Why Are Bike Tyres So Confusing? | Types & Details Explained!
Why Are Bike Tyres So Confusing? | Types & Details Explained!
Bike tyres, they’re perhaps the most important part of your bike, but not all of us know much about them! What’s the difference between tubular, clinchers and tubeless? What do hookless and 700c mean? Alex breaks down everything you need to know about bicycle tyres, from their origins to types, sizes, casings and compounds.
00:00 Intro
00:39 Origin of the Tyre
01:09 Role of Tyres
02:18 Road Bike Tyres
02:56 Types of Tyre
04:00 Tyre Width
05:07 Tyre Pressure
06:25 Tyre Size
07:47 Tyre Casing
08:37 Tyre Compound
09:48 Hookless Tyres
10:10 Summary
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I hate that tubeless shoot the sealant all over the place when riding even without a puncture
Great video, a deep dive for sure, but I think we hit a shallow bottom. What about 27.5 and 29in wheels? And the notorious 650 wheels from the 90’s Tri bikes. I have to add my tried and true tubular/clincher from Tufo. At this time I run more tubular wheels than clincher.
LEGO is biggest tyre manufacturer.
I think Lego make the most tyres, but I think that you wanted Dunlop 🤔
Hi what would you say is the best tyre tube combo for a average rider on a set of hunt clincher wheels?
Tech team doing really good work on these deep dives!
The animations in this video are superb! They make everything so much clearer
It lego actually the company that makes the most tyres in the world
lego make the most
Clarifying, I prefer tires with more rubber, getting a puncture in the middle of the road is not good.
thanks.
Excellent video!!
Dunlap
Tubeless is only hard to maintain when you don’t know how. It was hard for me at first but it was because I was using giant gavia ac1 tires which is so hard to seat. After going to gp5000s, everything was easy. You just need to check the sealant level every 6 months.
Solid tire test please 🙏
A friend of mine doesn’t believe that an inner tube can effect the rolling resistance. He claims that with the tyre on the outside the inner tube, like a latex one or so, can not reduce the rolling resistance. And to be honest I struggle to explain it to him. Can you help out? #askgcn
Whoever invented that hookless rim is bit mad i think..that’s a burp waiting to happen..now why would anyone want that..yikes
I know there are loads of videos out there but my issue with any tyre is that it is so damn hard to slip the final 5cm of bead onto the wheel without using some tool to help me. Probably lesser problem un tubeless where you could use a tyre lever without risking pinching your inner tube.
Also unhooking the tyre is always an issue. A video just specifically for these 2 issues, especially for roadsides maintenance would be helpful. Cheers!
Lego produce the most tyres annually 🙂
There is nothing confusing, just people not interested
Alex wearing a Hoodie must be freezing 🥶
Very good Information. I use 25 mm tires on my bike. Using dunlop tires I found very versatile to my needs, that is on trainer in winter and summer racing. I’m not a pro and only want satisfactory performance the the money I put out. Cheers
Do you prefer clinchers, tubulars or tubeless? 👇
that was so informative! learned a lot. would love more of this type of informative/educational videos
Waiiiit a minute… Who wrote the script for this
Lego!!!
Great video as always. The motion design job on this one is A+++++
Nice video: clear, unfussy, informative. Pretty much sums up why Alex is one of my favorite presenters on GCN.
I vastly prefer clinchers with tubes. I tried tubeless and didn’t like them. It’s partly that I like slightly higher pressures, partly that tubeless performance isn’t actually noticeably better (they’re really not even that much more puncture-proof), and partly that they’re unreasonably difficult to get onto wheels, but mostly it’s the sealant; that stuff is sticky and disgusting.
Best tech video ever. Gripping.
Haven’t tried tubeless yet for road. Don’t like the idea of spraying sealant all over me/my nice bike, and though I’m sure it’s better now, too many stories over the years about it not being as helpful for narrower, high-pressure tires. Made the switch over a year ago on my commuter/gravel bike and I love it. Less flats to/from work and more comfortable on the crappy roads I have to ride on. That bike has fenders pretty much year round as well so no worry about sealant spray when there is a puncture 🙂
It’s Lego!
Hi Alex, great video and well presented👍. However, I must take issue with your assertion that the pneumatic tyre was invented by John Boyd Dunlop in 1887/8 as it was originally patented by a Scot, Robert William Thomson from Stonehaven, in 1846. Dunlop did commercialise the pneumatic tyre though and it became the global brand we have today.
If it fits and grips the ground, I uses it. Shrader valve and a tube on a mountian bike rim.. I go with the max tire pressure written on the tire wall, pending on the terrain being on or off road.. max rating for pavement.. lower for off road and icy situations.
Don’t care for tubeless since carrying an extra tube can be easier than a patch kit in colder weather. Ever try patching a tire in -25°C or colder? That rubber cement don’t stay liquid in the cold.
Wandering Dublin on a visit several years ago I stumbled across a garage with a plaque stating it was the place of Dunlop’s workshop where he created the pneumatic tire. Was quite excited.
Dunlop??? 😊
One thing you failed to mention is to fit the tyre/tire with the label centred nicely where the valve is. Or is that just me? 🙂
#askgcn how useful are tyre liners? Do they actually prevent punctures? On the downside do they increase the rolling resistance?
Calling the tyres / rims 622mm (or whichever other size it happens to be) is objectively the best way to do it. It always corresponds to the actual measurement and is the easiest way to see what is compatible.
But it can’t be that hard to get people to use the proven superior system of measurements. People will quickly adapt the most logical and easy to understand system any second now.
Excellent video
Actually is Lego the biggest tyre manufacturer in the world 😂
Why do Brits misspell tires?
Whoa we went alllllll the way back to when it started
Amazingly, and as mentioned by other commenters, Lego makes more (tiny) tyres than any other company.
How does fewer TPI provide better puncture protection? I would think more would provide more protection. More threads, more of a barrier?
LEGO produces the most tires per year.
I don’t think any mountain bike should have rims less than 30 mm id…
They aren’t.
Best tire (tyre?) video I’ve ever seen, informative and really well produced and presented. Personally I’ve stayed with clinchers rather than deal with sealant. Flats are few and far between and it takes only 10 minutes give or take to fix a flat anyway. If I bought a new bike I would give tubeless a chance to see if they offer a nicer ride at lower pressures.
Is there a maximum ratio between internal rim width and maximum tire width?
Great Vid Dave, good to see you do some science without oly 😁
Best tyre info I have seen in a while 🚴 😁
Lego makes tires?