To choose the right tyre, you need to ask yourself these questions:
- Hard or soft? Why air pressure is so important.
- Wide or narrow tyres?
- Expensive or cheap?
- Off to retirement: When will my tyres be too old?
- Tyres for racers, all-rounders and enduro riders
- Profile equals rolling resistance - right?
- Tyre mix or one-size-fits-all?
- Tubeless: pros and cons
In BIKE 3/2021, we clarify the most important terms and reveal what really matters when choosing MTB tyres. You can find the entire article with all the answers as a PDF in the download area below.
TYRE KNOWLEDGE
(1) The profile
High tread blocks with wide lug spacing generally provide good grip on soft and muddy surfaces and have better self-cleaning properties. Low, closed tread blocks roll more smoothly and are perfect for dry, hard tracks. Slightly shorter tread blocks in the centre are often combined with more aggressive tread blocks on the flanks to combine good rolling resistance with high cornering grip.
(2) The mixture
Many manufacturers use a whole range of different rubber hardnesses on a tyre in order to achieve the best combination of grip, rolling resistance and damping. Hard rubber compounds are usually found on the tread and in the base, while softer compounds are used in the shoulder lugs. With super-soft compounds such as MaxxGrip from Maxxis or Super Soft from Schwalbe, the rubber on the tread is also very soft.
(3) TPI: Number of threads
This abbreviation stands for "threads per inch", i.e. threads per inch (2.54 centimetres). This indicates how densely the threads in the carcass are woven. Due to the thin threads used, fine fabrics tend to make lighter carcasses possible, while coarse fabrics provide more stability - for downhill tyres, for example.
(4) The carcass
The basic structure of the tyre under the tread is called the carcass. It consists of a fabric, usually nylon threads, to which the lower layers of rubber are applied. The more layers of fabric the carcass has, the more stable and puncture-resistant, but also the heavier the tyre. Normal bicycle tyres have two layers of fabric in the sidewall and three under the tread. Enduro and downhill tyres have between four and six plies.
(5) 63 - 622: the ETRTO
All gibberish? On the contrary. Because the sizes of the European Tyre and Rim Technical Organisation, ETRTO for short, are actually more logical than the traditional inch measurements. And they are also easy to understand. The rear number indicates the inner diameter of the tyre in millimetres. The front number is the width of the tyre on a standard rim in millimetres. Translated into inches, 63-622 would equal 2.5 x 29 inches.
(6) - Apex
The apex is a rubber puncture protection insert that is inserted between the two layers of fabric in the sidewall of the tyre. It absorbs impacts on the tread and makes the tyre stiffer at the same time. Good for puncture protection and stability under low pressure. With the exception of extra-light CC tyres, an apex is often found on mountain bike tyres.
Ultra Soft, Double Down, Protection Apex: Manufacturers try to use cryptic terms to present their tyres effectively. It's easy to lose track of what's what. In BIKE, we clarify the most important terms and reveal what really matters when choosing MTB tyres. Everything about tyres - our service topic, now in BIKE 3/2021.
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Adrian Kaether
Editor
