The rubber attached to the rim of your wheel. Flats, changing tires, selecting tires, etc.
28
votes
5answers
2k views
Are slick tires worth it for commuting?
I commute to work on a Marin San Rafael on roads over a mix of flat to steep roads. My bike came with "700 x 35c with Puncture Protection" semi-slick tires:
In the bike shed at work I noticed ...
28
votes
5answers
3k views
Should I change both tires when I need to change one?
I know that it's a best practice in a car to change all 4 tires if you change 1, although in practice, it's only done if 3 need to be changed. Does the same thing hold true of a bike?
26
votes
12answers
4k views
What type of tires can prevent goatheads?
We have a lot of goatheads1 in our area, and they have a tendency to do something like this to bike tires:
Unfortunately, I ride a road bike (specifically a Kona Dew), so I have much smaller, ...
24
votes
11answers
9k views
What are advantages and disadvantages of CO2 inflators over frame pumps?
I have a frame pump that I've used on the road when replacing flats, but I always see CO2 inflators advertised at bike shops. Are they worthwhile for the potential weight savings?
23
votes
4answers
896 views
Why are tubeless tyres popular in mountain biking?
I've noticed that a lot of people use or promote tubeless tyres for mountain biking. Why is this?
It seems a lot of hassle to get a special rim conversion kit and goop to put in the tyre. As far as I ...
23
votes
10answers
5k views
What are the disadvantages of “puncture proof” (or puncture resistant) tires?
Some people refer to tires that are more resistant to punctures as "puncture proof" tires.
For example: Specialized All Condition Armadillo Tyre
Even though these tires are not really puncture proof, ...
21
votes
7answers
17k views
Which way do I orient my bike tire's tread direction? and why?
I have a mountain bike tire that has stamped on the side something like:
<----------front rear------------->
Which seems like a pretty clear indication that the tire should be oriented in one ...
21
votes
3answers
9k views
How do I know when to replace my tires?
The treads on my road bike's 28C tires are almost completely gone—they only persist along the shoulders of the tire. Do the treads matter? What is a good indicator of when the tire as a whole needs ...
20
votes
7answers
2k views
How long should a road tyre hold its pressure?
How long should a road tyre be able to maintain a pressure of around 100psi, and what factors are likely to reduce this time?
Background:
My tyre pressures are consistently dropping to around 60psi ...
19
votes
11answers
6k views
Is it safe to ride a racing road bike in very wet weather?
I'm used to riding on a MTB, but since I've got a new road bike, I'm quite paranoid about the slick tyres. How good are they in wet weather? I'm scared of braking too hard, or even just turning!!
17
votes
7answers
7k views
Am I too heavy for my road bike tires?
I am wondering if bike tires have a weight limit. I have to admit, I am a large guy at 6'3" 250lb (190 cm, 113,5 kg), and I have always had issues with my road bike's tires getting pinch flats. I ...
16
votes
9answers
20k views
What pressure should I run my Road Bike tyres at?
There's a question for mountain bike tyres but I can't seem to find anything on here for road bikes. At the moment I'm running at around 90psi. Is that too much? too little? Also, am I more likely to ...
16
votes
7answers
6k views
What pressure should I run my Mountain Bike tires at?
Should I run my mountain bike at the suggested PSI/Bar on the tire/rim? Or should I run it a bit lower? Or is it more about conditions? Should I run lower if I am running on softer terrain?
16
votes
7answers
11k views
How can I check tire pressure without a pressure gauge?
I would like to tell if my tires are correctly inflated, in this case road tires, but I do not have a pressure gauge.
Is there a handy heuristic for checking the pressure? Could I do it, for example, ...
15
votes
3answers
14k views
Can I use a gas station pump on a bike tire?
Someone pointed out that it may be risky, and it might not have the right kind of nozzle, but I don't have a bike pump at the moment. Does anyone else ever do this?
14
votes
4answers
4k views
Whatever happened to solid bike tubes?
As a child I had solid rubber inner tubes in my bike. They were a pain to get on but after I never had a flat again!
Now I've recently started biking again and have had two flats in two days, each ...
