Tire Size ?

Is there really any major difference between a 2.0 and a 2.1 tire? There doesn't appear to be much difference.

Joely was asking me about this last night.

the diff. between a 2.0 and a 2.1 (of the same model tire) is about a 1/10 of an inch (duhuhuh!)

really the diff. could be air volume in some cases, sometimes it's nothing. tire companies seem to have a hard time properly measuring their tires.

brand to brand tire volumes can vary by up to .2 inch or so, i'd guess. basically, that difference in different tire brands could be large or null.
in the same brand/ model of tire, the difference is pretty small. maybe over a long distance you'll notice a difference in rolling resistance, but…
also, rim width can play a small role; both in the overall width and profile of a tire
narrower rim: rounder profile
wider rim: more square profile

So it really doesn't mean much at the end of the day.

So it really doesn't mean much at the end of the day.

Nope. Much more difference in a 23mm vs. 25mm road tire. You'll definitely see/feel the difference there.

I agree, tire brand makes the most difference so compare the tires against each other in a shop.

Many things can effect how wide the tire actually goes. Especially the rims. I used to have horrible bikes alright, and id go out, but some 2.4 tires, and than liked them because they looked cool. So i took one of my 2.4s off of a big rim i had (26 x 2.25 :eek:) and threw it onto an old quick relese, allmountainy crappy rim, and the tire was teeny. The difference wat quite substantial. Now, generally, the difference between a 2.0 and a 2.1s width, is very small, and unnoticable. You will however notice the tire pressures will problably change between the two, and the weight as well. Also, the 2.1 may be a 2.1 because they just added some material to the sides, so the sidewalls may or may not be thicker.

-josh

The likely hood of either tire being the size they state is very small. Just explain to her that sizing in the biking industry has no standard and is all over the map. Then go and buy a well known tire that has been tried and true and fits in your frame.

anyone still run 3" tyres on the rear?

anyone still run 3" tyres on the rear?

Used to run a 24x3.0 Arrow on my shore. Best tire I ever rode, but a bit too big.