Science was telling us wider tyres were faster, we refuted this because they looked so slow
https://www.cyclingweekly.com/news/science-was-telling-us-wider-tyres-were-faster-we-refuted-this-because-they-looked-so-slow
24 points · 11 comments · view on lemmy.world
11 Comments
cubism_pitta@lemmy.world · 14 pts · 217d
The cycling industry seems to be rooted in a lot of tradition rather than science
Peppycito@sh.itjust.works · 12 pts · 217d
But it doesn't tell us why big squishy tires are faster.
bluGill@fedia.io · 9 pts · 217d
in perfect coneitions the small tire is faster - but conditions are never perfect and the wider tire generally is faster because it is better at the common cases of imperfect. even in perfect conditions the difference is tiny and hard to measure on a bike. At least that is how I understand the science.
_haha_oh_wow_@sh.itjust.works · 6 pts · 217d
Better contact patch?
nova_ad_vitum@lemmy.ca · 8 pts · 217d
That only matters for acceleration doesn't it? If a race is about maintaining high speed then minimizing rolling resistance seems more important than maximizing friction.
_haha_oh_wow_@sh.itjust.works · 5 pts · 217d
Better acceleration does help, but yes, rolling resistance is definitely important. If two tires had equal rolling resistance, the wider one would probably still be better because there's less slipping.
artyom@piefed.social · 9 pts · 217d
Seems like there's a lot of money in the cycling industry and someone would have figured this out sooner...
peanuts4life@lemmy.blahaj.zone · 4 pts · 217d
Umm, but how?
philodendron@lemdro.id · 9 pts · 217d
tl;dr: the wider, lower PSI tires better absorb vibrations and keep traction. Especially on corners and gravel.
https://www.renehersecycles.com/why-wider-tires-are-not-slower/?srsltid=AfmBOoqc1wL5I8IfhywBnl2Bqg5L6RC9LUmlRSZEIw2dPS3Nwdxxa6q_
Korhaka@sopuli.xyz · 4 pts · 217d
Doesn't it depend on the conditions? Like 8mm tyres are not going to go very fast on mud, meanwhile 100mm tyres are just weighing you down on a smooth road.
_haha_oh_wow_@sh.itjust.works · 3 pts · 217d
Kinda but the type of tire also plays a role there: Knobby tires are gonna do a lot better in mud than road slicks will and vice-versa.