Bicycle tires & tubes

Buying advice for: Bicycle tires & tubes

• Tyre & inner tube types

  There are different types of bicycle tyres, each optimised for different purposes. Road bike tyres are narrow, light and have low rolling resistance, ideal for fast riding on paved roads. Mountain bike tyres are wider and have a rough profile for grip and control on unpaved paths and off-road terrain. Trekking and city bike tyres are medium-width and offer a good compromise between comfort and efficiency for everyday use and longer tours. Tubes are available in different sizes, which are matched to the respective tyre size. There are standard tubes made of butyl rubber as well as lighter and more durable latex tubes, which are often used in road bike tyres and offer better elasticity and rolling resistance.

• Tyre & inner tube brands

  The leading brands for bicycle tyres and inner tubes include Continental, Schwalbe, Maxxis and Michelin. Continental is known for its high-quality and above all durable tyres in different versions for racing bikes, mountain bikes and touring bikes. Schwalbe offers a wide range of tyres for different purposes, known for their good puncture resistance and grip properties. Maxxis is particularly popular with mountain bikers and offers robust tyres with excellent grip and durability. Michelin stands for tyres with high performance and good comfort, both for road and off-road riding.

• Materials and workmanship

  Bicycle tyres often consist of a combination of rubber, Kevlar, nylon and various reinforcement layers. The rubber provides grip and abrasion resistance, while Kevlar and nylon make the tyres light and resistant to punctures. The processing and the materials used have a significant influence on the robustness, rolling resistance and durability of the tyres. Inner tubes are usually made of butyl rubber or latex. Butyl tubes are inexpensive, easy to handle and hold air well. Latex tubes are lighter and offer lower rolling resistance, but are more sensitive to punctures and lose air more quickly.

• Technical features

  Modern bicycle tyres and tubes also offer a variety of other technical features that increase their performance and versatility. Some tyre models are rated with TPI (threads per inch), which indicates the fineness of the fabric layers in the tyre casing and thus has an influence on weight, durability and rolling resistance. Advanced tyre treads are specially developed to ensure optimum traction on different surfaces such as dry roads, wet conditions or loose ground. Tubes can also be equipped with puncture protection or self-healing technologies that can automatically seal small punctures to continue riding without interruption. Furthermore, some tyres and tubes offer tubeless ready options that allow easy conversion to tubeless tyre systems, reducing weight and further minimising puncture susceptibility.