrow ones, I wouldn't use an expensive high-performance tire like the Rene Herse on an urban commuter or grocery delivery bike. You want to match up the cost and performance characteristics of your tires with the intended use. On a bike you use to get to work, long tread life and high flat resistance are a lot more important than a fast, supple ride since fun and comfort aren't your primary considerations.
But to circle back to your original proposition, if you have the choice, wider is better. The additional weight of a wide tire vs a narrow one isn't very relevant if you're talking about a bike whose weight is in the 40-60 pound range.
03-17-22, 02:19 PM
#41
Full Member
Fair point. Trek is now electrifying all of their full carbon roadracers at $10K pricepoints WTF. But 'generally' speaking an e-assist bike will have rather larger tires than 'normal'. Compare any hybrid like a Giant Quick or Raleigh Redux or Trek FX with their boosted counterparts. The standard hybrid tire sizes of 32mm to 40mm jump to 47mm - 55mm. Non-suspended (rigid) e-bikes NEED big rubber. You will beat the bike and yourself senseless at e-bike speeds with all that extra weight onboard on a 28mm tire!
03-17-22, 02:20 PM
#42
Full Member
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03-17-22, 02:24 PM
#43
Full Member
There's a huge (literally) difference between wide road tires (that some would call "fat") and fat bike tires. I've seen some of those e-fatbikes (on the bike trails where they have no business being, since every one I've seen has been a Class 2 throttle bike, and they're not allowed on bike trails) and have no idea why people are riding them there. On snow and sand, yes, they are very much in their element and nothing else comes close. But on pavement, what's the point? No one in this discussion has been advocating in favor of fatbike tires, it's been about wide vs narrow road tires. In an ebike context, I'd call 28-32 narrow, 38-48 wide.
03-17-22, 02:28 PM
#44
Full Member
Forget ebikes for a second; as far as steering is concerned, bikes are bikes. I'll match the steering accuracy on my 650Bx38 and 650Bx42 bikes with anything you can show me with a 23, 25 or 28 mm tire (because I've got bikes in all those sizes too). Any claim that wide tires as such do not steer accurately is just plain wrong.
03-17-22, 02:37 PM
#45
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but it does effect acceleration. my bosch powered bulls bike with 1.5" marathons at 7psi and my trek allant with a new bosch and 2.5" tires at 50 psi so so different in how they accelerate. even though the trek has 23nm more torque I cant accelerate nearly as fast. it is pretty noticeable.but the ride is so much more comfortable. even with a fox air fork and good suspension seat post the bulls is harsh and can really beat me up on the same roads at 20mph. I am a little slower on the trek overall too. I have debated on using the bulls wheels on the trek to really see how different the bikes work. but have been too lazy to get the parts to convert the hubs.
03-17-22, 02:44 PM
#46
Full Member
REI sells a city e-bike that comes with 27.5 x 1.95 tires which is the most common size used with mountain bikes and so one has more than a dozen tire manufactures and more than a hundred tire types and models from which to choose. If the 27.5 x 2 inch tires work for mountain bike riders on a wide variety of terrain and surfaces anything wider is not needed. The fat tire e-bikes provide far fewer tire options and require a much greater reliance on the bike's motor to go anywhere.
Once a tire is wider than 3 inches a bike rack becomes a problem and ones that work cost much more. Even putting the bike tire into a standard bike stand is not going to work. While I appreciate the softer ride for people who like to throttle around town, for those who want to get some exercise and pedal their bikes and want motor assist primarily for headwinds and steep hills, these bikes are not a good choice.
The comment about road bikes not being able to carry groceries shows remarkable ignorance. The Vietnamese defeated the French and U.S. miliitary by moving supplies along jungle trails on simple bicycles. All one needs is a sturdy rack and panniers regardless of the bike used. The city bikes are more likely to come with factory racks and fenders and even head and tail lights powered off the motor's battery but it is a trivial matter to add racks and lights to any bike.
