Tyre widths on your touring/bikepacking bikes

Cycle-touring, Expeditions, Adventures, Major cycle routes NOT LeJoG (see other special board)

What is the tyre width on your main touring/bikepacking bikes?

25mm or less
4
4%
26-30mm
10
9%
31-35mm
36
32%
36-40mm
39
34%
41mm or more
16
14%
Mountain bike tyres (2.0 inches or more)
9
8%
 
Total votes: 114

pwa
Posts: 17366
Joined: 2 Oct 2011, 8:55pm

Re: Tyre widths on your touring/bikepacking bikes

Post by pwa »

simonhill wrote: 4 Jun 2023, 9:54pm Yes, I noted the newly hailed, 'best ever', Efficiency, not available in 26".

I recently bought a cheapo Chinese tyre as an emergency replacement. It's only 1.5, but very deep. Given volume of air is comparable to a much wider tyre how does low profile v deep profile relate in the width debate?
Logically, and all other things being equal, more depth would mean more scope for cushioning, regardless of width. But I wonder if a tyre that gets good depth without being as wide as you might expect for that depth does that by having a stiff body to prevent it flattening out. And that, in turn, would make me wonder about ride quality and possible inefficiency due to the tyre not deforming over small stones. Does the carcase feel stiff or supple in the hand?
m-gineering
Posts: 254
Joined: 23 May 2015, 12:01pm

Re: Tyre widths on your touring/bikepacking bikes

Post by m-gineering »

simonhill wrote: 4 Jun 2023, 8:55pm As an aside, as Supremes are so popular, why have they been discontinued.
Bicycle industry: all the good stuff will be discontinued or at least 'improved to make in unusable. (UN55, Brooks leather, XT or LX hubs etc)
All the problems won't be adressed, so you can be sure that the new Marathon will be just as hard to mount concentrically as any other Marathon ;)
Marten

Touring advice for NL: www.m-gineering.nl/touringg.htm
markjohnobrien
Posts: 1037
Joined: 4 Oct 2007, 8:15pm

Re: Tyre widths on your touring/bikepacking bikes

Post by markjohnobrien »

m-gineering wrote: 5 Jun 2023, 6:43am
simonhill wrote: 4 Jun 2023, 8:55pm As an aside, as Supremes are so popular, why have they been discontinued.
Bicycle industry: all the good stuff will be discontinued or at least 'improved to make in unusable. (UN55, Brooks leather, XT or LX hubs etc)
All the problems won't be adressed, so you can be sure that the new Marathon will be just as hard to mount concentrically as any other Marathon ;)
Very true: I loved 9 speed XT rear mechs and triple chainsets M770/M772 but discontinued a few years ago.

If anyone has an unused one gathering dust, I’m all ears!
Raleigh Randonneur 708 (Magura hydraulic brakes); Blue Raleigh Randonneur 708 dynamo; Pearson Compass 631 tourer; Dawes One Down 631 dynamo winter bike;Raleigh Travelogue 708 tourer dynamo; Kona Sutra; Trek 920 disc Sram Force.
simonhill
Posts: 5226
Joined: 13 Jan 2007, 11:28am
Location: Essex

Re: Tyre widths on your touring/bikepacking bikes

Post by simonhill »

pwa wrote: 5 Jun 2023, 5:47am
simonhill wrote: 4 Jun 2023, 9:54pm Yes, I noted the newly hailed, 'best ever', Efficiency, not available in 26".

I recently bought a cheapo Chinese tyre as an emergency replacement. It's only 1.5, but very deep. Given volume of air is comparable to a much wider tyre how does low profile v deep profile relate in the width debate?
Logically, and all other things being equal, more depth would mean more scope for cushioning, regardless of width. But I wonder if a tyre that gets good depth without being as wide as you might expect for that depth does that by having a stiff body to prevent it flattening out. And that, in turn, would make me wonder about ride quality and possible inefficiency due to the tyre not deforming over small stones. Does the carcase feel stiff or supple in the hand?
Yes before fitting it was very stiff. The well knackered Supreme that came off was as floppy as a bit of cloth and featherlight in comparison. The new one is on the front and feels OK, but would be harsher on the rear, I think. Presumably it'll soften a bit, if it lasts that long.

It was just good to get a reasonable replacement in a fairly out of the way place.

Anyway putting new Supreme on before winter touring season. I wonder which will last longer them or me.
Angstrom
Posts: 179
Joined: 21 Nov 2018, 6:57am
Location: Montpellier, France

Re: Tyre widths on your touring/bikepacking bikes

Post by Angstrom »

simonhill wrote: 4 Jun 2023, 9:54pm Yes, I noted the newly hailed, 'best ever', Efficiency, not available in 26".

