Every Thing You Need To Know About Bike Tires 2020

A bicycle tire is a very important part of the bicycle. Because only the tire directly contacts the ground in all parts of the bicycle, a suitable tire not only determines the basic performance of the bicycle but also brings you more riding fun.

1. Classification of bicycle tires

2. Specifications of bicycle tires

3. When to change bicycle tires

4. Maintenance skills and methods of bicycle tires

Different riding roads have different requirements for tires, including grip, rolling resistance, abrasion resistance, stab resistance, weight, sideslip, easy installation, handling, acceleration, braking performance, tire noise, etc.

Mountain bike tires are also divided into two types: off-road tires and leisure tires.

A. Off-road Tire

One of the most common tires of mountain bikes. This kind of tire has an obvious deep tooth structure, at the same time, the distance between the teeth is relatively large, the grip ability is good, the shock absorption effect is good, the anti sediment ability is also good, so it is a mountain bike tire with comprehensive performance. It is generally used for mountain cross-country and road riding.

B. Leisure tire

Compared with the deep tooth tire, this kind of tire has obviously smaller lines. It is mainly used for riding around the city, such as some roads around the lake or dry roads in the countryside. It belongs to the multi-purpose leisure mountain tire.

C. Bald Tires

This kind of tire looks no different from that of a highway tire, and the reason for its birth can be imagined – in pursuit of speed.This kind of tire has a small resistance, can speed up quickly, and can make the mountain speed reach the limit. If you’re after speed and most of your riding is on urban asphalt, bald tires are your best choice. Of course, this tire has almost no grip ability and is more likely to fall.

D.Half Bald Tires:

There is no deep tooth structure in the middle of the tire, but the two sides are obviously deep tooth structure of off-road tire structure. In this way, it has the characteristics of a small resistance of the slick tire, which is suitable for riding on urban roads and has good grip ability. It is also good for light cross-country in the field.

So, if you commute in the city and cross-country on weekends, a half bald tire is your best choice. (of course, you can also choose the front wheel bald tire and the rear wheel off-road tire, taking into account the two riding conditions)

There are generally three types of highway tire, including clincher tires, tubular tires, and tubeless tires.

A. Clincher Tires

It needs to be used with the inner tube, which is our most common bicycle tire. Its function is to bear the vehicle load, at the same time limit the size of the outer edge of the tire, protect the tire pressure of the inner tube, and prevent the inner tube from mechanical damage.

B. Tubular Tires

This kind of high-performance outer tire needs to be used with a special wheel rim. It is generally used for the competitive competition of road vehicles.

Advantages:

1. Good turning performance and more comfortable;

2. The shock absorption performance is excellent, and the probability of a single jump and deceleration on the rough road surface is small;

3. Higher maximum inflation pressure is allowed than that of clincher tires;

4. When encountering a high-speed downhill tire burst, the tire will not fall off instantly, which can avoid the accident and let the driver continue to move forward and wait for backup;

5. The tube tire’s rim is more lightweight.

Disadvantages:

1. It’s troublesome to change a tire, whether it is the broken tire or a long-distance ride requires a new tire;

2. Repair is extremely troublesome, affecting the service life so that the use cost is much higher.

C. Vacuum Tires

Also known as “low-pressure tire” and “pneumatic tire”, it is a kind of sealed tire formed by filling sealant or self-replenishing fluid into a special vacuum air nozzle without an inner tube. Since the fit between the rim and the outer tube must be completely airtight, only some of the rims are compatible with vacuum tires.

Advantages:

Small rolling resistance, good comfort, and self-repair some small perforation.

Disadvantages:

Relatively heavy, difficult to repair when encountering big problems, low tire pressure also makes a speed discount.

a) 26: The unit is an Inch, which is the size of the tire;

b) 50: The height of the inflated outer tube is 50 mm, and the height of the outer tube with different specifications will be different;

c) K1153: Different tire brands have different tire numbers;

d) 1.95: unit inch, tire width;

e) 559: commonly known as loading space, it is about 559mm in diameter of the tire centerline (larger than the outer diameter of the rim). This value is different for different sizes of tires,The common ones are:

16 Inch – 305mm

20 Inch – 405 / 451mm

24 Inch – 507mm

26 Inch – 559mm

27.5 Inch – 584mm

26 Inch 1-3 / 8-590mm

29 Inch / 700C – 622mm

The values of the following parameters are different for different sizes of the tire.

DTC: Double rubber structure, that is, the tread and the sidewall are two kinds of rubbers with different hardness, which are usually used on thin-side tires to reduce weight while ensuring strength, which is only available for the high-grade tire.

TPI: 60 (common 30 / 60TPI)

The TPI value refers to the braiding density of the Metamorphic layer. The lower the value, the lower the weaving density; the higher the value, the higher the weaving density.

The TPI value reflects the anti-puncture ability of a tire. Some people would say that this tire is so expensive and made so thin and light, isn’t it easy to break? At this time we have to look at the TPI value of the tire.

High-end tires have high TPI value and high weave density, so they are not easy to break. On the contrary, only low-grade tires that are very thick and heavy are easy to break because their TPI value is too low, generally only 30TPI.

 

Aging and cracked tires are prone to puncture. If the front and side of the tire/tube tire are cracked, the tire needs to be replaced.

Bicycle tires wear faster if you ride more. If there is obvious wear, the tire needs to be replaced.

After each ride, check whether there are glass fragments or small wire sharp objects on the tire. If found, they need to be cleaned up in time.

2. Be careful when riding

Try to avoid uneven road surface or foreign matters.

Don’t put the bicycle in the sun for a long time, because the ultraviolet ray in the sun will make the tire aging.

The tire cannot be over-inflated, otherwise, it is easy to puncture, and it should not be inflated too less, or even riding the bike when it is out of gas. This is fatal to the tire. So we can’t pump up our tires purely by feeling, we must learn to look at the tire pressure.

In the process of riding, the tire is likely to be covered with dirt or sharp objects. Regular cleaning can protect our tire and prolong its life.

Bicycle tires are usually rubber products. So when riding and parking, do not contact some chemical corrosion products, or it will cause deformation, softening, and other conditions.

Overweight bicycles can also affect the life of tires.

The wear degree of the front and rear tires of bicycles is different. The wear of the rear wheels is generally more serious than that of the front wheels. Therefore, when the rear wheel is worn, the front wheel can be changed to the rear wheel, and the front wheel uses a new tire.