Bicycle tires are the number one reason people
bring their bicycles into a bike shop. Most
people will have to replace the tires on a bicycle
at least several times during the life of the
bicycle. Bicycle tires are plentiful and there are
many styles and types to choose from in every
imaginable price range. Choosing a replacement
bicycle tire can be real easy.
The easiest way to choose to replace a bicycle tire
is to replace it with an identical one. You
don't have to, because you could be able to use all
sorts of tires. But this is the easiest way.
You may want to change the tire because of style,
type,
color or
even tread. If you don't have a rare bicycle, then
you can choose from thousands of tires. If you want
to change your bicycle tire to another type of tire,
finding out if it is suited for you is easy too.
Look at the
weight rating
Bicycle riders can avoid a lot of problems later
by choosing a tire appropriate for their weight. Bicycle
tire companies spend a lot of time and effort
testing tires. Most people don't know, but Schwalbe
Tires for example, tests tires for two years before
releasing them. The bicycle tire companies in many
cases are car tire companies too and are very very
scientific when it comes to weight rating. If the
tire you are looking at doesn't have a weight rating
and you weigh more than 180lbs, then you might have
trouble down the road.
Get the
right tread
If you don't ride your bicycle in the mountains
anymore, then you don't need the mountain bike
tread. A lot of excessive energy can spent
overcoming the inherent slowness of a thickly
treaded mountain bike tire. If you have mountain
bike tires and you ride on the street most of the
time, then you are using the wrong tires most of the
time. Getting another set of wheels might be an
option for those wishing to dual purpose a bicycle.
Use your predominant style of riding to determine
the tread type. This way, you'll be safer too.
Get the
right width
Just like having too thick a tread can result in
excessive energy being used to propel a bicycle,
having too thin or too wide of a tire can have the
same effect and make the bicycle unstable. The more
you weigh, the wider the tire should be, even for
distances. They do the same thing on cars and
trucks. Using too thin of a tire on the rear of an
overloaded bicycle will cause it to sway at higher
speeds. Yes, you can use a wider tire in the rear
and a thinner one up front, just make sure the psi
ranges match up and the tires are similar in
construction.
Don't spend too much
It's easy to get carried away and assume that
more expensive tires are better tires. A cheap tire
is always a cheap tire, but most of the bicycle tire
companies produce quality tested product with a
range of prices for practically the same features.
Good tires look solid and have a finish quality to
them free of sharp edges anywhere on the tire. Also
the inside of the tire is completely sealed. The
labels are square on the tire. Properly stored
quality tires last five years so don't look for them
to be extremely discounted.
Get the right inner tubes
This one is real easy. Get the tube the
manufacturer recommends with the tire. While the
manufacturers may make customers feel as if some
tubes were specifically engineered for some tires,
the truth is, they are very interchangeable. Don't
overspend. Any object that works it way past the
casing of a tire will work its' way past an inner
tube. This means that if you want additional
puncture protection, you need thicker tires not
thicker tubes. You can always "over stuff" an inner
tube into a tire. For example, you could put a 20 x
2.0 inner tube into a 20 x 1.75 tire.
Prepare for
emergencies
We already know the bicycle tire is prone to failure
or it wouldn't be the number one reason people go to
a bike shop. If you don't want to mess with
repairing a flat tire at some point in your cycling
future, then make sure you carry your cell phone
with you at all times. Otherwise, for many, having onboard a
foldable tire and two inner tubes, pump and patch
kit, ensures a successful conclusion of just about
any cycling excursion.
Flat Tires:
Many people get flat tires and go out and get all
kinds types of products to resist or eliminate
flats. Going to a higher weight rated tire can
usually solve flat tires. Save the money, invest in
thick tires.
Fast Tires:
Fast tires are fast because they are not very thick.
Differences between the rolling resistance values of
rubber bicycle tires is vast, with some tires taking
twice as much energy to propel the bike. Going to
faster tires is like taking weight off of the
bicycle.
Expedition Tires:
Probably the best of all worlds. Good puncture
protection, good speed, good durability and sensible
tread patterns make expedition tires good choices
for just about any cycling needs except the extreme.
Foldable Tires:
Light weight and small size make them valuable as
part of your tool kit. (About the same size as a
large cell phone but lighter)
Wired Tires:
Unless you need light tires, wired tires are usually
less expensive than folding tires.
Matched Tires:
Yes, computer modeling will only make tires better.
Anytime you can get matched tires, do it.
Colored Tires:
Bicycle tires are pigmented and are not naturally
black. Colors are more prevalent than ever and
colors don't affect the composition or makeup of the
tire.
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Bicycle Tire, LLC "A Reference Resource & More.." 2009 
