fwiw- I spoke with some friends and folks I know as well as Moots directly. The Routt can accommodate a 40 (actual, theres 46mm in the stays) without issue in the rear as long as it doesn't have big hobbies.I can run any tireI the front. There plenty of room in front of the tire. I am going with the Routt since there are a bunch of road to gravel rides and the shorter CS makes the bike ride more like a road bike. No one suggested going to the Routt 45 unless I wanted to ride more MTB -like trails. Buff Single track is fine on the Routt too. Although I do follow the "wider is better" thought since its pretty much scientifically proven, the 40 is plenty. Interestingly, The Moots factory person runs 35's including a friend who regularly does multi-day bike pack rides and endurance riding. When he's riding in this area, he runs 35's. those on a 19mm internal wheel will sit at ~37. I think the mindset is that the ~37 gives them the best "feel" over possibly the fastest rolling. I do thing at some point, the sensation of the width can change the overall feel of the bike. Perhaps is a feeling of precision and feedback? It reminds me of how I feel a 78mm ski feels over a 90mm ski?
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