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From: Frank Krygowski <frkrygow@sbcglobal.net>
Newsgroups: rec.bicycles.tech
Subject: Re: fat is faster
Date: Fri, 14 Feb 2025 11:42:15 -0500
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On 2/12/2025 2:39 PM, Roger Merriman wrote:
> Frank Krygowski <frkrygow@gXXmail.com> wrote:
>> On 2/11/2025 9:28 PM, AMuzi wrote:
>>> On 2/11/2025 8:11 PM, Frank Krygowski wrote:
>>>> On 2/9/2025 5:32 PM, AMuzi wrote:
>>>>> On 2/9/2025 3:54 PM, cyclintom wrote:
>>>>>> On Sat Feb 8 22:29:16 2025 Roger Merriman  wrote:
>>>>>>> That Dylan Johnson has been doing some limited testing to find the
>>>>>>> fastest
>>>>>>> Gravel tyres, which is larger than most folks would think.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> though does as he notes depend on you and your riding, my Gravel
>>>>>>> riding is
>>>>>>> often mixed use, and I like it?s adaptability, which would be
>>>>>>> compromised
>>>>>>> with much larger tyres ie be more draggy on the tarmac.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Though if you?re just riding on the trails then a 2.1/50mm tyre is
>>>>>>> almost
>>>>>>> certainly a better choice, I personally like being able to ride
>>>>>>> tarmac/mud/roots etc which the all road/Gravel bike I have does
>>>>>>> fine, it
>>>>>>> gives a bit to mates with newer bikes with wider clearances but it?s
>>>>>>> certainly not enough to tempt me to a new bike!
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> And if it?s really narly can just use the MTB which just flattens
>>>>>>> stuff!
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> <https://youtu.be/iq9ydwkRt0Q?si=eX_6lRdPWtLwjh4k>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> On my gravel bike I had 38 mm tires. Going fatter would have gained
>>>>>> nothing unless the terrain changed from gravel to wild MTB.
>>>>>
>>>>> As noted, we all have our political preferences and our own analyses
>>>>> of agreed facts. Such is life.
>>>>
>>>> I'll note, as usual, that some things actually are measurable.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>
>>> For whatever criteria you deem significant.
>>
>> Of course. For tires, it's commonly (but not always) rolling resistance
>> in the real world on a specific type of surface. Traction might be another.
>>
> That’s a roadie perspective, my MTB tyres are slow rolling, on roads be
> that tarmac or even fire roads they are pigs to pedal each one is 1KG plus,
> have soft tacky compounds and so on, but once in the terrain they are
> designed for they shine, Magic Mary (Front) is total grip monster,
> particularly in wet loamy conditions. Hans Dampf is bit quicker rolling and
> more middle of the road in terms of wet or hard pack terrain, hence it’s a
> common pairing with the Mary up front.
> 
> 
>> Sometimes it can be tricky to specify the criteria or design the tests,
>> but some things are certainly measurable. And I tend to trust measured
>> data more than mere opinions.
>>
> Certainly with MTB tyres can be feel or predictability, the Maxxis Minion
> DHF has a gap between the shoulders and the main tread the grip levels are
> huge, but you have to commit ie bank the bike on to the shoulders and trust
> that it will grip, it’s one of the reasons for their newer DH/Burly trail
> tyre the Assegai which has like most tyres transition nobs and the DHF
> doesn’t though it’s absolute grip is very high no evidence that the Assegai
> has greater grip but it’s much more accessible.
> 
> Ie feel of tyre absolutely does matter in those situations, I certainly
> noticed the Mary squarer profile on tarmac the MTB feels even more out of
> its element than it did with Hans front and rear.
Right. Criteria vary. But once one's criteria are specified, a well 
constructed test can yield data that's far more reliable than one's 
seat-of-the-pants impressions.



-- 
- Frank Krygowski