Why is the Tour de France bicycle tires getting bigger and bigger, the pressure is getting lower and lower?

Tour de France Tour de France is more and more technology-intensive, from super-aerodynamic frames, super-light tires, oval chains, slippery outfits, to chains. sprinkle with powder.

Racing teams will try all methods to be able to run faster. So it is interesting to see a "traditional" change emerge in a technologically advanced world of bicycle races. We are talking about increasingly big tires with reduced pressure.

The tires are getting bigger and bigger with reduced pressure.

This is a new trend emerging at the Tour de France, and it has significant advantages: helping the car run faster and more comfortably in the harsh conditions of the real world.

This tire has been studied by many experts, the most prominent being the research published by VeloNews. It is also a "slap" into the point of view so far that you will go faster if you use classes with a narrower width and higher pressure.

This is the tire of Greg Van Avermaet, the reigning Olympic champion, who leads the Tour de France's many laps.It is 26mm in size compared to the traditional 23mm size.

Last week, at Tour de France, Geoff Brown, head of EF Education First-Drapac team p / b Cannondale, shared some information about this trend.

When asked about the trend of big tires and low pressure - something that was completely contrary to what professional cycling enthusiasts still think, but now has become a must-have standard for top teams, he said:

"It depends on the surface of the track, but 10 years ago, the standard is 23mm tires with a pressure of 8 or 8.5 bar, or 115, 120 psi. Today, when normal racing, size tires 25mm and pressure 7 up to 7.5 bars for both front and rear wheels, which is slightly lower than the 100-110 maximum on bicycles ".

So what advantages does it have?

Geoff Brown.

"Today people apply a lot of real scientific knowledge to racing" - Brown explains - "A lower pressure tire, with more contact surface, will bring lower drag, capital. is one of the main factors in racing.

Bicycles are getting tougher, with carbon-fiber frames, especially aerodynamic frames and even aerodynamic tires - everything is harder, so lower pressure will help move more comfortable ".

Taylor Phinney's tires in the Roubaix stage at the 2018 race, 30mm in size, are perfectly suited to farm roads in northern France.

The truth is this 2018, we have never seen a 23mm tire. Until now, the most popular tire sizes are 25mm and 26mm.

And even though it is difficult to compare the speed at the tournament based on the width and pressure of tires, studies and more and more racing teams use this tire to say it all.

Will we see 27mm or 28mm tires soon at the Tour de France in the near future?

"Things are changing very fast in this sport," Brown said. "This drive has a real momentum, so with those other chassis, you can definitely use big tires for things. lawsuit allowed.

I predict the tire size will increase to 26mm or 27mm and become the standard tire for racing. Sure. Why not?"

Even big racers - like 1.98 meters, Taylor Phinney, weighing 85kg - also use low-pressure tires like small, light-weight mountain riders like Rigoberto Uran.

"Talking about tire pressure, they are the same because this is a team sport, and if Phinney is driving next to Rigo and the tires are worn out, he needs a new tire right away" - Brown said - "Everything are prepared to turn around the leader, if he uses a 7 bar pressure tire, the whole team must use 7 bar tires ".

•