Contact patch and rolling resistance

[BluPenguin]

More dumb shit I want to get people’s opinions of:

It’s to my knowledge that at the same PSI, wider tires have less rolling resistance than narrower. the TLDR version is a wider tire allows for the same size contact patch with less tire deflection, allowing it to roll easier with the same grip.

As Continental pointed out here for road racing bikes.

So why do so many of our pneumatic wheels have a round profile like a bike or motorcycle, when they sit flat on the ground all the time and doesn’t need to lean into turns?

The 6 shooters is the only one that I know that has a flat face like a car tire, which theoretically should have less rolling resistance, but I’ve not actually tried these yet.

[Brenternet]

Pressure is the deciding factor. Yes with the same pressure a flat tire has a tiny advantage but when you pump a round profile up high it has a smaller contact patch and less rolling resistance.

I imagine we’re discussing tiny fractions here though, so just pick the one you like the look of I’d say.

[professor_shartsis]

i like wide tires