I started out with two folding fat tire e-bikes and each weighed in at 70 lbs. and so I spent $1000 on a special hitch mounted bike rack and another $100 on a folding motor bike ramp. I needed to carry large wrenches to be able to remove a wheel if I had a flat and special motor bike tire levers. I was much more in the realm of the motorcycle riders than a bike rider. I sold these two bikes and replaced them with road e-bikes that each weigh less than 27 lbs and use 700x28 tires and my replacement tube, pump, multi tool, and tire levers fit neatly inside a Topeak F25 saddle bag that is 6.7” x 4.7” x 3.1” in size.
It is interesting that the much heavier fat tire e-bikes appeal to the least fit rider and as they require less effort by the rider they are providing far less in the way of any health benefit.
It is interesting that the much heavier fat tire e-bikes appeal to the least fit rider and as they require less effort by the rider they are providing far less in the way of any health benefit.
03-17-22, 03:56 PM
#47
Banned
Terms like "fat bike" and "road bike" are far to general and not helpful. There are "road bikes" designed to be delivery vehicles in cities and one designed for casual riding on flat terrain and there are ones designed for trail use, i.e. "gravel bikes", and ones for triathalons and ones for road racing and ones for touring.
When it comes to tires the pro riders have been moving to 25mm tires as they have come to realize that the rolling resistance is negligible. The rims that are put on the bikes at the factory are expensive to change out and largely determine who wide a tire can be mounted. I have wheels that allow for 25mm max tire width and others that are OK for 30mm wide tires and my mountain bike rims are fine up tires up to 2.5 inches in tire width.
Fat tires are used on the folding e-bikes as they are much smaller in diameter and so the entire bike fits into a much smaller shipping box. The greater width is required to provide enough air volume to support the weight of the bike and the rider.
At least in the USA road tire widths are metric and mountain bike tires usually in inches as with 27.5 and 29 inch tires and widths also expressed in inches. This is too complicated for some pedantic individuals to understand but it is what it is.
When it comes to tires the pro riders have been moving to 25mm tires as they have come to realize that the rolling resistance is negligible. The rims that are put on the bikes at the factory are expensive to change out and largely determine who wide a tire can be mounted. I have wheels that allow for 25mm max tire width and others that are OK for 30mm wide tires and my mountain bike rims are fine up tires up to 2.5 inches in tire width.
Fat tires are used on the folding e-bikes as they are much smaller in diameter and so the entire bike fits into a much smaller shipping box. The greater width is required to provide enough air volume to support the weight of the bike and the rider.
At least in the USA road tire widths are metric and mountain bike tires usually in inches as with 27.5 and 29 inch tires and widths also expressed in inches. This is too complicated for some pedantic individuals to understand but it is what it is.
03-17-22, 07:11 PM
#48
Full Member
Terms like "fat bike" and "road bike" are far to general and not helpful. There are "road bikes" designed to be delivery vehicles in cities and one designed for casual riding on flat terrain and there are ones designed for trail use, i.e. "gravel bikes", and ones for triathalons and ones for road racing and ones for touring.
When it comes to tires the pro riders have been moving to 25mm tires as they have come to realize that the rolling resistance is negligible. The rims that are put on the bikes at the factory are expensive to change out and largely determine who wide a tire can be mounted. I have wheels that allow for 25mm max tire width and others that are OK for 30mm wide tires and my mountain bike rims are fine up tires up to 2.5 inches in tire width.
When it comes to tires the pro riders have been moving to 25mm tires as they have come to realize that the rolling resistance is negligible. The rims that are put on the bikes at the factory are expensive to change out and largely determine who wide a tire can be mounted. I have wheels that allow for 25mm max tire width and others that are OK for 30mm wide tires and my mountain bike rims are fine up tires up to 2.5 inches in tire width.
Most people when they speak of "road bike" they are referring to a road racer or "endurance bike" -- something with drop bars intended primarily for unloaded recreational riding or racing on pavement. City delivery bikes are called that; they are never called "road bikes."