I recently bought a cheapo Chinese tyre as an emergency replacement. It's only 1.5, but very deep. Given volume of air is comparable to a much wider tyre how does low profile v deep profile relate in the width debate?
I too still use my nineties MTB that evolved into an all-road 26" touring bike.
Although I did buy once a pair of René Herse's fantastic Naches Pass supple tyre in 1.8", it's just too expensive for me now. Plus I wore one out in more time than I ever did a 26" tyre before.
I therefore went back to the Michelin Country Rock, costing 18€ (can be bought 13€), aka 5 times less than the René Herse (88 € now).
I can safely say that there is no better price/performance ratio for 26" tyre for touring. I haven't had a flat since I use them. They roll very well on tarmac and with 3.5 to 4 atm, they are confortable on gravel. It isn't the best as an MTB tyre, since it doesn't cope very well with bigger rocks which are better dealt with with knobbies, and it isn't a mud tyre either, but for commuting and touring, it is IMO a very good choice, irrespective of price. When that factor is brought into the picture, I just don't know of any better choice.

PS: I don't write this opinion based on bias towards a French brand :wink: . I'm sure it is manufactured in Asia anyway. :roll:
"A cycle tourist doesn't have a track record. Just memories". Jean Taboureau
TomD
Posts: 2
Joined: 11 Apr 2022, 7:04pm

Re: Tyre widths on your touring/bikepacking bikes

Post by TomD »

Depends on what kind of "off road" really but generally in the UK this can often be quite rough. In Europe going on cycle paths can often be like riding at the Velodrome e.g. Holland. I rode a 32mm slick gravel Panaracer with a 28 rear when I did the EV15 down the Rhine. You can never quite have the right tyre that's what you learn. Generally though I'm glad I didn't have anything wider since so much was smooth. I took a spare 28 with me so when I went solely onto roads, I ditched the front 32mm. Worked out well.

The Uk is more unpredictable.
axel_knutt
Posts: 2880
Joined: 11 Jan 2007, 12:20pm

Re: Tyre widths on your touring/bikepacking bikes

Post by axel_knutt »

My Horizon came with 38mm, and that's what I carried on using for 6 years until one day I needed a tyre in an emergency and the shop only had 35mm. I ran it with different tyres for a while, and then put another 35 on when the other 38 wore out, because that was the quickest way to get back to matching tyres. I've been on 35s ever since.
“I'm not upset that you lied to me, I'm upset that from now on I can't believe you.”
― Friedrich Nietzsche
pwa
Posts: 17366
Joined: 2 Oct 2011, 8:55pm

Re: Tyre widths on your touring/bikepacking bikes

Post by pwa »

The real life difference between one size of a particular tyre and the next size up can be quite subtle, so I'd not generally expect to notice much difference between a 35 and a 38 in the same tyre. But with a 38 you would be able to run with a softer tyre than with a 32 without putting the wheel rims at risk of damage. And that would feel better on rough surfaces. So that, for me, is the essence of this: what tyre pressure do you want to be riding with, on the surfaces you expect to encounter.
m-gineering
Posts: 254
Joined: 23 May 2015, 12:01pm

Re: Tyre widths on your touring/bikepacking bikes

Post by m-gineering »

TomD wrote: 8 Jun 2023, 11:49pm. In Europe going on cycle paths can often be like riding at the Velodrome e.g. Holland.
Or it could be riding through a sandbox, or a through mudpit. It all depends where you are and the season, right now mud will be hard to find, deep loose fine sand not so much
Marten

Touring advice for NL: www.m-gineering.nl/touringg.htm
Carlton green
Posts: 3645
Joined: 22 Jun 2019, 12:27pm

Re: Tyre widths on your touring/bikepacking bikes

Post by Carlton green »

m-gineering wrote: 9 Jun 2023, 8:39am
TomD wrote: 8 Jun 2023, 11:49pm. In Europe going on cycle paths can often be like riding at the Velodrome e.g. Holland.
Or it could be riding through a sandbox, or a through mudpit. It all depends where you are and the season, right now mud will be hard to find, deep loose fine sand not so much
Ultimately it’s down to compromise(s), rider preferences and needs, and conditions along the routes that the rider uses. Where the balance point and red lines are for each of us is going to be different.

My own red lines are don’t cycle through either serious mud or sand boxes and enjoy reasonable comfort and wheel durability, well those and size limitations due to my frames. My balance point has ended up at 35 mm, the old 1&3/8”, but if all the roads where cobbled and my frame would take them then the old 1&1/2” or 38mm size might be a marginally better option; of course marginal gains are welcome but the big gain is in getting away from tyres that are too narrow … and avoiding one’s that are clearly unnecessarily wide is helpful too.

The ‘Goldilocks’ size is going to be different for different people, and likely different for the same people at different times. And then we have variations (when inflated) between tyres of the same nominal size and the effects of narrow and wider rims.
Don’t fret, it’s OK to: ride a simple old bike; ride slowly, walk, rest and admire the view; ride off-road; ride in your raincoat; ride by yourself; ride in the dark; and ride one hundred yards or one hundred miles. Your bike and your choices to suit you.
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Paradiddle
Posts: 123
Joined: 7 Jul 2020, 10:39am
Location: London

Re: Tyre widths on your touring/bikepacking bikes

Post by Paradiddle »

Carlton green wrote: 9 Jun 2023, 9:57am The ‘Goldilocks’ size is going to be different for different people, and likely different for the same people at different times. And then we have variations (when inflated) between tyres of the same nominal size and the effects of narrow and wider rims.
Thus why I set up the poll in the first place - to get a view of everyone's goldilocks size with caveats on terrain and bike limitations :wink: Seems fairly clear that sweet spot for most is somewhere in the 31-40mm range. Good to read about everyone's reasoning behind their selections too.

