Mountain Bike Tire Sizes Front Back

This varies from 1 6 to 2 5 inches.

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. A cross country bike will have tires in the 1 9 to 2 25 width range. Trail and all mountain bikes will have tires in the 2 25 to 2 4 width range. In general the desired tire width for the most common biking styles are as follows.

We selected tires in the 2 3 to 2 6 inch width range. Read our review on the michelin wild rock r2 all mountain tire. Mountain bike tire size and width. Cross country bikes have tire width between 1 9 and 2 25.

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. Downhill bikes which are meant to withstand the abuse of drops and rock gardens are typically equipped with tires up to 2 5 wide. It s lighter requiring less energy to rotate. Typical mountain bike tire.

Once you ve identified your tire diameter 29 27 5 or 26 you ll want to dial in your width. Some special tires can even be wider up to 3 inches with some models. It s important to note that you cannot mix fractional markings with decimals. 2 2 and 27 5 indicate a tire that has a width of 2 2 and an outer diameter of 27 5.

As tires continue to trend wider so too are the tires in our test. By necessity those run very different tires front and rear. This is also why a narrow tire goes on the rear wheel. 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.

For downhill bikes the tire width can go up to 2 5. Alongside the tire size you have the option of running tubeless or tubed tires. Tubeless tires are recommended when you want lower tire pressures. We mounted tires to 30 mm internal diameter wheels.

26 inches 27 5 inches and 29 inches. Additionally rear tire tread designs should complement the front tire but can be very different to achieve rear specific goals. Tires are also measured in width. When wtb redesigned the vigilante last year they went all out on a modern front tire for aggressive mountain biking.

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. All mountain and trial bikes have tire width in the range of 2 25 to 2 4. Tires come in three diameters. Most riders prefer a tubeless system.

Tread profile is also important. 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. Sticking with only a wide front tire is a good compromise. Fat bikes have tire width over 3 7.

On the typical cross country mountain bike you won t get bigger than a 2 1 tire back there.