Tires: Bigger front, bigger rear, or same size?

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Tires: Bigger front, bigger rear, or same size?
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flag curious-george
Posted: Oct 16, 2007 at 20:26 Quote
If you had a choice...bigger tire in front or back...or same...some say bigger in the front slackens the geo...make it easy to roll over bigger objects...what u think?
flag mtn1man
Posted: Oct 16, 2007 at 20:35 Quote
Hahah. I just pictured my bike with a smaller tire in the front and it looked so out of whack. Use a bigger tire on the front and smaller in the back.
flag MOBz
Posted: Oct 16, 2007 at 20:38 Quote
i like big and wide tires. i run 2.7 in front and 2.5 in the back
flag signorvince2
Posted: Oct 16, 2007 at 20:42 Quote
I ahve the same size font/back on both of my bikes and it's been working fine. All a wider tire in front does is give you better traction where you'll need it. I wouldn't ride anythign bigger than a 2.7 though, if you're getting bigger than that I think the extra weight fo teh tire slows you down more than the traction you gain from it.
flag pbuser16709
Posted: Oct 16, 2007 at 21:02 Quote
Bigger in the front, all else being equal (tread pattern, compound, casing, etc.), and here's why:

1. Most importantly, larger tires tend to have a wider tread area, naturally, and become more rounded when mounted to your rim. This causes the lugs to wrap to the sides of the tire (or angle outward more, depending on how you want to phrase it). Now, take a moment to turn your bike's front wheel. Go on, step out to the garage; I'll still be here when you get back. Wink Notice how the tire contacts the ground at an angle, even when the bike is upright? This effect is why the front tire is effectively leaned over more than the rear, and why it's good to have the lugs more toward the edge of the tire for the front, compared to the rear.

2. Wider tires often have more traction. It's a lot easier to recover a rear slide than a front, so you want the rear to break loose more easily.

I'm happy with a 2.7 Minion on the front and the same in 2.5 on the rear.
flag eventh
Posted: Oct 18, 2007 at 14:26 Quote
I prefer wider on the front 2.7 and 2.5 on the back for the shore minions super tacky for the fall winter and spring.BMX race bikes have wider front tires than back 20x2.125 front and 20x1.75 on the rear
flag samnation
O+ FL
Posted: Oct 18, 2007 at 14:42 Quote
well I run 2.3 and i will tell you why your tire goes round when full thus there is a terminal tire contact and this is when the tire width can increse without the contact increasing only adding rubber weight so i like top run slimmer tires but now with my wider wheels I am thinking of mocong up to 2.5
flag bullitvt
Posted: Oct 18, 2007 at 17:09 Quote
i run a 2.5 front and 2.35 rear on my bullit and matching 2.1's on my vt. the only time i like a bigger rear is on bikes with 24's in the back, like a bighit or something. then they look kinda cool
flag some-guy
Posted: Oct 18, 2007 at 17:13 Quote
i find 2.5 front and back for dh just fine. for me any wider is just excessive. probably only for me as the conditions where i ride dont require massive amounts of grip alot of the time
flag t3rry
Mod
Posted: Oct 18, 2007 at 17:20 Quote
i like either having a bigger on the front or the same size. I was running both 2.5's but with wheel flex the rear tire started to eat my frame and I took it off (luckily I noticed relatively fast and it didn't do any serious damage) So now I run 2.5 Specialized Chunderhead front, and 2.35 rear Maxxis Minnion.
flag emubritish
Posted: Oct 18, 2007 at 18:37 Quote
i guess my tires are technically the same size, 2.5 minion dhfs, but the front is a 39mm rim where the back is only a 34, so the front is bigger...

at first, i thought it was like a motorcycle, bigger tire in the rear, but after a 2.1 in the front and a 2.4 in the rear, i quickly learned otherwise. a skittish back end is miles better than a skittish front Wink
flag mtn1man
Posted: Oct 18, 2007 at 22:17 Quote
I'm running dual 2.5's. Wish I could put a 2.7 on the front but it wont fit my forks(drop off)
flag crakmasta88
Posted: Oct 19, 2007 at 6:57 Quote
I run a 2.0 front hutchinson python an a 2.35 maxxis larsen oriflamme rear, i race 4x though an i can bunny hop like mad so I don't care about rollin over stuff.
flag BrianPM3
Posted: Oct 19, 2007 at 7:19 Quote
I run a 2.5 Kenda Nevgal on the front and a 2.35 Kenda Nevgal on the back. This seems to be the best set up especially for downhill and freeride. I think running a larger tire on the front helps slacken out the head tube angle a little bit more. I have tried numerous setups and this one seems to be the best i have come up with so far.
flag watchmefly
Posted: Oct 19, 2007 at 7:22 Quote
It is much better to run atleast your knobliest/grippiest tire (usually the larger one) in the front because this is where grip is very important. its much better having your backwheel slide out then your front wheel. pretty much if your going to run one big tyre on smaller tyre, put the big one on the front. besides everything else it just makes the bike look less stupid
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