Do Wider Tires on Gravel Bikes Increase Rolling Resistance?

Question

What is the rolling resistance of wider tires on gravel bikes?

Answer 1

In spite of what some may think, the use of broader tires on gravel bikes introduces a rolling resistance only to a limited extent… Over the width of the bike tires, the only thing that can affect their rolling speed is the rubber compound and sidewall design. It is also likely that the rolling resistance of properly designed wide tires made with higher quality, low hysteresis compounds, is less than that of more poorly constructed narrow tires.

Comments

i ride gravel a lot, and use different tires. 35 mm, 38mm, 40 mm, 42 mm, 45 mm. wider tires seem slower, except when the gravel road is rough, due to the extra rotational mass. big gravel tires are really slow on smooth gravel and especially slow on pavement