Awesome Road Bicycle Tires

While picking a road bicycle tyres isn't exactly rocket science, I suspect it's a bit harder than some people would think. This article might help you in making your decisions.

Tire Size

Before you can buy a new bike tyres, you need to find the size of the tire off the side of the tire. The first number (usually 700) refers to the tire’s diameter, while the second is the width. You can’t get a tire that has a different diameter from your original tire, but you can often change the width size a couple sizes bigger or smaller.

If you ordinarily carry a lot of weight on your bike or ride on rocky roads, you might want to get a wider tire. If you ride light in weight and stay mostly on smooth roads, you can opt for a narrower tire, which will give you extra speed. Wide tires are great for touring, and they offer you a smoother ride.

Using a tire that's too wide for your rim can result in problems with handling and can damage your rim. Using a tire that's too narrow risks damaging the rim if you hit road hazards like rocks or pot holes, and also raises your risk of getting pinch flats.

Beads

Your next concern is the type of beads, which are what hold the tire in place. Wire beads are constructed of steel, while folding beads are created of synthetic materials. Wire-beaded tires are heavier but more affordable than folding tires.

Threads per Inch

Casing fabrics are graded in threads per inch (TPI). The higher the number, the better your tire’s handling and control will be. Tires with a lower TPI are thicker, heavier and more rigid, but they're also cheaper, less prone to punctures and more rugged.

Sub-tread

If you want a stronger bicycle tire and don’t mind many extra weight, you can purchase a tire with sub-tread, a strengthening sub-layer that helps guard against punctures.

Tread Pattern

The type of tread pattern for road bikes isn't nearly as important as it is with mountain bicycles. Bicycles tires almost never hydroplane because of their crowned profile and narrow width. They will throw more water at you if you have smooth tires, so if you ride quite a bit in wet conditions, you might consider purchasing special grooved rain tread to reduce splashing. Tread also helps grip the road if you ride a lot on dirt, sand or gravel, but it offers little or no help on pavement, even in wet conditions. If you mainly ride on smooth surfaces, you'll probably want to use slick tires with little or no tread.

Rubber

Soft rubber isn't as durable as hard rubber, but it offers better traction and control, particularly on unstable or wet roads.

Valves

Before purchasing a tire, you need to figure out whether you have Presta or Schrader valves on your tire inner tubes. Schrader valves resemble car tire valves, with a cap that you have to remove before you pump up the tire. Most bikes have this variety. Presta valves have caps that are incorporated into the valve. You loosen the cap to pump the air and then tighten it back when you're done.