Big fat wheels roll faster!!!

[RacerX]

Ha. My long-held gut feel has finally been proven - fat tyres and big wheels are faster than skinny and small ones!

 

http://www.cyclingnews.com/features/tech-feature-the-work-of-wheel-energy

 

Some headlines from the article:

 

Wider tyres roll faster than narrower ones

Larger diameter wheels roll faster than smaller ones

Higher thread counts aren't always better

Puncture-resistant belts work but they're not created equal

Tread pattern matters, even on the road

[Just Keep Pedaling]

There was a whole thread on this yesterday. The roll faster but they are heavier.

[Eldron]

This one is interesting:

 

In addition, Wheel Energy's analyses of tyre contact patch have confirmed that 29" tyres don't have a bigger footprint than otherwise identical 26" ones. While the total area is the same, the shape of the patch is longer and narrower on 29ers, though.

 

I've always said that 29ers have more grip because they have a larger footprint. Turns out I'm wrong! Perhaps the shape is important because I (and most 29er converts) swear we can rail turns faster than on a 26. Would be interesting to see actual cornering speeds on 29 versus 26.