I got a 26 x 1.75 front wheel. Tire and tube 26 x 1.75. Upon further inspection, (I got confused) The existing rear wheel and tire is 26 x 1.95. Will the front wheel size be okay to use?
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should be fine - will be a little faster with a thinner smoother tyre than a larger one. Spare tubes should cover both sizes without major issues.– Criggie ♦Commented Apr 28, 2017 at 0:46
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2Possible duplicate of Can I fit slightly different tyre sizes– Criggie ♦Commented Apr 28, 2017 at 0:46
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1@Criggie - this is slightly different. 2 different sizes on one bike, rather than replacing one tire size with another similar tire size for both wheels.– BatmanCommented Apr 28, 2017 at 3:27
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@Batman I'm sure we've got a question on this too. I might have answered/commented because I'm running different sizes (currently 32mm front 28 rear, was the other way round)– Chris HCommented Apr 28, 2017 at 6:33
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bicycles.stackexchange.com/questions/9308/… and questions linked from it– Chris HCommented Apr 28, 2017 at 8:19
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2 Answers
Provided the wheel fits into the bike and you can use the brakes, it'll be fine to use.
People run different tire sizes on occasion, and in some cases even different wheel sizes (e.g. 69ers and 96ers which have a 26" and 29" wheel).
In some applications, its even desirable to put a bigger tire in the back since it carries more weight than the front. This can give some more comfort, e.g. for touring.
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1me and a friend made a full suspension 46er once just for the hell of it, 24" frame with a 26" front fork and wheel. Definitely interesting... lol rode oddly better than one would expect– Nate WCommented Apr 27, 2017 at 22:54
My rear 26" 2.25 wide mountain bike tire is damaged, and since it's an old commuter bike, I'm fine replacing it with a $10 26" x 2.1" unidirectional from the bike co-op. In trying to figure out if I should bother swapping the wider front for the rear tire, I also found this resource helpful:
A Note on Front vs. Rear
Plenty of people run the same width tires front and rear. Plenty of people put a wider tire in the front. Both options have their pros and cons, but really, some bikes and riding styles tend to work better with matched tires, and some work better with a wider tire in the front. Generally speaking, the reason for a wider tire in the front is to gain a bit of cornering traction so that the rear tire will usually be the first to break free in a corner. When the rear tire is the first to break free, you get a little bit of oversteer, which can be desirable. But when the front tire is the first to break free, you tend to crash, which is undesirable. For that same reason, you generally don’t want a larger tire in the rear.
https://blisterreview.com/gear-reviews/mountain-bike-reviews/bike-tires-101
Another Side Note of Front vs. Rear.
Plenty of people happily run the same tread pattern front and rear, but there are a lot of tires that are intended for use as a front or rear. Using the Maxxis DHF and DHRII as examples – those letters stand for Downhill Front, and Downhill Rear. Plenty of people have run front tires in the rear and vice-versa (and some companies have actually spec’d their bikes with a DHRII in the front), but if you’re unsure of what’ll work best, stick with the manufacturer’s recommendations to start. And some tires, like a Specialized Slaughter, just work a lot better as a rear tire. The general rule is, if you’re running different tires front and rear, you’ll generally want to run the knobbier, more aggressive tire in the front.
https://blisterreview.com/gear-reviews/mountain-bike-reviews/bike-tires-101/2
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Is this link-spam ? I honestly can't tell. The linked website blacks out almost immediately, which feels suspect.– Criggie ♦Commented Aug 8, 2022 at 1:27