Rene HERSE Cycles tech info.

[Retrorockit]

Rene HERSE Cycles is a builder of custom Touring CX Gravel and Tandem bikes. They're located in Colorado US.
They're coming from a background of traditional road racing bikes. Center pull brakes, rigid bikes, etc.
I'm not plugging their products. ( TBH most of their stuff doesn't interest me) But they have some results on tire testing that shows 26x2.3" slicks are as fast as anything else for road and gravel use. They're winning races on them. So according to them a 26" retro setup can actually be as fast as anything else. They also have a book that goes further into bike design, geometry, and considerations for loaded touring.
Their tech info. page.

Tech Info

Product Information Tires Tech info Instructions and Solutions Brakes Cranks/Bottom Brackets Derailleurs Lights Fenders Racks Other Components Bike Tech Tires Why wider tires are not slower How wide is right for me? Tire pressure and performance Results of Bicycle Quarterly's tire tests Why 700C...

www.renehersecycles.com

Their book.
The All-Road Bike Revolution

The All-Road Bike Revolution

“Our first all-road bike that combined road-bike speed and go-anywhere capabilities was a selfish project — it enabled us to ride how we wanted. We quickly learned many others want the same. Jan Heine’s book tells you how to get the most fun out of…

www.renehersecycles.com

 

[grantoury]

It is never as simple as that. From what I have heard and of personal experience a narrow tyre will always be quicker than a wider tyre. I am not going to change the 700c 28mm tyres I ride on for a 2.3" 26 inch tyre, or even a 650b 50mm, which seems to be the favourite in the RH circles.

Compass or now R. Herse do tend to present the facts in a way that their choice of bicycle always seems to do best. Do you know that Jan Heine also claims that a handlebar bag will work as a fairing?

 

[Retrorockit]

RH sells other sizes of tires also. So I don't see why they would favor 26" if it didn't offer some advantage. Since they are serious racers they actually do testing to see what rpovides an advantage and what doesn't. They will be glad to take your money too.
I've seen this sort of skepticism at Zero Friction Cycling who perform all kinds of test on chains and lubricants. Someone says "The prdocts you sell always seem to win". Their reply is "We sell those because they win the tests, not the other way around"........

Lubricant Testing - Zero Friction Cycling

zerofrictioncycling.com.au

I actually bought the book and read it. Did you?
I will be trying their 410g 26x2.3" slicks in place of my 570g Schwalbe 26x2.0 Kojak tires. Smoother ride, better traction, less rotating inertia, and no loss in speed. I've gone away from the reinforced tire model anyway to tubeless sealant inside of inner tubes. This is not based on theory. It's based on zero time spent by the side of the road fixing flats. Schwalbe themselves offer this now.
I could see the bar bag working as a fairing if you're in the aero position on a drop bar bike. He actually does coast down test to measure these things. Do you?
I put 700x32mm on my XC Street bike. harsh ride, reduced braking, and handling. No real world benefit at all. I actually gave away the Cane Creek Strados wheels. Total waste of time and money.
I don't recall suggesting that nyone should put 26" tires an their 700c bike. But if you have a bike that's 26" already there's no reason not to use it as is with better tires.

 

[grantoury]

I am not saying I am sceptical, I am sure a fat, supple slick tyre is fast, but there are certain simple physics that you have to factor in. Compare a big apple to a suppler slick tyre of comparable size and the latter will surely be quicker. I know a 32mm tyre will be less comfortable, but comfort is another thing as speed. Hence my suggestion that things are never so simple as they may seem. I like the fact that there is more interest for wider and more supple tyres now, but its hardly a revolution.

I will not be buying that book, or their overpriced tyres.

 

[Retrorockit]

I prefer results to theory, physics or otherwise. RH finds comfort and speed to be related in the real world. Winning races on cruiser sized bicycle tires certainly is a revolution. Just a look at their tire pressure calculator. I t produces 2 separate results, not a range of pressures. That's where the losses form higher, and lower pressures equal each other out.
Light weight hand made racing parts usually cost more than mass produced products. I want to see first hand what they can do.
I already know what hard skinny tires can do. I guess some people just like having their a$$ pounded shut.

