Are wider road tyres really faster than their narrower counterparts?
Yes, here's why
For a long time, a 20mm tyre with 160psi or more was considered the fastest tyre, regardless of how uncomfortable or unsafe it was to ride on such a tyre/pressure combination. What very few people realised at the time, was that a wider tyre would roll equally well at a lower pressure. For example, a 23mm tyre will roll with the same rolling resistance (under the same load) at 120 psi as the aforementioned 20mm tyre at 160psi! (based on the same model of tyre).
Going wider, a 25mm tyre will only need to be inflated to around 90 psi to get the same rolling co-efficient score! Daring to go further, a 28mm tyre at 80 psi shows a similar co-efficient to the narrower tyres.
Read more: Wider tyres go faster?
How do Continental make bicycle tyres?
Cycling Weekly goes to Korbach to take a look behind the scenes at Continental’s hi-tech tyre factory. Words by Henry Robertshaw (2016 article)
