I am not very fast. My average speed at the end of a ride is finally breaking 13 mph It is basically that low of an average because of hills. On flatter terrain, unless there is a strong wind, I can get up to 16-18 mph pretty easily, and that might improve as I clip in

Of course part of the equation is my bike, Ms. Explorer is a touring bike, she is built for comfort, not for speed. She also has 26 x 1.5 tires...

If I were to decrease the rolling resistance a bit by going to a slightly more narrow tire, would this give me a little more speed? I am just thinking about my brevet next month. I don't want to decrease it much because I am very happy with how she handles rough pavement and chip-seal roads.

I've no idea what kind of roads will be on my brevet yet - but this seems worth considering if it would help my speed significantly without being too expensive. I am a little concerned that my speed won't be enough to finish in time, but on paper it looks like I am fast enough. On paper, that is.

I am also moving next month, so the cost just may be prohibitive anyway - I love my Conti Travel Contacts and if I do this would like to stick with the same tire, just a little more narrow.