 

[Retrorockit]

Prices of light weight racing stuff.
1990s Spinergy carbon fiber rims $800.

Spinergy Rev Roks X - Carbon Fiber Light Wheels ~ 26” Retro 1990’s MTB | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Spinergy Rev Roks X - Carbon Fiber Light Wheels ~ 26” Retro 1990’s MTB at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!

www.ebay.com

Berd Spoke CX wheels $2195

Berd Sparrow Carbon Gravel Wheels

Tipping the scales at an insane light 1,108 grams with valves and rim tape, these are the lightest gravel specific wheels I have ridden and reviewed. Priced at $2,195, they beat their pants off of premium wheelset offerings in terms of price and weight, which says a lot about the R&D that Berd...

berdspokes.com

Or Rene HERSE 26x2.3" tires (-320g rotational inertia) 2x$92

26" x 2.3" Rat Trap Pass TC Tire

www.renehersecycles.com

 

[Imlach]

Wake me up when all the pros ride 3.0s

 

[Imlach]

In a world where speed reigns supreme and sleek, aerodynamic designs dominate, it's easy to overlook the sheer genius of our (PROPRIETARY ARCTICCLIMBER) 3" knobbly tyres with hard as nails ice studs. These marvels of engineering are not just faster than anything on the road—they literally tear the road apart, unleashing a chaotic propulsion system that leaves even the most advanced hypercars eating their dust.

Picture this: as your bicycle (such as our proprietary to magnesium and lead infused ARCTICCLIMBER SPECIALIST frames) springs to life, the metal studs on your knobbly tyres dig deep into the asphalt, causing micro-eruptions of volcanic gases. These gases, trapped beneath the Earth's crust for millennia, find their escape through the very cracks your tyres create. The result? A natural jet propulsion system that hurls you forward with the ferocity of a geological cataclysm. Forget about turbochargers and electric motors; Mother Nature's got your back with the explosive force of a thousand dormant volcanoes.

And then there's the grip. Oh, the grip! The (proprietary ARCTICCLIMBER) studded tyres clutch the road with such tenacity that not even that sweet, plump favourite barista of yours —known for her firm, precise tamping technique—could compare. Each studded knob sinks into the pavement, anchoring your vehicle with the security of a thousand grappling hooks. Cornering at high speeds becomes child's play, as these tyres defy physics, gravity, and common sense.


Nothing holds on tighter than 3.0 knobbly tyres with extra firm proprietary ARCTICCLIMBER ice studs. Perfect for a hot summers day in the French alps.


Bloody hell how do I add my listing....

 

[Guinessisgoodforyou]

In a world where speed reigns supreme and sleek, aerodynamic designs dominate, it's easy to overlook the sheer genius of our (PROPRIETARY ARCTICCLIMBER) 3" knobbly tyres with hard as nails ice studs. These marvels of engineering are not just faster than anything on the road—they literally tear the road apart, unleashing a chaotic propulsion system that leaves even the most advanced hypercars eating their dust.

Picture this: as your bicycle (such as our proprietary to magnesium and lead infused ARCTICCLIMBER SPECIALIST frames) springs to life, the metal studs on your knobbly tyres dig deep into the asphalt, causing micro-eruptions of volcanic gases. These gases, trapped beneath the Earth's crust for millennia, find their escape through the very cracks your tyres create. The result? A natural jet propulsion system that hurls you forward with the ferocity of a geological cataclysm. Forget about turbochargers and electric motors; Mother Nature's got your back with the explosive force of a thousand dormant volcanoes.

And then there's the grip. Oh, the grip! The (proprietary ARCTICCLIMBER) studded tyres clutch the road with such tenacity that not even that sweet, plump favourite barista of yours —known for her firm, precise tamping technique—could compare. Each studded knob sinks into the pavement, anchoring your vehicle with the security of a thousand grappling hooks. Cornering at high speeds becomes child's play, as these tyres defy physics, gravity, and common sense.


Nothing holds on tighter than 3.0 knobbly tyres with extra firm proprietary ARCTICCLIMBER ice studs.


Bloody hell how do I add my listing....

Now we know where Jan Heine gets his text.

 

[grantoury]

Ride what makes you happy ... just watch out with the kool aid.