Tomsl923833

Is a gum wall better then a black wall??? I see the gum wall on tiresdirect and, niagra are more expensive. Other than the look is there a difference in quality??? They both over time dry rott and, crack. Then theirs the foldable v.s. non-foldable. I can grasp the idea of the non-foldable because I've bought the foldable and, they are slightly deformed from the the way they are handled. I never bought the wire bead type for the simple fact that they would be more difficult to stretch over the rim. But I don't know that for a fact maybe, that's my perspective.

JohnDThompson 

BITD, black sidewalls were indicative of a heavy, low-end tire. Today, even high-end tires can have black or colored sidewalls. Construction (thread count, tread, etc.) are what now distinguish low-end from high-end tires.

In my experience, folding bead tires tend to be more difficult to mount than wire bead tires. Folding bead tires tend to lighter and more expensive than wire bead tires.

dabac

If the bead really stretched for any important amount during mounting, inflation pressure would shoot it off the rim instantly.
Mounting technique is all about freeing up enough bead by setting some of it in the deepest section of the rim to get enough slack for the last to go over.

Kapusta

Black is just gum wall that has been colored. Some tires come in both colors and there is no performance difference.

In my experience, wire bead vs folding is mostly an issue of cost vs weight. Wire beads have some extra durability and reliability that probably matter when doing an unsupported tour through Siberia, but in my experience have never made a difference for me (I've never had a folding bead fail).

Tomsl923833

Thanks!!!

fietsbob

Better for What?, how do you use your bike?

twodownzero

Tires make more of a difference in the performance of your bicycle than anything else. The color does not matter, however.

asmac

Check out this site for actual research on actual tires. https://www.bicyclerollingresistance.com/

kevrider

interesting. that is the opposite of my experience. i find that wire beads are usually a PITA.

Maelochs

I don't get it ... . why won't people accept that I have proved my point when I relate my cogent anecdote?

Wire beads might be harder to get over the lip ... folders always seem to be shapeless and hard to keep seated while installing.

Gresp15C

Years ago, I noticed that gumwall tires were much more prone to damage from sunlight on bikes that were kept outdoors. At that time, it looked like the walls were made of a different material, such as some kind of latex, and I switched to blackwalls for that reason. I don't know if gumwalls are still made in the same way today.

asmac

Added carbon makes rubber black and it increases durability.
Making Tires Black, Instead of the Natural White Color of Rubber, Produces a Much Stronger and Longer Lasting Tire

JanMM

All else being equal, folding bead and wire bead tires of the same make and model should have the same performance. Of course, since folders are generally lighter, the performance of the bike might be improved in some aspects, such as climbing or acceleration, which are impacted by weight.

I was more than a couple of decades into cycling before getting a pair of folding bead tires. Mounting them the first time felt 'weird' but was not particularly difficult. I currently have folding bead tires on two bikes and have had no issues with mounting. Or removing.

DeadGrandpa

I have noticed the same lack of acceptance regarding my posts. In fact, my friends and even some family members disregard my wisdom with impunity on a fairly regular basis. A prophet is never appreciated in his hometown, but my failure to impress readers of this forum is disheartening. 😎 For what it's worth, I enjoy your posts and most, or at least, some of them, seem spot on.

Maelochs

Vastly prefer folding tires for many reasons.

Ironfish653

Building on the OP's original question, how much difference do the different TPI construction make?

Moving from 26" MTB / urban, where I pick tread patterns for the different conditons, to 700c road tires, which are pretty much slicks w/ minimal tread, so internal construction seems to make more of a difference.

Ride quality, puncture resistance, tire life?

ThickSlick @ 27 TPI
Gatorskin @ 60 TPI
Conti GP4 @ 120 TPI

700c x 28mm
(200# rider, 3-4 centuries/year, pavement of varying quality)

alcjphil

26" wide tires and 700c road tires are totally different animals. On the road, tread patterns mean nothing, the more rubber touching the pavement, the better. Off road, on soft surfaces, tread is important. In either situation, a supple high thread count tire casing will allow the tire to conform with the surface it rolls on as long as tire pressure is correct for the conditions.

ramzilla

It's all about safety for me. I'm partial to wire bead tires that fit tightly on my rims. The rolling hills in Atlanta can allow a rider to reach speeds up to 40mph on a mile long downhill. If one of my tires blows out at near the bottom of a hill I want it to stay on the rim until I can come to a full stop and recover.

Tomsl923833

I love what you all write!!! I always have plenty to digest!!! What I like best is that nobody is trying to sell you anything!!! The help I've gotten from everyone is amazing!!! Thank you!!! I'll keep coming back!!!

europa

Hey mate, I've got this bridge I'd like to sell you

Iride01 

Gumwalls.... in my opinion... were the technology of the seventies or earlier that allowed tire makers to have a supple side compound to assist with lessening rolling resistance at a price point they could sell then.

Today, gumwalls are mostly just a holdover for those that want a period look for their bicycles. Gumwalls of the old days always started cracking and looking terrible after a few years. I quit buying them because of that.

Today's tire tech has much better compounds for sidewalls in any color the manufacturer thinks is going to sell. So if you look at a true gumwall today, it's old tech.

For me, higher TPI's in the casing and a little puncture resistance is what I want. Doesn't matter what the color is. Though I'm still just using black tires. But the black components in them are not all the same material. Sidewall components are different from the tread components.

You really need to read the manufacturer's site to understand. Continental and Vittoria are two that give some good reading.

jefnvk

Tires do matter. I'm a cheapo when it comes to biking, and they are one area I don't mind splurging. One doesn't need to go high end, but getting out of the generic named mass produced $10 examples and into something that at least lists TPI and tire construction information generally helps a lot.

FWIW, I had the same Pasela tires in tan ("gumwall") and black, and they roll the exact same.

Any deformation in folding tires will be taken care of as soon as it is mounted and pumped. I have only mounted a few folding tires, some of which have been difficult, but no worse than some of my worst wire beads. Have had some super easy wire beads, too. I don't really see any correlation to bead type and ease of mounting.

It is obviously because they appreciate my anecdotal evidence more, and are waiting for me to chime in

That is Bike Forums (or any other hobby forum for that matter) in a nutshell.

speedevil 

Carbon TIRES now? What'll they think of next? I must be faster than my watch thinks I am.

Retro Grouch 

A little off topic - but:

I entered a chili making contest last week end. I knew going in there was zero chance of winning because I make a relatively spicy pot of chili and the winners are always mild chilis. I, like everybody else, feel like I made the best pot of chili. I honestly feel a little frustrated because many people won't even taste my chili. On the other hand, I had a few people seek me out to tell me that, in their opinion, my chili was the best of show. I'd rather please those few than dumb down my offering to cater to the largest common denominator.

Continue being yourself and keep posting the truth as you see it.

Lakerat

I've made chili for contests and have concluded the winning chili might commonly have some sort of wow factor noticeable in the first bite. I wonder if some might use good BBQ sauce to cause this.

This is only remotely thread drift since I ride Continental tires with Black Chili rubber compound.