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Thursday, June 26, 2014

23 to 25 to 26 to 28mm

I've tried them all now - all that will fit - and I have to say that wider is better. Talking about tire width here, of course. And maybe I've just fallen too hard for the articles and research by Jan Heine but I really do think he's onto something big - BIG! None of my friends that I ride with will believe me or even try out a lower tire pressure. Suit yourself is all I can say - but know that it comes at the cost of discomfort and slower speed. And more flats! 

So, on Totally 80's I can run 28s - on Purple People Eater I can run 26s. They're both still at about the same PSI: 70/75 (front/rear) but I'd like to experiment with dropping T80s on her 28s down to 70 in the rear. 

It does feel a little different - and I can understand that someone might say that it "feels slow" however I'm more and more convinced that our brains aren't equipped to judge bicycle speed and only factor in higher vibration as higher speed which doesn't correlate to the clock. 

So just try it - drop your pressure… it's the new revolution… 

And the next question is: Should I pursue a frame that will fit even wider tires

2 comments:

@PasadenaCyclist said...

I'm with you on the 25s. I've been loving the extra cushion for a while. I'll look into lowering my tire pressure. As a big guy, I've always been afraid to lower it too much. Maybe I should do some research to make a more informed decision. Meanwhile, I'll make another pitch for you to try Ti for your next bike. It's uber plush.

mindful mule said...

Thanks, @PasadenaCyclist. Check out this article/chart as a guide in determining tire pressure for your weight/tire width: http://www.bikequarterly.com/images/BQTireDrop.pdf