Mountain Bike Tyres – How To Choose The Right Ones
The type of tyres you choose on your bike is influenced mainly by what you are using your bike for most. Mountain bikes can be used on many types of ground and for disciplines that need different skill sets as much as different tyres. Get the right mountain bike tyres and they will improve your riding and increase your safety.
Tyres come with either an inner tube that keeps them inflated or they are tubeless, but which one do you choose?
Generally tubeless tyres have a thick side-wall that locks into a specific sealed-bed rim. These tyres can take a punding over rough ground so they are just right for downhill but the drawback is the higher cost.
The advantages of an airtight seal and a stable, puncture-resistant, low-pressure performance are balanced out by the high price. You will also need a clean tyre and rim, as well as a big pump to then inflate it.
On a trail clean conditions are not usually available if a tyre needs replacing. Even with a large pump you’ll often have to use an inner tube to get you back home and repair the tyre there. Also a big hole might mean the tyre is completely written off, eventhough a small hole might be repairable.
Tubeless tyres are heavier also, so if you are looking for quick start times and riding speeds choose a lighter tyre. Tyres with inner tubes are lighter and provide more flexibility. You can get them in more designs and tread styles, so getting the one you want might be easier also.
You can now get kits to convert a conventional tyre with an inner tube to a tubeless tyre. These combine a latex-based filling liquid and a rubber rim strip to seal the inside of the tyre and rim. You may have to top the filler off on occasion but the cost is still loads less than buying a thick wall tubeless tyre.
You still get most of the benefits of a tubeless tyre but with a much broader range of rims and treads to choose from, and only the cost of the kit and latex top ups. They are also lighter but the same kind of repair problems occur sadly.
Whichever kind of tyre you choose, it is essential to replace your tyres regularly. A blow out while out riding can cause injury or cost you a competition. With the right selection and proper maintenance your tyres will make a big difference to your riding.
