How to choose the bike tires for your rim?-Rim width VS tire width

Bicycles, including personal bicycles, public bicycles, or shared bicycles, are common tools and they seem to be familiar by us. But mostly, we would not know how to do when there is a fault or some bike parts need to be replaced.

For example, how would you choose the bike tire when it is needed replaced?

It would be quite easy by just choosing the same tire model as the original, but how to do if we would like riding faster or more stable or other aims?


First, we should ensure the compatibility of the rim and the tire.

The 20", 26", 700C, 27.5", or 29" wheel size numbers that we so commonly use actually refer to an approximate average outside tire diameter, not the real size of the rim. On the same rim, you may install with different size tire, such as below combinations below.

622mm = 700c road and 29er MTB

584mm = 650B/27.5” mountain bike

559mm = 26” mountain bike


And each size tire would have different widths.

if the wheel rim is too wide for a particular tire, you have a lot more issues with tire and rim damage, as the rim is much more likely to bottom out on lateral rock impacts causing tire or rim damage.

Conversely, if the tire is too wide for a given rim, you get more tire roll due to the larger casing size and higher aspect ratio of the tire, which together create more leverage on the tire allowing the casing to collapse and roll over the rim during hard cornering.

bike rimbike tire size

Here below attach a  Mavic’s table of tire size and workable rim width. 

bike rim widtth vs tire width