Bicycle tires are a critical component to performance and safety. Understanding how tires are constructed, their characteristics, and more is essential to ensuring a smooth and safe riding experience.
Tire Characteristics (Selection Factors)
Generally speaking, the tires of bicycles can be described and experienced based on the following characteristics: resistance, grip, road feel, wear resistance, explosion resistance, weight and price, etc.
Resistance
In the most ideal state, riders always like to travel a long distance with one pedal stroke. However, in reality, due to the influence of many factors, this ideal state is often not achieved. Therefore, people will strive to travel as far as possible with less pedal stroke (even without much effort).
Grip
Slipping is often a sign of poor grip. When turning or braking, grip is a key test factor. The more you accelerate, the more you need to ensure the grip of the tire. The greater the grip, the better. Road feel is often closely related to grip. Some tires have little grip, which causes bumpy riding. A comfortable road feel is what every rider pursues.
Wear Resistance
A flat tire is often the most common riding fault encountered by riders. Bicycle tires are often not cheap, so a flat tire accident will not only put the rider in danger, but also require replacement, which often shrinks the wallet. However, explosion-proof and light weight cannot be achieved at the same time, so riders will need to make a choice between weight and explosion-proof.
Weight
As for weight, it is related to explosion-proof performance. The better the explosion-proof performance, the heavier the tire will be. The weight of lightweight tires is often 100-200g different from that of ordinary tires. Lightweight tires will have more traction when climbing, which will bring a more comfortable road feel and lower resistance.
TPI Weave Density
TPI weave density is defined as the number of fibers within one inch, so the higher the TPI, the more fibers there are within one inch, the finer the fibers, and the less rubber is needed. Similarly, the lower the TPI, the more rubber is needed. The higher the TPI, the more sensitive the reaction will be. When driving on rough roads, the contact area between the tire and the ground is larger. On the contrary, the smaller the weave density, the worse the shock absorption performance will be.
Tire Pressure
Is the higher the tire pressure, the better? Actually, it is not. High tire pressure can indeed reduce the resistance when riding. It can prevent tire blowouts for heavier riders. High tire pressure seems to be good for everything, but if you ride on a rugged road, a high-pressure open tire will become a torture. Every bump will bounce back on the body of the car, and every time it passes, the force will rebound to the seat, making the riding experience worse.
Tread
Wider tires usually have patterns on them, usually to increase the contact area between the tire and the ground to prevent the bicycle from slipping. If it encounters softer ground, the tire can sink into it to increase the bite force.
Conclusion
Wider tires usually have patterns on them, usually to increase the contact area between the tire and the ground to prevent the bicycle from slipping. If it encounters softer ground, the tire can sink into it to increase the bite force.
