12boy
Guru
- Location
- Casper WY USA
What makes a bike comfortable on rough surfaces are:
Longer wheelbase
Lower tire pressure
Bigger tires with more air to cushion
Bigger wheels
Upright position and, for some, a wider saddle
Speed is achieved by:
Aerodynamics
Weight
Tire sidewall flexibility, tire weight and paradoxically, larger tire size at lower pressure, that last more so as the road surface becomes rougher.
Position
For some, locked on pedals
I have an old Carbondale mtn bike. With 1.95 inch Finnish studded snow tires it is a pig. A pig that can get traction on ice and snow that other tires cannot. With 1.5 slicks it is much lively and on the same route 3-4 mph faster with less effort. It is also more comfortable since although smaller, the slick tire sidewalls are much more flexible. By going to semi-slick, flexible sidewall 2 inch tires. It is a little slower than the 1.5s but rides like a cloud with that long mtn bike wheelbase. As Jan Heine (Bicycle Quarterly Blog) has proven, at least in his mind, the skittering effect of a light hard tire on rough surfaces results in a slower and definitely less comfortable ride than a larger, flexible tire on that same rough surface.
Bottom line... try your mtn bike with flexible light tires or your road bike with larger flexible light tires and I'll bet either one will surprise you with how much better they are than before for the ride in terms of speed and comfort. BTW, a spare pare of wheels are usually a lot cheaper than a bike and allow you to change tires very quickly.
Longer wheelbase
Lower tire pressure
Bigger tires with more air to cushion
Bigger wheels
Upright position and, for some, a wider saddle
Speed is achieved by:
Aerodynamics
Weight
Tire sidewall flexibility, tire weight and paradoxically, larger tire size at lower pressure, that last more so as the road surface becomes rougher.
Position
For some, locked on pedals
I have an old Carbondale mtn bike. With 1.95 inch Finnish studded snow tires it is a pig. A pig that can get traction on ice and snow that other tires cannot. With 1.5 slicks it is much lively and on the same route 3-4 mph faster with less effort. It is also more comfortable since although smaller, the slick tire sidewalls are much more flexible. By going to semi-slick, flexible sidewall 2 inch tires. It is a little slower than the 1.5s but rides like a cloud with that long mtn bike wheelbase. As Jan Heine (Bicycle Quarterly Blog) has proven, at least in his mind, the skittering effect of a light hard tire on rough surfaces results in a slower and definitely less comfortable ride than a larger, flexible tire on that same rough surface.
Bottom line... try your mtn bike with flexible light tires or your road bike with larger flexible light tires and I'll bet either one will surprise you with how much better they are than before for the ride in terms of speed and comfort. BTW, a spare pare of wheels are usually a lot cheaper than a bike and allow you to change tires very quickly.
