Either your tire clears, or it doesn't. Been running <2mm of clearance for about 10,000 miles now between 3 bikes. That is 5-8mm WAM over the manufacturer recommended width. For everyone that says "bUt WhAT iF yOu PiCK uP a RoCk"… You are going to be okay. You can run wider tires.
by Gummybearn1nja
11 Comments
Just not true in all cases. I had a bike that fit 28’s but if you laid down the power, either the wheels or frame flexed and it rubbed on the chain stays. Burned right through the paint before I decided to go back to 25’s
If you have flexy rims then it’ll sometimes rub when out of the saddle at that little clearance. Looking at that picture you probably don’t have that issue.
If you’re not flexing your wheels when you put the power down, are you even putting power down?
Mud, wheel flex, spoke damage
Cool story bro. Some of us ride off the pavement, and need that extra clearance.
Who are you yelling at
If you run that in the soupy mud we have in the spring you’ll be walking. I’ve seen too many fellow racers walking drag their bike (as the wheel won’t turn) miles to a support site to clear the mud. Tight tire clearance works until it doesn’t.
Come back to me when you pick up serious mud and have to hike it. And before you ask “hOw OfTeN dO yOu EnCoUnTeR tHaT?” the answer for me is enough that it’s an issue to consider both in my racing and training. Can most people run wider than specified? Yeah probably because the industry standards for tolerances on either side are very conservative, but as a blanket “yes you can” it’s terrible advice
From what I can see in the picture it looks like you probably need to go wider, you’re losing speed for sure.
I think it depends on riding conditions and components. If you’re only riding crushed limestone in fair weather, and frame and wheel flex is minimal, go tight sure.
But if you’ve got a bendy boy like I do, and ride in absolute dog shit on a regular basis, you want more clearance.
As a result… not Boolean lol.
I have like 1cm of clearance on each side of my tire and a few times a year I’ve still picked up enough mud to make the tires physically stop rotating.
send me a picture of the inside of your chainstays behind the chainring without a tire installed. thanks !