03-17-22, 07:54 PM
#49
Banned.
Thread Starter
REI sells a city e-bike that comes with 27.5 x 1.95 tires which is the most common size used with mountain bikes and so one has more than a dozen tire manufactures and more than a hundred tire types and models from which to choose. If the 27.5 x 2 inch tires work for mountain bike riders on a wide variety of terrain and surfaces anything wider is not needed. The fat tire e-bikes provide far fewer tire options and require a much greater reliance on the bike's motor to go anywhere.
Once a tire is wider than 3 inches a bike rack becomes a problem and ones that work cost much more. Even putting the bike tire into a standard bike stand is not going to work. While I appreciate the softer ride for people who like to throttle around town, for those who want to get some exercise and pedal their bikes and want motor assist primarily for headwinds and steep hills, these bikes are not a good choice.
The comment about road bikes not being able to carry groceries shows remarkable ignorance. The Vietnamese defeated the French and U.S. miliitary by moving supplies along jungle trails on simple bicycles. All one needs is a sturdy rack and panniers regardless of the bike used. The city bikes are more likely to come with factory racks and fenders and even head and tail lights powered off the motor's battery but it is a trivial matter to add racks and lights to any bike.
I started out with two folding fat tire e-bikes and each weighed in at 70 lbs. and so I spent $1000 on a special hitch mounted bike rack and another $100 on a folding motor bike ramp. I needed to carry large wrenches to be able to remove a wheel if I had a flat and special motor bike tire levers. I was much more in the realm of the motorcycle riders than a bike rider. I sold these two bikes and replaced them with road e-bikes that each weigh less than 27 lbs and use 700x28 tires and my replacement tube, pump, multi tool, and tire levers fit neatly inside a Topeak F25 saddle bag that is 6.7” x 4.7” x 3.1” in size.
It is interesting that the much heavier fat tire e-bikes appeal to the least fit rider and as they require less effort by the rider they are providing far less in the way of any health benefit.
Once a tire is wider than 3 inches a bike rack becomes a problem and ones that work cost much more. Even putting the bike tire into a standard bike stand is not going to work. While I appreciate the softer ride for people who like to throttle around town, for those who want to get some exercise and pedal their bikes and want motor assist primarily for headwinds and steep hills, these bikes are not a good choice.
The comment about road bikes not being able to carry groceries shows remarkable ignorance. The Vietnamese defeated the French and U.S. miliitary by moving supplies along jungle trails on simple bicycles. All one needs is a sturdy rack and panniers regardless of the bike used. The city bikes are more likely to come with factory racks and fenders and even head and tail lights powered off the motor's battery but it is a trivial matter to add racks and lights to any bike.
I started out with two folding fat tire e-bikes and each weighed in at 70 lbs. and so I spent $1000 on a special hitch mounted bike rack and another $100 on a folding motor bike ramp. I needed to carry large wrenches to be able to remove a wheel if I had a flat and special motor bike tire levers. I was much more in the realm of the motorcycle riders than a bike rider. I sold these two bikes and replaced them with road e-bikes that each weigh less than 27 lbs and use 700x28 tires and my replacement tube, pump, multi tool, and tire levers fit neatly inside a Topeak F25 saddle bag that is 6.7” x 4.7” x 3.1” in size.
It is interesting that the much heavier fat tire e-bikes appeal to the least fit rider and as they require less effort by the rider they are providing far less in the way of any health benefit.
03-17-22, 08:00 PM
#50
Banned.
Thread Starter
You've missed the most significant thing about wide vs narrow tires: you can use less pressure with wider tires, which, if coupled with a supple casing, adds a lot of riding comfort. Pneumatic tires were, after all, invented to provide suspension. A supple wide tire won't have any higher rolling resistance (you're calling it "friction," but really you're talking about casing hysterisis) than narrower, higher pressure tires but they will ride a lot more comfortably.
