Say it an't so: wider tires roll better!

I read this little blurb in Velo that astounded me. I had to do more research, and apparently it is true. A Finnish company that independently tests tires has concluded that wider tires offer less roll resistance. The real culprit is deformation of the tire. Racers like thinner tires because they believe they roll better. I suppose this is due to the fact that there is less opportunity for a thinner version of the same tire to deform. However, a better tire in a wider size will roll better than its thinner version.

It does confirm something I've found, and this is something we all know from our motor cars. Tires make a world of difference.

I was amazed when I dumped the cheap tires that come with my Specialized Allez for better ones. I run 23mm Continental GP 4 Seasons. When I switch over to summer tires I will run Continental GP 4000s, which is universally considered one of, if not the best bicycle tires ever made. This article certainly has me considering 25mm tires over the 23s, assuming they will fit on my frame.

In any case, if there is one thing I've learned it is that your dollar for dollar your money is better spent in tires, wheels and the correct spoke pattern than anything else.

For example, my Allez also has cheap wheels, but, they are serviceable. My real problem is that given my weight I should be running 36 spokes on the rear wheel instead of 32. My rear wheel keeps coming out of true owing to the fact that I am a Clydesdale rolling over some pretty rough bike path half the time. Since I'm not a racer and not a hill climber, the extra spokes (even a three-cross pattern back there opposed to the more common two-cross) is not going to make much difference. A few more dollars for decent DT Swiss wheels with the correct number of spokes will make my bike that much better.

I would be remiss if I did not sing the praises of my Allez. I bought the cheapest set-up Specialized makes - a double chainring with Shimano 2300 components. All of this is decent stuff, especially for the money. The frame is excellent as far as aluminum goes and given upgrades such as the aforementioned and a SRAM Rival groupset, it will be a long time before I outgrow this bike. I'm also glad I bought an aluminum bike. The stiffness makes it fast and I can handle the rough ride. It is an excellent speedy ride.

The Allez has also proven to me that when I buy a touring bike I want steel, say a Trek 520 or Jamis Aurora. When I buy a gran fondo bike I also want the suppleness that steel provides, say a Bianchi Vigorelli. When I earn a go-fast sports car of a bike I'll go with a carbon fiber frame, and I'll stick with Specialized, probably as good a Tarmac as I can afford (or talk the wife into).

So, I love my Allez.

Here's that article.

Tech Feature: The Work Of Wheel Energy | Cyclingnews.com