A bicycle tire is a what fits on the wheel of a cycle. It is an important source of suspension, and generates the lateral forces necessary for balancing and turning.
There are three main practices for putting a bicycle tire to the rim and those are:
- Clincher
- Tubeless
- Tubular
Spoke herd wants its community to be well aware and therefore we have brought to you a detailed description of each;
Clincher
- These are the most common types pf tyres and sold with almost every new bike in the recent times. Most bicycles use a clincher. They have a steel wire or Kevlar fiber bead that interlocks with flanges in the rim.
- This type of tyre requires a tube, which then sits in between the wheel rim and the tyre to inflate and hold air. This inner tube can be easily replaced if the tyre encounters with a puncture.
- A separate airtight inner tube enclosed by the rim supports the tire carcass and maintains the bead lock.
- One of the major advantages this tyre provides is that the inner tube can be easily accessed in the case of a leak to be patched or replaced.
- Traditional wired-on rims were straight-sided. Various “hook” designs re-emerged in the 1970s to hold the bead of the tire in place, resulting in the modern clincher design.
Tubular:
- Tubular tires are torus- shaped, they are attached to tubular rims with adhesive material. The rim provides a shallow circular outer cross-section in which the tire lies instead of flanges on which tire beads seat. It is stitched closed around the inner tube to form a torus.
- In case of a puncture, Tubular tires take more effort to be repaired than a clincher tire. The tire must be removed from the rim, opened up, patched, sewn back up, then finally glued back to the rim.
- Taken as a whole the total weight of a tubular rim and tire is always lighter than its clincher equivalent. However, for all non-racing purposes the lightness advantage is somewhat offset by the need to carry at least one entire spare tubular tire
- Other advantages of this system include a decreased chance of pinch flats, an ability to operate with a wider range of tire pressures (from 25 to 200 psi), and increased safety in the event of a flat at high speed because a properly glued on tubular tire is less likely to roll off the rim.
- These tires are popular with professional riders for the performance benefits they provide, but less popular with recreational riders due to their lack of everyday functionality.
- To change a flat tire, you cannot simply remove or swap out a new tire. Furthermore, if your tubular tire has been glued correctly, it will be extremely difficult to take off with your hands alone. An interesting thing to note here is that tubular tires are the most expensive option, which is why they are considered to be best reserved for race-day.
Tubeless:
- As the name suggests, clincher tires that can be used without tubes in a system which is referred to as tubeless.
- Typical tubeless tires have airtight sidewalls and beads which are designed to maximize the seal against the rim. Tubeless are pneumatic tires that do not require a separate inner tube.
- These tires have long been used in mountain biking and cyclocross realms and is growing in popularity on the road too. Sealant is then added into the tire to aid in plugging small holes and splits, reducing the chance of flats.
- In addition to a reduction in flats, tubeless tires provide better rolling resistance than clinchers and can be run at lower pressures, improving traction, comfort and control.
- It’s worth noting that in order to use tubeless tires, you’ll need a compatible wheelset that will typically feature a hooked sidewall for better sealing of the tire bead.
In conclusion, it is very important to know what fits on the wheel of your cycle.