For my soon-to-be-built Alchemy eRonin I am choosing a wide, supple, fairly light weight tire: Rene Herse Switchback Hill 650Bx48 road (i.e., fine file) tread tires with the "Standard" casing. I've used the Herse tires in a number of sizes - 700Cx28, 700Cx32, 650Bx38, 650Bx42. Although they all have different names (typically named after passes in the Cascade Mountains) they're all the same tread. They come with a choice of casings: Extralight, Standard, and sometimes several varieties of heavier casing.
Tires like these are the closest thing to tubulars in a clincher format. They're light for their size, they are fast and they're very comfortable. They also provide great handling. They're not heavy duty utility tires, but the eRonin is a very light weight, sporty gravel bike not a commuter or a grocery delivery bike. It's actually no heavier than a typical traditional steel frame touring bike -- around 30 lb in a moderately large frame size -- and can be ridden with the motor switched off entirely. In fact, since it has the Fazua drive system you can actually remove the motor and the battery, replacing them with an empty cover, and ride it as a 22 lb carbon gravel bike.
I knew a rider who had a 2016 or 2017 vintage Trek e-bike, one of those 55 pound Class 3 flat-bar bikes, who used the 700C x 44 (I think) version of those same tires, also with the standard case, and was very happy with them. He said they transformed the ride of the bike. But he, too, was using the bike as a recreational bike for road rides, not as a commuter or utility bike.
Even though wide tires are typically far less flat-prone than narrow ones, I wouldn't use an expensive high-performance tire like the Rene Herse on an urban commuter or grocery delivery bike. You want to match up the cost and performance characteristics of your tires with the intended use. On a bike you use to get to work, long tread life and high flat resistance are a lot more important than a fast, supple ride since fun and comfort aren't your primary considerations.
But to circle back to your original proposition, if you have the choice, wider is better. The additional weight of a wide tire vs a narrow one isn't very relevant if you're talking about a bike whose weight is in the 40-60 pound range.
For my soon-to-be-built Alchemy eRonin I am choosing a wide, supple, fairly light weight tire: Rene Herse Switchback Hill 650Bx48 road (i.e., fine file) tread tires with the "Standard" casing. I've used the Herse tires in a number of sizes - 700Cx28, 700Cx32, 650Bx38, 650Bx42. Although they all have different names (typically named after passes in the Cascade Mountains) they're all the same tread. They come with a choice of casings: Extralight, Standard, and sometimes several varieties of heavier casing.
Tires like these are the closest thing to tubulars in a clincher format. They're light for their size, they are fast and they're very comfortable. They also provide great handling. They're not heavy duty utility tires, but the eRonin is a very light weight, sporty gravel bike not a commuter or a grocery delivery bike. It's actually no heavier than a typical traditional steel frame touring bike -- around 30 lb in a moderately large frame size -- and can be ridden with the motor switched off entirely. In fact, since it has the Fazua drive system you can actually remove the motor and the battery, replacing them with an empty cover, and ride it as a 22 lb carbon gravel bike.
I knew a rider who had a 2016 or 2017 vintage Trek e-bike, one of those 55 pound Class 3 flat-bar bikes, who used the 700C x 44 (I think) version of those same tires, also with the standard case, and was very happy with them. He said they transformed the ride of the bike. But he, too, was using the bike as a recreational bike for road rides, not as a commuter or utility bike.
Even though wide tires are typically far less flat-prone than narrow ones, I wouldn't use an expensive high-performance tire like the Rene Herse on an urban commuter or grocery delivery bike. You want to match up the cost and performance characteristics of your tires with the intended use. On a bike you use to get to work, long tread life and high flat resistance are a lot more important than a fast, supple ride since fun and comfort aren't your primary considerations.
But to circle back to your original proposition, if you have the choice, wider is better. The additional weight of a wide tire vs a narrow one isn't very relevant if you're talking about a bike whose weight is in the 40-60 pound range.