Duh

Okay, sometimes I am a little slow. I have to learn things ... visually. I have to take a moment. And it's times like these that I feel it is my obligation to pass along my newly acquired information to you. Just in case you're a step behind the curve, like me. I'm sure you're not. But just in case.

Last week, it was time to order new tires for the Guru (my tri bike). Four weeks from Ironman and the tread was dead. After consulting Jim (my OTHER guru) for recommended tire brands, I ordered the Continental 4000s.

The tires came this week and when I asked Jim to help me put the them on, he came right over and we got to work. Um, well, he got to work. Opening the box, Jim announced to me that I had ordered "Twenties". Alrighty then. Not sure what that meant. But as I watched him work, I noticed that it took a bit of "muscle" to get these babies around the wheel. Lots of gripping and adjusting and even a little bit of talcum powder.

So what, pray tell, is a Twenty? A Twenty equals the width in millimeters of the tire. Notice the difference between the Dave's super fast Specializes tires



and the tires on this cruiser bike.


The cruiser has a way wider tire -- which puts more contact on the road, which provides a slower, more stable ride. I had been riding with a 23mm tire. But now I am at least three millimeters higher off the road. That equates to speed, baby! When I got on the bike yesterday I did notice a difference between the fatties I had been using and the new Twenties.

Well, that's it. Just a little common sense physics lesson for today. If you want to go fast, use the smaller tires. They come in 25s, 23s and 20s. Now you know.