14
votes
7answers
10k views
How often should I change road bike tyres?
My road bike has now done 500 miles, but unlike cars, I've no idea how often the tyres should be changed. It's used on normal road conditions. The brow of the tyre is now smooth.
How do I know if my ...
14
votes
4answers
9k views
Larger tires on a road bike
I am curious if anyone has put larger tires (mountainish) on their road bike. I am thinking about doing this to do some riding on gravel roads/touring/commuting from rural areas. I have an older ...
14
votes
4answers
381 views
What to do with old tires?
I recently upgraded to puncture resistant tires on my road bike. The previous tires are old, but still usable. Is there any value to doing anything other than throwing them out? For instance, is there ...
14
votes
7answers
6k views
How to get the tyre back on to the rim easily?
What is the best/easiest way to get the tyre back on to a rim after removing it to fix a puncture for example?
Some tyres can be really hard to get back on to the rim. I don't like using the tyre ...
13
votes
9answers
4k views
Which puncture-resistant tires?
I commute on city streets and have had two punctures in 5 months: first a roofing nail, second a small shard of glass.
Punctures are a nuisance.
I've read some people recommend Schwalbe "Marathon" ...
13
votes
3answers
1k views
Is there a difference in having tires filled with CO² vs Air?
When you fill your tire with a CO² cartridge you are obviously putting CO² into it. When you use a pump you are putting air into it. Are there significant temperature variations that may lead to poor ...
12
votes
7answers
761 views
Fixing a flat - how to find the piercing object?
Just had a flat and having problems finding the thing that pierced the tube in the tire. Normally I just run my fingers around in it, until I found it, but this time everything looks O.K.
My ...
12
votes
5answers
685 views
Least worn tyre: front or back?
Where should I put the least worn tyre? on the front or the back? This is for XC MTB.
Thanks in advance.
12
votes
8answers
7k views
What are the benefits of 700c23 tires?
23s come on almost all new road bikes, and tire selection is much better for 23s than other tire sizes at most shops.
The benefits of 25s and 28s are a better ride, more traction, and are more flat ...
12
votes
2answers
852 views
What is the proper way to store tires to prevent cracking?
I have several extra tires, two on a spare wheelset, and others in a bundle. I am not riding as much as I was a year ago, so I will not be wearing out tires as fast as I was.
What is the best way ...
12
votes
2answers
4k views
What is the difference between folding bead and wire bead tires?
I'm shopping online for some new tires, and see that some models are sorted by folding and wire beads? What exactly does this mean, and do I need a special rim to support them?
12
votes
2answers
502 views
Should spoke tension be measured before or after adding a tube and tire?
I built my first set of wheels and measured the spoke tension when I finished. They were all uniformly tense at about 100kg of force.
Once I put the tire on, that measurement went down a little, to ...
11
votes
9answers
3k views
What is the narrowest tire you would use for commuting?
Speed isn't so much of a factor, obviously, but the lower the rolling resistance the less sweaty I am when I get there. Then there's flats to consider. Basically the tire has to never get them because ...
11
votes
6answers
1k views
Mountain Bike on Paved Roads
I'm an occasional biker. I bought a mountain bike (nothing fancy) with the idea that I might use it off-road or on mountain trails (of which there are many here in Calgary). However, since I've bought ...
11
votes
3answers
574 views
Bike tires need air every ride…is this normal?
I ride my bike maybe once a week at most. I need to add air to the tires every time to bring it up to the right pressure. (I ride a mountain bike and I put about 45 - 50 PSI's into the tires.) Is ...
11
votes
2answers
8k views
how to choose inner tubes
I've always bought 700x28/38 Specialized inner tubes for my bike, because that was what I was told fitted. But what do those numbers mean? How do I know that a specific inner tube will fit my bike?
10
votes
3answers
2k views
Should I put my wider tire in front or in back?
My used bike came with a 700x28 tire in front and a 700x23 tire in back. Should I leave the wider tire in front, or should I switch the tires? What benefits or drawbacks are there one way or the ...
10
votes
3answers
4k views
700 wheels on bike made for 27" wheels
I just bought an older road bike with 27" wheels. I am curious if I can mount 700 wheels (typical road size) on it. Has anyone ever done this?
