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My current bike tyres are 26 x 2.0 (Manufacturer fitted tyres)

Is it possible to fit 26 x 2.1 or 26 x 1.95 on these wheels or is this going to cause an issue?

Matt Wilko
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  • Similar to my question here, http://bicycles.stackexchange.com/questions/1935/can-i-get-smaller-tires-without-changing-my-rims – Kibbee Jun 11 '12 at 17:07
  • A road answer - I went from 23 to 25 to 28mm on the rear, and the limiting factor is the height of the brake bridge between the seat stays. So its not always width, it can be height of the tyre that runs into things first. – Criggie Jun 05 '16 at 10:17
  • depends on your inner rim width, where the bead of the tyre sits. measure it and search for specifications. – bandybabboon Jul 04 '18 at 13:25

3 Answers3

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Slightly smaller is fine

There's really no possible problems going just a wee bit smaller. Even going much smaller would probably be fine.

Slightly larger is probably ok

With the original 26 x 2.0 tires on the bike, check the clearances. Remember that a 2.1 tire will be both wider and "taller". Look at how much space there is around the tire at the fork crown, where the tire is close to the downtube, where the tire passes between the seat stays, where the tire passes between the chainstays, where the tire gets closest to the seat tube... As long as there's room for a wider tire, it'll be fine.

It's really common to change out tires for slightly different sized ones.

freiheit
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    There isn't an aggreed upon standard of measurement. This means that one brands 2.0 size might be larger than another brands 2.1 size. The tread pattern may also make a difference. A trial fit is the only way to know for sure if you are making drastic changes. – mikes Jun 11 '12 at 20:30
  • @mikes: Good point! – freiheit Jun 11 '12 at 20:31
  • while thinking of tread pattern keep in mind your current tread has been worn down a little. After riding for almost 30 years I have come to realize that the frame has a lot more influence on the tire size than anything else. -0.2" is almost always safe, +0.2 will not do much more than rub the frame, but too much will stop the wheel all together. – BillyNair Jun 12 '12 at 02:43
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On the size of your current tire there will be the measurements in inches that you are used to, and there will be another measurement that consists of a two-digit number, a dash, and a three-digit number. Both figures are in millimeters.

The most important part is that the larger number must be the same for the replacement tire as it is for the current tire, or else it will not fit on the same wheel.

The smaller number can vary, but not by much. You can generally get away with a few millimeters either way unless you are already using the very smallest or very largest tire your wheel can support.

EvilSnack
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I don't have any affiliation to this company, I had to buy a 750 grams rim to lace a 1500w motor, and I found that they recommend 1.1- 2.2 wide tyre on a 19mm rim. If they advise nearly more than an inch of flexibility on their rims, the tyre industry doesn't have all different bead standards, and you will have more than .1 inches to play with for the same kinds of rim width:

INNER RIM WIDTH: 19mm

TYRE WIDTH: 28-57mm

https://www.ryde.nl/andra-30 (formerly rigida brand)

Rims for 2 inch tyres are often 12 to 20mm. compare the width with new bike rim specifications.

bandybabboon
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  • Sorry, but how is this answering the question? – sleske Jul 04 '18 at 10:53
  • Listen, some suspicious dude made me edit the question to say my affiliation to the company giving the tyre width to rim width specifictions, THEREBY MAKING MY ANSWER LESS CLEAR BY HIS SUSPICIOUS COMMENT< WHICH WAS THEN REMOVED>>> The professional source specification recommends 1.1- 2.2 wide tyre on a 19mm rim... don't worry about it. Wilko will be able to figure it out, because he wanted recommend 1.95 - 2.05 wide tyre, and I told him it depends on the inner rim width. using the above figure for guidance, the tolerance is far higher than .1inch. – bandybabboon Jul 04 '18 at 13:22
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    Using a brain. No thanks to crapping on the simpler version of this page pernickety dweeb ;) – bandybabboon Jul 12 '18 at 20:09