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Front tyre thickness

iksmudge

Monkey
Nov 4, 2008
154
0
OK, I'm probably being picky/thick.
Why is there a trend for front Tyres to be thicker than back one's.
Will somebody please explain.
 

sittingduck

Turbo Monkey
Jun 22, 2007
1,958
2
Oregon
Part of it is clearance. It's easier to put a fat tire on the front, than it is to put one on the back. Chainstay clearance and brake clearance can be an issue.
 

mattt

Monkey
Jul 21, 2009
126
0
texas
Assuming that you meant wider...

A wider footprint up front provides more traction where its more necessary: It is much easier to recover from loss of rear wheel traction than loss of front wheel traction.

Also, a larger volume tire can act as a bit of suspension when needed.
 

sealclubber

Monkey
Nov 21, 2007
543
10
yup. when you see someone do a drop-to-flat like a stair set, they put their rear wheel down first, then use the bike as a lever to pull against the front so it sets down a bit softer, a bigger front tire helps soften that blow