Most tire clearance

Which frames take the biggest rubber?

How this is ranked

Manufacturer's stated maximum tire width, frame rather than fork.

Clearance is comfort and traction on rough surface, but loaded it's also seat-pack clearance — a big tire and a swinging seat pack compete for the same space. Frames with headroom here give you both options. Where a maker publishes a frame figure and a fork figure, we rank on the frame, because that's the one that decides what the bike clears.

Every figure comes from the manufacturer's published geometry — see each bike's page for the source. Nothing here is a judgement about how a bike rides; it's one measurable property, ranked. Disagree with the criterion and the order changes, which is the point.

Salsa Heyday! — X-Large. Front triangle ≈ 1753 cm² · effective top tube 657mm · seat tube 558mm
Top of this list: the Salsa Heyday!, drawn to scale from published geometry.

The ranking

  1. 1
    Salsa
    Heyday!

    26 x 4.8in; 27.5 x 4.0in; 29 x 3.0in

    122mm / 4.8″
    from $1,699
  2. 2
    Salsa
    Beargrease

    26 x 4.6in; 27.5 x 4.0in; 29 x 3.0in

    117mm / 4.6″
    from $2,319.99
  3. 3
    Salsa
    Cutthroat

    29 x 2.4" rear; 29 x 3.0" front

    76mm / 3.0″
    from $3,599
  4. 4
    Salsa
    Fargo Ti

    Frame: 29 x 3.0" except XS max 29 x 2.6"; fork: 29 x 3.0"; alternate 27.5 x 3.0" all sizes

    76mm / 3.0″
    from $3,299
  5. 5
    Surly
    Karate Monkey

    29 x 2.5" or 27.5 x 3.0"

    76mm / 3.0″
    from $1,849
  6. 6
    Surly
    Bridge Club

    26 x 3.0"; 27.5 x 2.8"; 700c x 47; reduced with fenders

    76mm / 3.0″
    from $1,449
  7. 7
    Salsa
    Fargo Steel

    29 x 3.0in frame/fork; XS frame max 29 x 2.6in; 27.5 x 3.0in; 26 x 3.0in

    76mm / 3.0″
    from $3,399
  8. 8
    Surly
    Ogre

    29 x 2.5 in; alternate 27.5 x 3.0 in; Surly summary says 29 x 2.5 or 27.5 x 2.8 with fenders

    76mm / 3.0″
    from $1,799

Other ways to rank these bikes

Most frame bag space

Which frames swallow the biggest full-frame bag?

Best bag space on a small frame

If you ride a small frame, which bikes don't punish you on carrying capacity?

Most stable under load

Which frames stay planted with weight on them?

Best set up for cargo out of the box

Which frames let you bolt things on without straps and improvisation?