narrower cyclocross tyres...

[Samuel D]

Comparing tyres by volume has long been a bugbear of mine. It’s like comparing houses by volume but worse because it’s conceivable that ceiling height matter in some cases.

The appropriate values to compare are cross section and floor area.

Even Jan Heine does this occasionally and he presumably knows better. I suppose the temptation to exaggerate the advantage of fat tyres is too much to resist when you know your audience might not notice the deception. By why not cube the cross sections in that case? Riddle me that!

[mattc]

Comparing tyres by volume has long been a bugbear of mine. It’s like comparing houses by volume but worse because it’s conceivable that ceiling height matter in some cases.

The appropriate values to compare are cross section and floor area.

Even Jan Heine does this occasionally and he presumably knows better. I suppose the temptation to exaggerate the advantage of fat tyres is too much to resist when you know your audience might not notice the deception. By why not cube the cross sections in that case? Riddle me that!

I think you need to get a sense of perspective on this.

If you actually read my post, I primarily compared real-world experience of some different tyres. Probably a lot more useful to the layman than comparing spring rates. The volume change thing was just an aside, but serves as an illustration - a visual aid, if you like. They're quite common in the communication of ideas!

If you just want a physics/engineering willy-waving contest, go have fun. I'm sure you'll find plenty of people on the internet keen to join in ...

[Samuel D]

Now then, mattc, I’m not interested in said contest (and my deception comment was aimed at Heine, not you. I haven’t noticed you selling fat tyres so don’t suppose you have a reason to exaggerate their benefits).

But I contend that volume is more of a visual hindrance than aid here, since it visualises the wrong parameter. As an aside, it’s best left there.

As you seem to agree anyway, there’s enough difference between 28 mm and 32 mm tyres as it stands without squaring it.

[mattc]

As an aside, it’s best left there.

Fair enough

I believe the phrase-of-the-month for this is: this is not the hill I'm willing to die on !