Mountain Bike Tire Sizes Front Back

Measurements like 26 1 which is the 27 5 size and 28x two fractions which is the 29 size are fractional inch markings.

Mountain bike tire sizes front back.

Mountain bike tire size and width. By necessity those run very different tires front and rear. Trail and all mountain bikes will have tires in the 2 25 to 2 4 width range. A cross country bike will have tires in the 1 9 to 2 25 width range.

When wtb redesigned the vigilante last year they went all out on a modern front tire for aggressive mountain biking. On the typical cross country mountain bike you won t get bigger than a 2 1 tire back there. Typical mountain bike tire. Most riders prefer a tubeless system.

Tires come in three diameters. We selected tires in the 2 3 to 2 6 inch width range. 2 2 and 27 5 indicate a tire that has a width of 2 2 and an outer diameter of 27 5. For downhill bikes the tire width can go up to 2 5.

Some special tires can even be wider up to 3 inches with some models. Read our review on the michelin wild rock r2 all mountain tire. 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. Share a link to this answer.

Frame limitations while there is generally quite a bit of room in the front suspension fork a 2 3 2 5 tire can probably fit the frame can only accommodate a certain size tire. Once you ve identified your tire diameter 29 27 5 or 26 you ll want to dial in your 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. 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.

As tires continue to trend wider so too are the tires in our test. This is also why a narrow tire goes on the rear wheel. Tread profile is also important. Alongside the tire size you have the option of running tubeless or tubed tires.

With mountain bikes you re mostly safe from fractional sizes but it s worth mentioning them for completeness. Additionally rear tire tread designs should complement the front tire but can be very different to achieve rear specific goals. We mounted tires to 30 mm internal diameter wheels. In general the desired tire width for the most common biking styles are as follows.

Fat bikes have tire width over 3 7. Tubeless tires are recommended when you want lower tire pressures. It s lighter requiring less energy to rotate. Cross country bikes have tire width between 1 9 and 2 25.

Downhill bikes which are meant to withstand the abuse of drops and rock gardens are typically equipped with tires up to 2 5 wide. This varies from 1 6 to 2 5 inches. 26 inches 27 5 inches and 29 inches. It s important to note that you cannot mix fractional markings with decimals.

Tires are also measured in width.