The choice of tire width has always been one of the most heated topics in road bike sports. Not too long ago, every high-performance road bike was equipped with 700C x 23 mm tires. Now you can not only choose the tire width you want, but thanks to the disc brake road bikes,  you can even choose the wheel size you want to use!

Before figuring out how wide a tire is suitable for us, let us understand a basic principle: the rolling speed of wide tires is not slower than that of narrow tires. This has been verified by different tests.

Tests have shown that even 50 mm wide tires will not be much slower than narrow tires—provided they use the same soft tire. In contrast, tires smaller than 25mm are slower-this is why professional racers have switched from 20 and 23mm tires to 25mm in recent years.

Research shows that narrow tires (<25 mm) are slow. More than 25 mm, your tire width will not change your speed on flat roads. On rough roads, wider tires are faster, because they glide over irregularities that make a bike on narrow tires bounce and vibrate.

So the wider the better?

Of course not, in the real world, the answer to the question "Are wider tires faster?" is more subtle. Although wider tires produce no less rolling resistance than narrower tires, once you normalize the tire tension, they should not roll slower. Wider tires may also be more comfortable and have better grip. A more comfortable and confident car may also be faster overall, depending on the terrain.

What size tire should we use?

We can choose the tire width based on other criteria, such as shock absorption requirements, grip and aerodynamics. Finally, you need to weigh up what you want to achieve with your bike settings.

If your bike has enough clearance, we usually recommend a compromise option, namely 28mm tires, as a balance point for all these features.

If you participate in races or time trials on good roads, a slightly narrower, 25mm tire may provide a little aerodynamic advantage at high speeds. However, if you are racing on rough roads, a bit wider may be better.

If you often ride on particularly rough roads or want to enter some gravel bike sections, 30mm (or larger) tires may give you greater comfort, grip and handling, and are more resistant to rolling.