Mountain Bike Tire Sizes Front Back

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Mountain bike tire sizes front back.

At the extreme end there are 69er and 96er mountain bikes that mix and match 29 622 and 26 559 wheels on the same bike as well as terry women s bikes with 24 520 front wheels and 700c 622 rear. In general the desired tire width for the most common biking styles are as follows. Mountain bike tire size and width. Fat bikes have tire width over 3 7.

Measurements like 26 1 which is the 27 5 size and 28x two fractions which is the 29 size are fractional inch markings. Once you ve identified your tire diameter 29 27 5 or 26 you ll want to dial in your width. This is also why a narrow tire goes on the rear wheel. Tires are also measured in width.

We now have several models in the 2 5 and 2 6 widths that are becoming much more common in the current mountain bike tire market. Alongside the tire size you have the option of running tubeless or tubed tires. On the typical cross country mountain bike you won t get bigger than a 2 1 tire back there. We mounted tires to 30 mm internal diameter wheels.

Most riders prefer a tubeless system. Tread profile is also important. Additionally rear tire tread designs should complement the front tire but can be very different to achieve rear specific goals. 26 inches 27 5 inches and 29 inches.

It s lighter requiring less energy to rotate. Tubeless tires are recommended when you want lower tire pressures. Read our review on the michelin wild rock r2 all mountain tire. We selected tires in the 2 3 to 2 6 inch width range.

Trail and all mountain bikes will have tires in the 2 25 to 2 4 width range. For downhill bikes the tire width can go up to 2 5. Cross country bikes have tire width between 1 9 and 2 25. Tires come in three diameters.

This varies from 1 6 to 2 5 inches. Check your tire s sidewall the numbers there indicate your tire size roughly its outer diameter and its width but not always in that order. All mountain and trial bikes have tire width in the range of 2 25 to 2 4. Sticking with only a wide front tire is a good compromise.

Some special tires can even be wider up to 3 inches with some models. Downhill bikes which are meant to withstand the abuse of drops and rock gardens are typically equipped with tires up to 2 5 wide. Previously the tire was only available in a 2 3 inch width and the brand released the new version in june 2018 in 2 5 and 2 6 inch widths. Typical mountain bike tire.

As tires continue to trend wider so too are the tires in our test. It s important to note that you cannot mix fractional markings with decimals. When wtb redesigned the vigilante last year they went all out on a modern front tire for aggressive mountain biking. With mountain bikes you re mostly safe from fractional sizes but it s worth mentioning them for completeness.

By necessity those run very different tires front and rear.