Maximum width tire, Catrike Dumont, does it help?

Puncture resistant tires sound like a great idea. Who wants a flat?
Additionally, anything that will soften the ride is important to me - previous neck/brain surgery - bumpy road increases neck pain.
So, my question - is there a type/brand/size of tire that will fit on a Dumont, resist punctures and assist with smoothing out the road bumps?
I'm thinking possibly a 2" tire, if it will fit on a Dumont - if wide tires (possibly slightly underinflated) will work and help with bumps.
Thank you

 

Puncture resistance is good, but the ones I've used are not particularly pliable even at the lower end of their inflation pressure range. You're on the right track considering wider tires, so as to get a bigger cushion under you.

There is some relationship between the width of the rim you have and the range of recommended tire widths for that rim. I found a Schwalbe tire/rim chart.

https://www.google.com/search?q=sch...d=chrome-mobile&ie=UTF-8#imgrc=Rqy4eAgbUUemiM

Not sure what width rim you have, but mine are about 25mm, which the chart indicates will support up to about a 3" wide tire. That's probably the limit for your front wheels, unless you have fenders. On my rear tire, I only have 3" clearance between the chainstays, so the widest tire I can mount is 2+ 1/2", but the fender won't allow wider than 2" or maybe 2.1".

I've heard good things about the Schwalbe Big Apples, so when I get ready to ride rough surfaces, I think I'll get 3" x 20" for the front and stay with 2" x 26" for the rear. However, I have an elastomer based rear suspension (no suspension on the front) plus rear fender. If you have front fenders, I would guess that 2" wide tires like the Big Apples (assuming they fit under the fenders) would give you a smoother ride (at lower pressure) than the Schwalbe Marathon Plus 1.75" x 20" that probably came in your trike (like mine), but the smoother ride comes at the expense of giving up puncture protection. I like my rear suspension, but it only takes the edge off the bumps. It doesn't eliminate them.

So how much do you NEED puncture protection? Live where goat head thorns are prevalent? If you only suffer occasional paved road hazards, maybe you can get by without the puncture protection. I hope this helps.

 

good points. Thank you.

 

I know this is an old post, but thought I'd add my 2c.
- Fitting wider tires like the Big Apple and setting the tire pressure correctly can help a lot for the SMALL bumps and vibrations. For me, on an EZ-1 with small tires, that was whatever pressure was required to see a bit of tire deflection when I sat on the bike.
- A properly tuned shock will help more. ie, the correct amount of "SAG" set, and appropriate damping.
- Coil shocks tend to be plusher than air shocks, in general.
Colin