Folding Bead?

Hidden1229 said:

Okay, I've been looking for new tires. The ones that came with the bike are bontager select 700x25, clincher. Looking for tires I noticed that none of them say clincher (I'm assuming because this is a standard now with newer bikes), but some say wire bead, some say folding bead...what's the difference?? Also, how come there aren't any 700x25 tires with color!?

The wire bead is probably what you're used to thinking of as a clincher tire. A loop of twisted steel wire is wrapped in the casing and rests against the lip of the rim. On a folding tire, that wire is replaced with Kevlar. The advantages are that Kevlar is lighter than steel, and you can fold the tire up pretty tightly. They're great if you're picky about weight or you're doing long, unsupported rides where you want to carry a spare. They do cost a bit more though.

Hidden1229 said:

Okay, I've been looking for new tires. The ones that came with the bike are bontager select 700x25, clincher. Looking for tires I noticed that none of them say clincher (I'm assuming because this is a standard now with newer bikes), but some say wire bead, some say folding bead...what's the difference?? Also, how come there aren't any 700x25 tires with color!?

BOTH wire bead & folding are clincher tires -- the former has a steel wire bead and the folding has a kevlar bead.

I'm not the arbiter of fashion by any means, but I think colored tires may be passe -- if you must have color, check to see if Michelin still sells colored tires.

Red tires make ya go mo fast.......

Lotsa colors out there; check performancebike.com or nashbar.com to see the options.

Check out the crazy colored tires at Rivendell. www.rivbike.com They're marked 700c x 28mm, but they're actually 26mm. Cushy, fast, and absolutely blinding. Available in every color--only available in every color. 😉 Gotta see it. I think I'll get some just to distract the other cyclists.

sounds like you have the tires which were standard on some trek models (like my Trek 1500). why not go to a 700 x 23 when you change to new tires. you then get alot of variety. I'd recommend Conti 4000,which will give you a good selection.

Hidden1229 said:

Okay, I've been looking for new tires. The ones that came with the bike are bontager select 700x25, clincher. Looking for tires I noticed that none of them say clincher (I'm assuming because this is a standard now with newer bikes), but some say wire bead, some say folding bead...what's the difference?? Also, how come there aren't any 700x25 tires with color!?

The bestest TYRE I have found is the Specialized All Condition, it has a Kevlar belt...really does a great job, some folk here reckon it's too damn heavy but I love it...and if you are keen on running 25 mm then I don't think you want to do any supersonic time-trials !!!!

When wire bead tires are shipped in a box, the often require a lot of time consuming "massaging" to make them round again because the box is usually too small.

Efforts to get the witness line even with the rim all the way around can take a very long time whenever wire bead tires are shipped in a box.

For this reason, installation is much easier and faster with folding bead tires.

Yes, folding bead still requires "massaging" to make it into a tire shape after it is unpacked, but the added flexability makes it so much easier to get it centered on the rim.

li rider said:

sounds like you have the tires which were standard on some trek models (like my Trek 1500). why not go to a 700 x 23 when you change to new tires. you then get alot of variety. I'd recommend Conti 4000,which will give you a good selection.

I'm afraid I will get too many flats with a 700x23 and aren't they less comfortable?

Hidden1229 said:

I'm afraid I will get too many flats with a 700x23 and aren't they less comfortable?

700x23 can certainly be less comfortable than 700x25 ... it depends how much air pressure you normally put in the 700x25 tires that you use AND the relative tire contact-patch you are looking to achieve ...

If you're looking for a trouble free (i.e., FLAT FREE) tire, I can recommend AIRFREE tires (spun polyurethane) ...

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AirFree has all sizes of tires ... they don't have a narrow MTB tire which would fit on a 559-17 rim, however. You'll WANT the special tire mounting tool.

The fit may be a bit dodgey -- if you are running OPEN PRO 622-15 rims, as an example, you use EITHER the DAYTONA or MONACO.

I would recommend the MONACO for commuting ... they are actually good for MOST riding situations ... and fits a 622-15 rim.

The DAYTONA tire fits a 622-13 rim, the best; and, the braking surface of the rim will stand "proud" of the tire by slightly more than an infinitesimal amount on an OPEN PRO rim.

Unfortunately, the first pair of AirFree tires which I got were the Daytona TT which had a high comparable PSI (~135psi) ... great for low wear, but definitely a hard ride. I gave them feedback regarding same, and they have lowered the standard PSI over the past few years.

YOU'LL NEED/WANT THE INSTALLATION TOOL because the tires need to be stretched onto the rims (akin to putting on a "new" sew-up). Supposedly, some of the AirFree tires can be mounted with with regular tire irons ... that is true with the ones which have a lower relative-PSI ... I replaced a set with ~115psi with a set that had ~95psi and was able to mount them with my bare hands with SOME EFFORT just to see if the claim was true ... after the tires have been mounted, once, they can be subsequently mounted without tools.

The AirFree tires exceedingly difficult to remove! That's good and bad ... bad if you decide you don't like them OR if you decide you like them so much you'd rather use them on a different wheelset! OF COURSE, it's good that they are difficult to remove there is any concern about them rolling off the rim ...

BTW. To remove them from the rim (I don't recall instructions being included with the tires OR on their website), I found that you hold the wheel in both hands, fingers draped over the tires, and thumbs a couble inches apart on the sidewall, and them a lot of effort to push them off the rim. That's with the road variants. I can't imagine how difficult it may be to remove the MTB tires.

The weight of the AirFree tires MAY seem a bit porky -- particularly, for those who use "racing" tires -- but not for us plain-folk after you factor in the inner tube, rim tape and/or tire sealant ...