Message #15798

[bushwacka]

the 29er does not have a larger contact patch it does have longer one though. 

Contact patch means "area" of the tire (bike or car) in touch with the surface.  Area = length X width.  A "longer" contact patch or a "wider" contact patch both result in a "larger" contact patch.

you guys spend alot of time typing. In the time since I last left here I could have done a 100 mile bike ride and converted 10 tires to tubeless

contact patch does not change from one bike to one bike.

The only 2 variable in contact patch are

sprung weight
air pressure

wheel size, tire size and bike do not affect contact patch size. they will affect shape but the size. The square centimeters put on the ground would not change on my bike if I though pugsley tire on it or a road tire. Only the shape would be different.

BTW you have unsprung weight totally wrong in an early post, I typed up an explanation but the forum deleted it.