Some people decide to buy a new set of bicycle tires carelessly or impulsively because they do not appreciate the importance of this bicycle component. However, as we know, tires are the only point on our bikes that comes into contact with the ground. Therefore, they are crucial to the performance and handling of our bike.

Most road bike tires are slick tires, meaning they h. they have no tread or they have notches to ensure better cornering grip without losing speed. However, because they are slimmer and thinner, they are more prone to punctures and wear and tear.

So it is very important to learn more about this important part of our road bikes and choose the tires that will satisfy you. The type of driving is also crucial for the choice of tire. To know which tire you should choose, let's look at the types of road bike tires and their advantages and disadvantages.

 1. Clincher tires

This is the standard folding tire for clinchers and tubes. Actually, it is that these tires "clinch" onto the rim with a bead of hard rubber, so it is called a "clincher". A clincher tire requires a separate airtight tube enclosed by the rim to support the tire carcass and maintain bead closure. The tube holds the air and creates a firm pressure on the tire. It seems that clinchers are the most popular type of tire and are standard equipment on most bikes.

 Advantages:

• Easy assembly and disassembly of tires and tubes

• Excellent aerodynamics

• Numerous tire options suitable for everything from winter training to professional racing

• Many tubing options allow you to tailor the performance of your wheelset to suit your intended use

• Tubes can be patched

• More prone to flat spots from pinching

• Inner tubes are expensive

• Clincher rims are not always the lightest option

2. Tubular tires

Tubular tires look the same on the outside as clincher tires, but they function in a completely different way. Tubular tires, often referred to as "sew-up," involve installing a tube into the tire and then closing the tire around the tube by sewing the two sides of the tire together so that the tube is completely enclosed within the tire . Tubular tires are often glued to the rim because without glue they tend to move around a bit. You can use this type of tire mainly for road racing, triathlons and cyclocross.

Advantages:

• Lightweight

• More puncture resistant than standard clincher tires, installing a sealant can further improve performance

• Double-sided tube tape offers a clean solution for tire mounting

• When properly taped or bonded, the tire will stay on the rim in the event of a puncture

• Expensive tires

• Assembly is time consuming and the glue can be messy

• In general, the aerodynamics are worse compared to clincher tires

• In most cases, a flat tire is impossible to repair and, as mentioned above, expensive to replace.

3. Tubeless ready

TiresTubeless Ready tires are not tubeless tires. They can be used both with and without a tube as the tire and rim are designed to fit directly together. This means they can be ridden with a tube or tubeless.

AERO 40 Disc

Tubeless ready tires are cheaper and lighter as they can be slightly porous. If you want to convert them to tubeless tires you will need to add a sealant, but most people use sealant in their tires anyway for extra puncture protection. Also, they use rim tape (or tape) to seal the spoke holes airtight, not metal. In addition, tubeless ready tires can be used with lower operating pressures. The risk of punctures is much lower as there is no tube to puncture. The movement of the tire on the rim also has no influence. In addition, grip, comfort and rolling resistance are better on uneven terrain.

 Advantages:

• Can be used as both a tubular tire and a tubeless tire

• Low tire pressure

• Diverse tire options suitable for everything from winter training to professional racing

• Much lighter because it is slightly porous

• The risk of flat tires is much lower

• Tubeless Ready tires are cheaper

• Installation takes time if done tubeless and the glue can be messy.

• Inner tubes are expensive when used as tubular tires

4. Tubeless tires

Tubeless tires are pneumatic tires that do not require a separate tube. Tubeless tires have continuous ribs that are integrally formed into the tire bead so that they are forced to seal with the flanges of the wheel's metal rim by the air pressure inside the tire.

Although a relatively new development in the world of road cycling, tubeless tires are becoming increasingly popular because they do not require a tube. Instead, the tire and rim fit together to create a seal, in addition to using a special valve stem and viscous sealant. Although the main advantages of tubeless tires are that they are less prone to punctures and offer better rolling resistance, they tend to be heavier and much more difficult to install than others.

One of the most important benefits of tubeless bike tires is the reduced risk of punctures. In other words, the sealant protects the tires from damage caused by intruding objects such as broken glass, screws and thorns. In addition, they also offer more comfort and grip.

 Advantages:

• Improved rolling resistance over standard clincher tires

• Virtually puncture-proof wheels

• Lower tire pressure

• aerodynamics of a standard clincher tire

• More limited tire selection than standard clincher tires

• Tires are expensive

• The tires are typically heavier than standard clinchers

• Removing the tire and repairing a puncture is more difficult than standard inner tube clincher tires

• The sealant may be dirty

width (inch widths)

How do you choose the right tire width for your bikes? That may come with experience, but not everyone pays serious attention to the fact that tire width can have a direct impact on ride comfort.

Two things you should know about your bike tires are their width and diameter, expressed in millimeters or inches. The most common diameter for a road bike, in my opinion, is 700C, while the width is 23mm, also expressed as 700 x 23C. Of course there are different widths you can choose. Let's take a look at the table below, which shows the tire size equivalents: