I think those 2.35s were made specifically for OEMs who only had clearance for 50mm but wanted to signal wider tires, since it was only a couple of the older models (HR2, DHF, etc), but that's probably just me being cynical.
Tires widths definitely do vary from what is listed since the rims they design/test on are not always what everyone actually uses, and I'd bet that as riders started using wider rims and the tire companies were slower to update their design and test methods, many existing models would measure out a bit bigger than the numbers on the sidewall. With newer tire models designed with modern wheels in mind, I think the discrepancies have diminished. For example, I remember Conti Trail King 2.2s in the 26inch era measuring out massive on 25mm rims, perhaps because they were designed around skinnier 19-21mm rims; but 27.5 Trail King 2.4s on 30mm rims are much closer to what's listed, perhaps because they were redesigned for modern wider rims.
Oh, and I think the skinny Maxxis 2.35s were only for 26" models, pretty sure their 27.5" or 29" tires marked 2.35 have always been actually 60mm.
March 15, 2022, 9:33 a.m. - Justin White
I think those 2.35s were made specifically for OEMs who only had clearance for 50mm but wanted to signal wider tires, since it was only a couple of the older models (HR2, DHF, etc), but that's probably just me being cynical. Tires widths definitely do vary from what is listed since the rims they design/test on are not always what everyone actually uses, and I'd bet that as riders started using wider rims and the tire companies were slower to update their design and test methods, many existing models would measure out a bit bigger than the numbers on the sidewall. With newer tire models designed with modern wheels in mind, I think the discrepancies have diminished. For example, I remember Conti Trail King 2.2s in the 26inch era measuring out massive on 25mm rims, perhaps because they were designed around skinnier 19-21mm rims; but 27.5 Trail King 2.4s on 30mm rims are much closer to what's listed, perhaps because they were redesigned for modern wider rims. Oh, and I think the skinny Maxxis 2.35s were only for 26" models, pretty sure their 27.5" or 29" tires marked 2.35 have always been actually 60mm.