Everything About BMX Tires

Hi, I'm Josh Bettley, and this is Vital BMX Explained, brought to you by DanceComp.com. Today, we're going to be talking about tires. A tire is a round piece of rubber that goes around the bike's wheels. It's inflated with an inner tube and plays an important part in the handling and performance of the bike. There are four parts to a tire. The bead, the casing, the sidewall, and the tread. The bead is the edge of the tire that sits on the rim. It's made of either steel or Kevlar. The casing is the inner portion of the tire from bead to bead. It gives the tire its shape and form. The tread is the outermost layer. It's what makes contact with the ground. The visible outside section of the casing that sits between the tread and the bead is known as the sidewall. The tread is the main area where tires differ to meet their intended purposes. The more a tire is ridden, the more the tread wears down. Once the tread's visibly worn out, it's probably time to get a new tire. Some riders prefer to ride two separate tires with different treads in the front and rear. In this case, it's generally a knobbier tire in the front and a slicker tire in the back. Every BMX tire is different. The primary ways they're different are in their intended terrain, size, and weight. Some tires are designed for dirt and racing. Some tires are designed for street, park, and flatland. But in modern times, most tires are designed to ride anything. Dirt and race tires generally have a knobbier tread, while street, park, flatland are a much smoother tread. And tires intended to ride everything are somewhere in the middle. When it comes to tire size, the measurements you're going to encounter are inflated width, inflated diameter, and maximum pressure. Inflated width refers to the distance from sidewall to sidewall. Inflated diameter refers to how big the tire is around the outside. Many riders prefer a bigger tire because it looks cool and rolls over things better. You're thinking about what a road bike can roll over versus a monster truck. Not all frames and forks accommodate the really big tires, so be mindful when you're buying something new. Maximum tire pressure refers to how much air pressure you can put in the tire before it explodes. Regardless of the maximum air pressure, most BMX riders are going to ride about 50 to 80 psi. Tire weight primarily differs due to size, bead type, casing, and tread design. Because there's more material involved in making them, larger tires are generally heavier. Traditional BMX tires have a steel bead, while folding tires have a Kevlar bead. This is why folding tires are lighter but more expensive. A tire's casing is made from a combination of cloth and rubber. The more cloth and less rubber, the lighter the tire. And the more threading of cloth, the more high quality of a tire. Certain tires' tread patterns use more rubber than others, increasing the weight. If you're weight conscious, be extra mindful of tire weight. The rotating weight can drastically affect the feel of your bike. Tires come in many different color options. Some have colored sidewalls, some have colored tread, and some come with both. The colors shouldn't affect the tire's performance. It's just strictly for looks. So when it's time to pick out a new tire, consider all this information. Head on over to DansComp.com and figure out what's best for you.