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Brucelee · 03-04-2005, 01:41 PM

Its not necessarily strictly the size affecting ride quality.
You can have a set of lightweight wheels at 18" which will be
smoother than a much heavier set of 17" and possibly even 16" wheels.

I guess I will disagree with this statement. I am not saying that size is the ONLY thing impacting harshness, However, if you use a lower profile tire, irrespective of the weight of the wheel, you have less "cushioning space" than with a higher profile tire. Hence, more of the noise, vibration, and jolting will be transmitted to the wheel and upward to you.

To wit, If a have a wheel that weights just 2 lbs but I have a half inch of profile, my money says that the ride will be very harsh indeed.

03-04-2005, 01:41 PM	#5
Brucelee Registered User Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Des Moines, IA Posts: 8,083	Its not necessarily strictly the size affecting ride quality. You can have a set of lightweight wheels at 18" which will be smoother than a much heavier set of 17" and possibly even 16" wheels. I guess I will disagree with this statement. I am not saying that size is the ONLY thing impacting harshness, However, if you use a lower profile tire, irrespective of the weight of the wheel, you have less "cushioning space" than with a higher profile tire. Hence, more of the noise, vibration, and jolting will be transmitted to the wheel and upward to you. To wit, If a have a wheel that weights just 2 lbs but I have a half inch of profile, my money says that the ride will be very harsh indeed.