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Bike Tires Buying Guide

Buying a new set of bike tires  can be a difficult task. For one, it's a little confusing. Bicycle tires  are usually imprinted with an array of various numbers on the sidewalls and it takes some practice to decipher these figures to find the tire size that's best for you. Secondly, bike tires are highly specialized these days to fit the vast number of cycling environments and cross-over genres. Confused? Don't stress out. This guide will walk you through the basics of what you need to know when shopping for a new set of tires.

Types of Wheelsets

Tires (the metal wheelsets) differ, in among other ways, by how they attach to the wheel. Most tires these days are clincher tires,  meaning they utilize a U-shape (imagine looking at a cross section cut-out of the tire) to mount the tire onto the wheel. An innertube  is inserted into the tire's inside edge and then the tire fits onto the wheel by hooking the beads—the ends of the U on the tire—under the the inside edges of the rim. The idea is that these types of tires "clinch" to hold onto the rim. It allows for easy innertube (for those annoying flats) and tire swapping. Older and higher end wheels (i.e... professional) may use sew-ups,  which has the tube wrapped completely by the tire, sewn shut and then glued as a whole to a tubular wheelset. Tufo  has made a "tubular-clincher" tire, which has the tube encased in the tire, but it fits on a standard clincher rim.

Tire Size

Usually the most confusing thing about bike tires are the seeming amalgam of little numbers on the sides. These refer to the tire's size. Nearly all road bike tires are sized at 700x23c. 

  • 700 is size of the wheel and refers to the wheel's circumference (also known as the rollout distance—the distance it takes a wheel to complete one rotation).
  • 23c is the width of the wheel.

Smaller road bikes and most triathlon bikes use a slightly smaller 650c tire.  And older road bikes will use a 27" tire. 

To make things even more confusing, there's also a universal tire size system, known as ETRERO (European Tyre and Rim Technical Organization), which is, surprise, surprise, typically used in Europe. In this system, a 700c size tire is known as ISO (International Standards Organization) 622mm, 650c tire is ISO 571mm, older 27" tires are 630mm and a mountain bike tire, which are usually 26" tires, are known as ISO 559mm. What's more, the number order on the tire is often reversed: width by diameter (ie. a 700x23c is known as a 23x622mm using this system). If you're shopping in the US, you don't need to worry about this.

Whew. If you have that down, then you're ready to move onto tire widths.

Tire Width

Your tire width is determined by the width of your rim, but you'll want to also make sure your frame and brakes have enough clearance to fit the tire. If you're using too narrow of a tire, you'll be more susceptible to pinch flats (when your tube gets pinched against the rim), as well as damaging your rim. A tire that's too wide has similar problems, as well as handling issues.

Types of Bicycle Tires

Road tires  are smooth and narrow with no tread pattern, better for road bikes.

  • Typical size 700x23c.
  • Heavier riders can ride up to 25-28mm widths.
  • Racers will use a narrower (18-20mm) width.

Hybrid tires  are similar to road tires, but usually are wider.

  • Typically at least 28mm and wider.
  • May have tread pattern, but more for wet weather street riding than off-road.
  • Look for Continental Top Touring  tires.

Mountain bike tires  come in a variety of widths and tread patterns.

  • Width and tread are best determined by terrain.
  • Be sure to check rim width and frame and brake clearance when buying new MTB tires. 

Cyclo cross tires  resemble MTB tires, with a knobby tread and semi-slick centers.

  • Can fit 700c (road size) rims.
  • Widths vary from 28mm to 40mm.

Top Picks for Road Tires

A top of the line clincher tire.

  • Michelin also makes several varieties of the tire, cost is around $30-$100.
  • Has gotten some great reviews from riders, including these at RoadBikeReview (run by Biketiresdirect.com, a retail site).

Vredstein Fortezzas  are among the most popular, durable and economically priced road tires available.

  • High PSI rating so good for bikers who like to ride high-tire pressure.
  • Priced around $40-$65.

Continental's  Grand Prix 4-Season tire is a mix of good all-around use, wet weather capability and puncture and sidewall protection.

  • Cost about $40.

Maxxis Ignitor 

  • Designed for professionals who have won several world races.
  • Low resistance on straights and high traction on corners.
  • Priced around $40.

