A road bike tire is one of the essential components for your comfort and the handling of your bike.
Its performance is directly linked to these partners, which are the air tube and the rim tape. There are alternatives for the most demanding cyclists such as the tubular or the tubeless tire.
Compatibility and selection criterias:
The first item which will direct you towards the type of technology will be the rims on which the tires or the tubulars will be assembled.
A road bike tire is positioned in the hooks of the rim which under the effect of the air pressure will block, "classic" tires require an air tube, a rim tape while the tubeless version inflates directly in the rim specific for this type of tire, a valve is attached directly to the rim. The tubular is directly glued to the rim.
Criterias for choosing a tire for road bikes:
- the rim on which the tire will be installed is designed for a certain tire width (see our article: table corresponding to tire & rim bicycle size),
- the diameter of the wheel: 650 or 700
- the desired tire section, the wider it is the more comfortable it will be,
- technology: tubeless or air tube,
- the body type: light for competition or thick for sport hiking, cycle tourism or outings,
- the rubber can be provided with designs for better water evacuation, smooth with hardness or flexible on the sides of the tread for better grip,
- flexible bead (the tire can be folded) rigid bead
- the weight
Criterias for choosing a road bike inner tube:
- the diameter of the wheel: 650 or 700
- the section
- the type of use: sport hiking or competition
- the flexibility of the body
- the weight
Road bike tire assembly:
Assembling a tire on the rims of a road bike requires tire levers and a pump.
Advice: in order to facilitate the assembly of the air tube on the rim and in the tire, the use of talc can be useful in order to avoid pinching of the air tube between the rim and the tire.
Fitting a hose for road bikes:
The assembly of a hose on the rim of a road bike requires a specific glue which is applied using a brush.
Tip: when replacing a hose, it is not necessary to remove the adhesive residue from the rim, on the contrary, these adhesive residues will improve adhesion with the hose.
Pressure:
The air pressure values to be applied in a road bike tire or in a hose will depend on the morphology of the cyclist and his type of practice. In order to obtain the best performance from your road bike tire or tubular tire, we recommend that you respect the minimum and maximum pressures defined by the manufacturers.
Maintenance:
A tire or tubular used on a road bike requires regular monitoring, as there is no wear indicator to indicate end of life. Indeed, it is necessary to control visually the cracks in the rubber or the holes generated by the intrusion of flint in the tread in order to anticipate a potential risk of puncture. A cracking eraser, a flat tread or repeated punctures are signs that replacement is essential.
Advice: we recommend that you lower the air pressure in your tires or tubulars after each ride so that they do not deform and so that the elastomers that make them up do not degrade prematurely.
Components:
You will find in our shop a large number of used parts and accessories and new cleared at the best price among more than 350 brands for the assembly and the use of your road bike tire or hoses.
Here are some examples of road bike tire brands: Michelin, Hutchinson, Continental, ...