Myths in cycling: wider tires are slower

Re:Myths in cycling: wider tires are slower by stickfigure on Tuesday June 15, 2021 @01:17AM (#27511592)

You'd be surprised. I've taken my 500-pound dirt bike (KTM 990A) to the end of Baja (all dirt), across the Trans America Trail, and to Alaska and back. Did most of the hard splits on LA-Barstow-to-Vegas a few years ago, and endless dirt riding in the Sierras and Nevada. And I'm by no means the best rider I know.

Single track is hard work but there's nothing quite like ripping open the throttle on a 100hp dirt bike and throwing up a tornado of sand. I owned an XR250R for a few years and just found it boring.

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Re:Myths in cycling: wider tires are slower by dharmab on Tuesday June 15, 2021 @02:37AM (#27512027)

To be fair the VStrom 1000 the commentor was riding is fairly heavy and street oriented. A KTM, Tenere or smaller GS blows it out of the water off road.

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Re:Myths in cycling: wider tires are slower by ultrarunner on Tuesday June 22, 2021 @12:42AM (#27588056)

I've ridden with some others on big KTMs who struggle a lot more than the guys on the smaller bikes. I think once a certain weight threshold is crossed there's no argument that the bike is appropriately called an "off-road" bike, no matter how knobby the tires. Conversely, aesthetics are always in play. Especially for the GS guys at Starbucks ;)

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