Hi all,
I have a question regarding tire clearance and I’d appreciate your input.
Currently I’m running Tufo Swampero 44, which measures 45.7 mm on a 24 mm internal rim.
With this setup, I have roughly 3.5 mm of clearance at the tightest point (measured at the fork).
I measured the total internal width between the fork legs (front and rear) and it’s about 52 mm.
If I go for a wider tire (Swampero 48) that would settle around 49.5 mm, that would leave me with just over 2 mm of clearance total, so roughly ~1 mm per side.
This would mainly be for gravel riding, sometimes in dry conditions, sometimes mixed.
I know many brands recommend at least 3–4 mm, but in real-world use people often push this.
by Puzzleheaded-Cap-589
7 Comments
You can push limits on rear triangle, but not on fork, consequences of front wheel lockout or fork failure are too dire.
id say you’re pretty maxed out at this point. i would definitely not go wider personally
It’s not even a matter of mud or rock clearance at that point, .5mm is close enough that the wheel will flex and rub the fork when cornering or under load.
The front tire looks like it’s going to flex and rub the fork as is. Definitely don’t go up any more. Take it on a ride or two and if you find any signs of rub, go down to a slightly smaller size.
Don’t do it. Or go down to a 650b/27.5″ wheelset
u/Hungry_Orange666 Has an excellent point… Def don’t push front tire limits. Wheels flex. Test it yourself, push on the seat stay. You will most likely be able to see the tire flex inside the frame. Nope, not saying any of this is bad, it’s by design. We all need to stay inside the design parameters vs risking an unplanned ejection. Testing like this avoids a tire / frame contact while the tire is turning and creating scratches or worse damage to frame.
Don’t think it’s worth it. You’ll wear away at the surface with the grit in there in mixed conditions.