# downsizing tires



## scotteric (Aug 22, 2005)

I have a '18 levo with 30mm rims and 2.8 tires. would like to try 2.6. anyone done this? thoughts? I'm coming from a '16 stumpy with 2.3 tires (high roller II and aggressor) and am trying to find a compromise with this bike to get it to feel a bit more like the stumpy. I like some of the aspects of wider rims/tires but think 2.8 might be overkill.


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## justin70 (Sep 17, 2007)

2.6 Should work. Just have to anticipate lower bottom bracket height and increased possibility of pedal strikes. Though, when I tested the levo, I had way fewer pedal strikes than my santa cruz bronson, so the levo bottom bracket must be higher, or shorter cranks.


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## scotteric (Aug 22, 2005)

I know it will work, just hoping to get input from people who have downsized and what tires they use because as with most things bike there are no true tire size standards. thanks!


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## camus (Apr 21, 2004)

I have a spare 29er wheelset with 2.1" XC fast rolling low profile knobby tires. Rides just fine if doing regular XC riding and really flies on the trail.

That said, I learned a hard lesson a few weeks ago when I was riding down a very very steep "builder" trail some kids had recently put in. Forgot I was no longer on my 27.5+ setup and lost control.

Front end went bye bye. Flew in the air a good distance and when I landed my phone was 10 feet away, glasses demolished, and had to sit there for 10 minutes to wait for the "pain birds" to fly away.

Bruised my rips and cracked my wrist pretty good. 50 years old and I gotta slow the F down. Not 45 anymore.


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## ruthabagah (Jun 4, 2018)

scotteric said:


> I have a '18 levo with 30mm rims and 2.8 tires. would like to try 2.6. anyone done this? thoughts? I'm coming from a '16 stumpy with 2.3 tires (high roller II and aggressor) and am trying to find a compromise with this bike to get it to feel a bit more like the stumpy. I like some of the aspects of wider rims/tires but think 2.8 might be overkill.


I can help. I have 3 ebikes: 2 levos, one setup with 3.0, another one with 2.8. 1 Haibike, setup originally with 2.35 and now equipped with 2.6.

It really depends what you do with your bike. The 2.6 setup is great for trails and riding in town. On single track trails, it makes for a more nimble, easy to turn bike. But this benefit quickly fades away as soon as you start going downhill and/or in a rock garden.... Bigger tires help with a smoother ride and, in my opinion, can take more abuse than 2.6.

Just my 10 cents.


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