The most common size for road tires is 700x23, which offers a good, light-weight balance of aerodynamics, road resistance and comfort. Some racers will use widths of 18-20mm to cut down on drag and weight, but generally a road bike can use between 23-25mm. If you're a heavier rider or need tires for a tandem bike you might want to consider a 25mm tire. Long distance and touring riders also prefer the slightly wider tire, up to 28mm if your rims can handle it. Some hybrid bikes can handle a big, wide tire around 47mm. It'll give you a cushy, comfortable ride but will be a lot heavier than a narrower tire.

Tread patterns on road bikes are mostly a non-issue. Road tires work best with a smooth, or near-smooth tread, though if you're planning to ride in wet weather you might want to consider a grooved tread to help reduce the amount of water splash by your tires. Biketiresdirect.com recommends the Continental Grand Prix 4-Season  if you're looking for a slightly wider, grooved road tire. Racers in wet weather will focus more on the rubber compound for grip and weight than tread pattern. Look for the Michelin Grip  tire.

Top Picks for Mountain Bike Tires

Very nice all-around trail tire. Superb grip both on hard surfaces and loose trails.

  • Cost $20-$30.
  • Heavier than some other tires.

Like the name implies, these tires offer a lot of traction.

  • Deep knobs provide great wet condition control.
  • Good at low tire pressure.
  • Some say sidewalls are too thin.
  • Cost about $35-$40.

Great for commuters who travel over hard-pack trails or asphalt and some looser surfaces.

  • Excellent acceleration and very low rolling resistance.
  • Semi-slick (cyclo cross) tire with great grip.
  • Cost about $40.

Perfect for downhill bikers. 

  • Ramped knobs for low rolling resistance.
  • Channel cut knobs for straight line control.
  • Costs about $65.

A combination of good front steering control and trail grabbing rear makes this tire fitting for any type of terrain. 

  •  Comes in steel or aramid bead.
  • Weighs under 800g.
  • Costs about $25.

Mountain bikes will typically use a wide (2.0"-2.5") tire that provides more air volume, which will avoid pinch flats in rough areas and give you a better grip on loose surfaces like dirt and sand. If you're riding on roads or hard-pack trails, you can get rid of some weight with a narrower (1.5"-2.2") tire. If you're planning on replacing your current MTB tires, make sure to check your rim size since MTBs will usually use a narrower rim to cut down on weight, and make sure your bike frame and brakes will allow a wider tire.

Mountain bikes are where tread comes into more significance and depends a lot on the terrain. For road surfaces and cyclo cross, you can ride a slick  tire of about 1.3"-1.5". They should have a decent tread, but not as knobby as pure off-road tires. Geax Hubi 160  has a lot of fans. Hard-pack trail riders will use a tread that has a smooth center and knobby outers to help grip loose surfaces on turns. Look for Intense Cross Country System 3  or the Kenda Kross  tires. For more hardcore trails, look for a knobbier tire with smaller knobs in the center and deeper ones at the edges like the WTB Weirwolf Race.  Wet trail tires like the Kendra Kinetics  use even bigger knobs for grip on slippery surfaces, as well as a wider tread pattern so mud won't get stuck between the grooves. Downhill bikers need to focus more on maximizing air volume in their tires to take the shock of hard impacts. Also look for a tire with a wide, knobby tread pattern.

What's New

Here are Bicycling Magazine's top picks from the new crop of high-end wheels:

Rolf Prima Apex 

Stan's ZTR Olympic Disc 

Bontragger Aeolus 6.5 

Easton XC One 

Popular Models: Downhill Bike Tires

Arrow Bite Lite Folding Downhill Tire 

Kenda Nevegal DH FR Folding Downhill Tire 

Intense Zero Wire Bead Downhill Tire 

Continental Der Kaiser Wire Bead Downhill Tire 

 Popular Models: Mountain Tires

Hutchinson Spider UST Light Tire 

Gaex Blade UST Tubeless Mountain Bike Tire 

Continental Flow Wire Bead Mountain Tire 

Gato TNT Folding Mountain Tire 

Easy Rider Wire Bead Tire 

Related Guides

Road Bikes

Road Bicycle Frames

Bike Stems

Bike Pumps 

Wheelset

 External Links

  • Biketiresdirect.com:  Excellent information on tire sizing and tread selection.
  • BikePro.com:  Highly detailed explaination and history of bicycle tires.
  • About.com:  User-based reviews of top MTB tires.