Subject: RE: 700X20c I don't think there's an easy way to answer the question. Wider tires are more comfortable, which is not directly related to speed (although could have an impact on endurance and therefore speed over long distances - if you have to come out of aero and stretch out because you're uncomfortable that's going to cost you time ), but they also have lower rolling resistance, which is directly related to speed. So given a 20mm rim, running a 23mm tire will not be as aero as running a 20mm, but the combination of lower rolling resistance coupled with decreased fatigue over long distances *could* negate the aero losses. Then again, it might not. There's no way to say for sure.
You could split the difference and go with something like an Attack/Force combo - keep the narrow tire for the front where the aero difference is more significant, and have the wider tire on the back where aero isn't a big deal, but the impact on comfort might be more pronounced. |