Quote:
Originally Posted by mpgx2
Tyre width has an enormous impact on fuel economy.
Narrower tyres get you less rolling resistance and are
more economical. Wider tyres get you more grip but
it comes at a fuel consumption cost.
If you want more cornering traction, get a wider tyre.
If you want more economy get a narrower tyre.
Also, some brands are better than others. Some
european brands like continental and michelin
are worth the extra money.
Final consideration is how do you drive? Are you
a ding dong who can't control a car? go for the
wide tyres. If you drive a bit slower and are not
into powerslides (narrow tyres are better for that
too actually) then one size thinner than what
the manufacturer suggests is a good idea.
I'm always amazed that people put wider tyres
on cars than is needed..
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First, tire brands is NOT an indicator of RR. Every manufacturer produces a wide range of tires - and some are good for RR - some are not.
There is a technology triangle: Rolling Resistance, Traction (especially wet traction), and Treadwear. These are all traded off to get the final result - and it's always a compromise.
Second, while it seems intuitive that tire width would be important for RR, load carrying capacity seems to be more important. Going larger in load carrying capacity is directionally the right way, while just going narrower doesn't seem to pay much benefits, and especially if you are also going down in load carrying capacity, you're going the wrong direction for RR.