A while back I posted here looking for advice on how to get more efficiency from my work bike. I do a bit of riding around the city and I rode a lot with clients as a disability support worker.
I was running solid “Nimbus” tires that came with my low maintenance “Specialized Alibi”. I always knew they were not very efficient… but boy was that an understatement!
I have now upgraded to Maxxis Overdrives tires and I am running them at 50psi as I do a little bit of trail riding and the difference is night and day!
We can sometimes get caught up on small increases in performance that are barely noticeable… but if I had to quantify it, I would say that I am 20% faster with 30% less effort on an average day. Keeping up with some of my younger, fitter clients is a breeze now.
The ease of maintenance that the solid tires gave me were no trade off for the efficiency and speed they robbed… if I had to put air in my tires every time I went for a 1km ride, I would still get to my destination faster on the traditional inflatable tires than in the low maintenance solids.
by benjo83