jdogg111

ok. i've seen lots of posts about tires making a difference in speed on here. i can't wrap my head around that. one pedal stroke gets you so far, so fast. as fast as you pedal. so why does a 50 dollar tire go faster than a 20 dollar tire, or am i way off base as to what tire speed even means, as regards to pedal stroke, resistance? i know size can make a difference, as can tread as to the amount of energy used to make a pedal stroke, but as for speed, someone smart explain to me how two of the same size tires, say 700x 25, with same tread , do different things, be it a 20 dollar dept store tire or a 50 dollar bike shop tire.

Chuck M 

Rolling resistance is not equal among all tires.

CAT7RDR

The more boldface you use the more rolling resistance.
Smaller thin Arial 4 font has the least resistance.

livedarklions

Nor is resistance directly correlated to price. There's lots of reasons besides speed that one tire might be more expensive than another.

tyrion

A tire deforms as it rolls. Generally speaking, it takes less energy to deform a thinner tire, so it rolls more efficiently. Fancy secret sauce compounds can also make the tire deform with less energy.

I think making thin tires is more expensive because tighter tolerances and increased QA is required.

soyabean

Since you asked, I will answer: yes you are way off base as you have no idea what you are talking about to what has been proven and measureable.

Get yourself a bike with a crank that can measure watts, and you'll prove how crappy $20 tires steal more watts from a human vs the better $50 tire.

It's fun to learn provable facts.

alcjphil

I can offer an anecdote. For what it is worth, a few years ago my friend and I started down a hill. We were both riding similar bikes, and identical wheels. However, I was riding on supple road tubeless tires and he was riding puncture resistant tires. He outweighed me by almost 20 pounds. We started the hill side by side at the same speed both sitting in about the same position on our bikes. One might think that the heavier rider would descend faster but I was about 50 meters ahead of him at the bottom of the 600 meter long hill.
Tires matter

wolfchild

The actual speed difference between various tires is so small that it makes no difference to most people who are not racing..

jdogg111

thanks, a common sense response I can understand, and you didn't even have your nose in the air.

lostronin

If you are interested in tire rolling resistance data I recommend the following site: https://www.bicyclerollingresistance...d-bike-reviews

soyabean

Who said anything about racing?

Have you tried casually communiting a few miles with Schwalbe Black Jack's 35 psi vs. Schwalbe Marathon's 80 psi?

Kindly please try this every day of the week for a whole season and give me your feedback.

livedarklions

On the other hand, tires like Gatorskins are more expensive because they're puncture resistant and not especially low resistance.

PeteHski

You don't learn anything new by listening only to what you wanted to hear.

There is actually quite a wide variation in rolling resistance between tyres of the same nominal size. Both compound and construction affect rolling resistance. Basically, lighter, more supple tyres are faster. The difference can be quite significant if speed is actually important to you. But there are also a lot of other factors to consider when choosing tyres i.e. braking and cornering grip (wet and dry), comfort, durability and puncture resistance. Personally I don't skimp on tyres as they are ultimately the only thing between you and the hard, unforgiving road. So I buy the best tyres for my needs (not necessarily the fastest rolling).

cyclezen

Quote:
Originally Posted by wolfchild View Post
The actual speed difference between various tires is so small that it makes no difference to most people who are not racing..

were you just asking about speed? was not the Thread title ?
yes there is a difference in speed... and in many other properties the tires bring to riding the bike.
not all lower priced tires ride 'cheap', not all higher priced tires ride 'expensive'
the qualities required in a tire are up to the purchaser. But there is a difference; often substantial.
You, each of us, has the opportunity to determine that. Or one can ignore and live under 'assumption'.
Others here have given areas to look further, explore, if you truly wish to 'understand'. Your choice.
And, the Proof is in the riding
'Our own nose' may often get in the way of our own vision...
Ride On
Yuri

mstateglfr 

But it largely isn't a correct response.
Rolling resistance can be felt and it does impact speed. Whether thst matters to each of us is an individual decision and wolfchild doesn't speak for everyone, even though it is something he loves to do.

It should be easy to understand that two tires can roll at different speeds. Imagine a tire made of sticky soft foam and compare that to a traditional rubber rire. One will absorb more energy and require more effort to maintain the same speed as the other tire.

soyabean

Agreed, looks like the OP has their own "nose in the air".

Afterall, they had to bold their text too.

skidder

All other things being equal, I'd say the rolling resistance of a tires would be you're main concern, and that would involve the hardness of the rubber compounds used to make the tire, the weight of the tire, and the rolling resistance when its on a wheel and properly inflated. Compare tires for those values and you should find a few that'll give you a little faster speed, then choose whatever one is at the price point you want.

Personaly I go for puncture resistance, ease of the tire going on and off the rim, and if it has some tread for riding through water and occasional stretches of rough road.

wolfchild

You comparing off road tires to pavement tires...This thread is about cheap vs expensive tires and not about off road tires vs pavement tires.

tyrion

Right. It cost money to engineer/manufacture the higher performing objectives, whether it's low rolling resistance or puncture resistance or a desirable compromise.

Camilo

Oh for god's sake.Lighten up Francis. It's a reasonable question and some people actually gave some helpful info.

Troul 

a cheap tire might not make much of a difference for speed, however, I'd expect a good tire to deliver a more pleasant experience in regards to comfort, puncture resistance, & stability. ymmv.

70sSanO

This is what you need to do.

It doesn’t take a mental giant to see watts ranging from 10 to 20 to realize that it takes more work. The test is done at 18mph, which will guarantee you last place when racing, but brisk on a MUP. Granted if someone is riding in the single digits expending little effort, it may not matter; but you are using speed as a comparison.

No one can give you a quantifiable response to your mythical $20 and $50 tires. You need actual tires to compare.

The reality is most people weigh the factors and pick a tire that fits their needs. Typically sacrificing a bit of rolling resistance for puncture resistance, or vice versa, at a particular price point.

John

Camilo

I don't disagree because I don't monitor speed enough to notice subtle differences at all.

But, it could be placebo, but I think the better tires just feel better riding. When I changed from $7 cheap house brand tires from one of the big US mail order companies to higher end Michelin Pro and Continental GP I thought the ride felt different. Not exactly softer, but subtly more compliant and seemed to just feel better cornering. The tires were definitely more pliant/flexible unmounted. Again, the ride characteristics could be placebo.

Homebrew01

Time for a Chill-Pill

indyfabz

Yep. The tires I use for touring aren’t the best when it comes to rolling resistance, but they come in a size that is suitable for the varying surfaces I ride and have very good puncture resistance. Got 3 flats during a 6,000 mile trip. One of those was caused by a giant, sharp screw that would likely have penetrated any tire. Haven’t flatted on tour since 2017.