Does rolling resistance depend on wheel size or tire width?

While larger wheel diameters do reduce rolling resistance, wheel size isn’t the only factor for air-inflated tires. Contrary to common belief, rolling resistance is not affected by tire width, but rather by tire pressure. The higher the tire pressure, the lower the rolling resistance¹.

Boardy’s special Continental tires, despite their balloon design, can be inflated up to 4 bar (58 PSI), allowing them to roll more efficiently than many standard bike tires.

1. Racing bikes use narrow tires not for reduced rolling resistance, but because narrower tires can handle higher pressures. ↩︎