The main reason I am interested in doing this is so ...
10
votes
4answers
884 views
How to make studded tires
Has anyone ever made a set of studded tires? What did you use? I read about a method somewhere but I cannot recall where. I heard that you can:
Drill/make a small hole through the tire
Screw a ...
10
votes
2answers
376 views
What kind of tires should I buy for an e-bike, commuting on maintained off-road?
I need to buy a new front tire for my new e-bike. Let me give you a few of the conditions I'll be riding in, and I'd like your advice.
First of all, this bike is primarily going to be used to commute ...
9
votes
4answers
724 views
What is a good way to keep my tires from going flat easily?
Title says it all, how do I keep my bicycle tires from going flat easily? I live in an area with a lot of sharp stuff (think glass shards, nails, cactus, etc)...
9
votes
8answers
13k views
How to get a very tight tire back on the rim?
I needed to change the tube as a consequence of a flat tire and I am in the situation that it's just impossible to put the tire back on the rim.
In almost ten years of experience with road bikes and ...
9
votes
4answers
918 views
does a tire bead 'jack' work?
I'm having great difficulties getting a kevlar belted tire onto my rim (maybe I'm getting old). I had heard about the Kool-Stop tire bead jack as a possible alternative to using just my tire levers. ...
9
votes
4answers
5k views
What are the differences between “clincher” and “tubular” tires?
What are the differences between "clincher" and "tubular" tires? I'm just a casual road cyclist at this point and don't put any more than 200 miles in over the course of the week. I'm looking to ...
9
votes
5answers
207 views
gluing/patching tire sidewalls?
This morning I discovered that my commuter folding bike had a bad flat tire, and I ran out to buy a new tube, no problem. I didn't notice until after I'd changed the tube that the tire sidewall was ...
9
votes
1answer
394 views
How is “correct” tire pressure related to tire volume?
I have a unicycle with a Surly Endomorph 26"x3.7" tire, and I've discovered that this tire rides best at significantly lower pressure than smaller tires.
Even though I weigh ~110 kilos, I can ride ...
8
votes
3answers
295 views
Is it safe to ride on an unevenly bulging tyre?
Most of the tyre looks fine, true and straight but the section photographed shows bulging. The rim itself is true, is this safe to ride on?
8
votes
7answers
1k views
Is it better to have mountain bike tyres for the winter?
I have a hybrid commuter bike that is more at the mountain bike end of the spectrum
Currently I have slick road tyres on it.
Is it a good idea to get mountain bike tyres on it to deal with the wet ...
8
votes
4answers
998 views
Does the inner tube affect the maximum PSI?
If I have road tires that have a recommended pressure of 110 PSI and maximum of 120 PSI can I safely pump my tires up to that level or does the inner tube effect the maximum?
I currently have the ...
8
votes
4answers
255 views
Ice tires for winter commuting on non-icy roads?
Can a tire like the Schwalbe Marathon Winter be used for winter-long commuting (40 km/day) on roads which are mostly or usually not icy?
I might want the studs occasionally (and lower the air ...
8
votes
6answers
1k views
Fat or Skinny Tires for Winter Riding?
Fat or Skinny?
I think the arguments are as follows:
Fat: You can float on top of the snow and you don-t have to go through it. You have a larger contact patch with the ground.
Skinny: Will ...
8
votes
3answers
670 views
Why are most tyres black?
While looking for new tyres that would fit my bike from a design point of view, it turned out that none of my color wishes could be fulfilled. Most tyres on the market are black, with a handful of ...
8
votes
2answers
2k views
Can I get smaller tires without changing my rims?
I currently ride a hybrid that came with 700x32c tires. Can I swap out a narrower tire without changing the rims, or do rims only fit a specific size of tire? How small can I go before I have to buy ...
8
votes
3answers
1k views
Is it a good idea to get a narrower front tire and a wider rear tire on a road bike?
I am currently running Continental Grand Prix S 4000 in 23-622 / 700x23C front and rear. I am about to buy a new set of tires for my road bike and am fancying a smaller tire for the front and a wider ...