As for my own selection, I'll keep my 30mms in the meantime as I enjoy them for casual rides and the odd day trips. Will chance them for touring although I'll be selective around route planning.
mattheus
Posts: 5043
Joined: 29 Dec 2008, 12:57pm
Location: Western Europe

Re: Tyre widths on your touring/bikepacking bikes

Post by mattheus »

Paradiddle wrote: 9 Jun 2023, 2:15pm
Carlton green wrote: 9 Jun 2023, 9:57am The ‘Goldilocks’ size is going to be different for different people, and likely different for the same people at different times. And then we have variations (when inflated) between tyres of the same nominal size and the effects of narrow and wider rims.
Thus why I set up the poll in the first place - to get a view of everyone's goldilocks size with caveats on terrain and bike limitations :wink: Seems fairly clear that sweet spot for most is somewhere in the 31-40mm range.
The danger with these kind of crowd-sourcing attempts is that the data is useless e.g.
"What size shoes do people find fits best?"

Would it be wise to buy the most common size from the poll?!

Of course in this thread, you can read the data behind the votes, so it can be useful. With care ...
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Paradiddle
Posts: 123
Joined: 7 Jul 2020, 10:39am
Location: London

Re: Tyre widths on your touring/bikepacking bikes

Post by Paradiddle »

mattheus wrote: 9 Jun 2023, 2:45pm The danger with these kind of crowd-sourcing attempts is that the data is useless e.g.
"What size shoes do people find fits best?"

Would it be wise to buy the most common size from the poll?!

Of course in this thread, you can read the data behind the votes, so it can be useful. With care ...
Agree to disagree. Not useless to me as someone fairly new to touring. Using the shoe analogy my question is more akin to "what shoes do you use for hiking?" People may prefer their running shoes, casual trainers, heavy walking boots. I didn't ask what size bike that people ride nor did I say I would immediately change my tyres to match the most popular selection.

I only wanted to know the common tyre width selection (specifically for touring in the UK) from people who have more experience than me and the rationale behind their preferences. It has shaped the rationale for my own future selection. There must be a reason that 92% of people use tyres wider than 30mm for touring. Better than trying out a bunch of tyre widths blindly without knowing other people's experiences and what I want to get out of them.
pwa
Posts: 17366
Joined: 2 Oct 2011, 8:55pm

Re: Tyre widths on your touring/bikepacking bikes

Post by pwa »

A few years ago I got new tyres for my wife and I to do a tour around Wales and the bordering English counties. My bike is a straightforward tourer capable to taking upto about 40mm tyres with mudguards, so the choice for me was more or less whatever I preferred. 35mm was my natural compromise spot. But my wife's bike, very suitable in other ways, is a bit limited by the danger of toe overlap up front. Anything bigger than a 28mm pushes the mudguard to within kicking distance, and she isn't the sort of person who can live with that. She would kick it at a bad moment and fall off. So I fitted a relatively fast, light Gravelking, the sort with a file tread, to the front, and a 32mm Supreme to the rear. And it worked well. We only did a few miles of really rough gravel and she got over it without incident. On road it was a fast combo, and didn't puncture. Not cheap though.
Carlton green
Posts: 3645
Joined: 22 Jun 2019, 12:27pm

Re: Tyre widths on your touring/bikepacking bikes

Post by Carlton green »

The poll had thrown up an interesting result that is now lost at this point in time when the two major ranges have become very close to each other in popularity. Initially the 36 - 40 range was (in popularity) clearly dominant with 31 - 35 being a distant second, IMHO that dominance is worth noting. Seeing that shift my guess is that hard core tourers and frequent users of the forum responded early with their experiences and preferences; and that later we have additional moderate, traditional and casual riders adding their votes. The second category of rider might well be more numerous than the first.

I think that the OP is wise to interpret the data with some care and with reference to posters’ comments.

PWA’s post (directly above) about how three different sizes worked for him and his wife on the same route illustrates how application matters. As I read it here (in his post) variables include: rider experience (care was used), duration, season, ‘road’ surface, weight over tyre (assumes Mrs PWA is relatively light) and which wheel (front or back) the tyre was on.

Cheering for my own team I note - perhaps with some bias and with his particular use in mind - that PWA completed that tour on 35’s ( “ … so the choice for me was more or less whatever I preferred. 35mm was my natural compromise spot.”).
Don’t fret, it’s OK to: ride a simple old bike; ride slowly, walk, rest and admire the view; ride off-road; ride in your raincoat; ride by yourself; ride in the dark; and ride one hundred yards or one hundred miles. Your bike and your choices to suit you.
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