Tires: Wire or No Wire?

Tires: Wire Or No Wire?

Ritchie B. Velasco from Paraguay has written in wanting to know the difference between wired tires and the non-wired tires. Here is our description of both types of tires

Question:
I would like to know the difference between road tires with wire and without wires (folded).Advantages and disadvantages as well…thanks…

Hi Ritchie,

Thanks for reading and writing in.

The differences between the wired tires and the flexible non-wired tires are that the wired tires are heavier as the non-wired tires usually have a Kevlar bead instead of a wire, which is much lighter. The other advantage is that you can carry a spare tire with you in case of a complete blow out. On a long ride, like a Sportive, you wouldn’t want to be stuck out in the wilderness with a split tire.

The non-wired tires also tend to be of a higher quality and with more performance, lighter and better performance, but usually more expensive. Hard wearing cheaper wired tires for the winter or training and then the non-wired for racing, longer rider and good summer weather riding.

One Response to “Tires: Wire Or No Wire?”

K Hackney August 17, 2009

If like me, you also own a vintage road bike, you will want to use wire bead tires. Older rims had straight sidewalls. If you ever look at a modern rim there is a ridge or “hook” that runs at the top of the rims sidewall. Older rims didn’t have that. So, you can’t use folding tires on old rims. If you try, they will just blow off when you air them up.