Corner With Confidence With The Right Mountain Bike Tires
Fitting the right mountain bike tires to your bike is absolutely fundamental to getting the top performance out of the bike. You could have the greatest, hottest bike in the whole world, but if you tires are not up to it, forget it.
Just stop and think a minute. Your tires are the only point of contact you have with good old mother earth. The entire tire does not touch the ground, only a small part of it. This small contact controls how well you can corner, how quickly you go, how quickly you stop, and how well you stay in contact with the surface you’re riding on. Knowing this, your tire “comfort” will therefore also have a bearing on your confidence. You will feel a lot more confident if you know the tires will do the job. Your bike will perform great and you will also.
The technology of mountain bikes is in a constant state of evolution, but the tire technology is changing even faster. In addtion to tires of different sizes, new materials are always being developed. This has resulted in much more variety when choosing mountain bike tires that are right for you.
Even today all tires are made from rubber only, but with a different type and grade. This takes into account the different types of surface, with each new surface now capable of being related to a specific rubber grade. Typical examples would include trail tires, all terrain tires, and XC tires. It is now becoming quite a cult sector and is developing its own unique terminology structure including “brand” names such as: Fast Fatties, Black Chili etc.
The knobs on mountain bike tires are especially made to offer the best function on various surfaces. Dry terrain tires for example would have low “knobs”. The low “knobs” effortlessly break through the loose surface of the soil in order to grab into the hard, steady ground underneath. Muddy terrain calls for high “knobs” on tires. The increased height permits the “knobs” to penetrate through the thick depth of mud and get a grip on the hard surface below.
The profile and spacing of the “knobs” is also very important. First, to prevent mud from packing in, they are spaced sufficiently. Secondly, the “knob” profiles are specifically designed to ensure maximum contact performance when the bike is presented at an angle to the terrain. The profile of all terrain tires are a combination of the best attributes of both wet and dry, put together to offer the best balance. A half way house as it were, but in name only, not in performance.