Tyres

[densmall]

What are the pros and cons of folding versus non folding tyres,

[BobSweet]

I carried a 700 folding tyre as a spare on tour when the bike had 26" wheels. Fortunately I never needed it! Seriously though, folding tyres are always likely to be light weight, so for puncture resistance use wired tyres, have a folding as a spare when going on tour somewhere remote.

Bob

[brumster]

Seriously though, folding tyres are always likely to be light weight, so for puncture resistance use wired tyres, have a folding as a spare when going on tour somewhere remote.

Bob

Not sure you're quite right there. I think the OP is referring to the tyre bead. Folding tyre ( beads ) are lighter than the rigid ( steel ) beads. Puncture resistance of a tyre is usually down to the protective layers a given tyre will have beneath the tread, and also whether this protection is layered only under the tyre tread itself, or layered bead to bead to include sidewall protection. I too, carry a folding spare on tour, but my interest in saving a few grams or ££'s on my tyre purchases, generally results in my bikes having wired bead tyres for my daily use.

[Chris Jeggo]

Not sure you're quite right there. I think the OP is referring to the tyre bead. Folding tyre ( beads ) are lighter than the rigid ( steel ) beads. Puncture resistance of a tyre is usually down to the protective layers a given tyre will have beneath the tread, and also whether this protection is layered only under the tyre tread itself, or layered bead to bead to include sidewall protection. I too, carry a folding spare on tour, but my interest in saving a few grams or ££'s on my tyre purchases, generally results in my bikes having wired bead tyres for my daily use.

I've just looked up Continental Gatorskins. They are available in both rigid and folding forms, the latter being 70gm lighter.

[tim-b]

What are the pros and cons of folding versus non folding tyres,

Weight is less for a folder and they can be folded into a smaller package. They're also usually more expensive

Puncture protection and construction may be different in the same way that a tubeless variant is different. Compare tyres either on the manufacturer's website or an independent resource, such as https://www.bicyclerollingresistance.co ... ke-reviews

The Gatorskins mentioned seem to have similar construction apart from the bead type https://conti-tyres.co.uk/road-and-trac ... /gatorskin

[simonhill]

Surely the answer is that folding tyres can be folded. Great if you want a folded tyre, usually for long distance touring (or the paranoid local tour).

My only experience was the Marathon Supreme. I bought as a great tyre not for folding. As a folding tyre it had a very thin sidewall - not sure if this is required for folding. However it meant they were prone to side wall damage and I lost a few tyres this way, so definitely not an advantage for me as I never carried as a spare.

[cycleruk]

Folding tyres obviously "fold". Useful for carrying a spare if required.
They are usually lighter in weight when compared size for size.
Generally more expensive compared to their wired version.
Whether there is any difference in performance, feel or ease of fitting I don't know. ?

[tim-b]

Surely the answer is that folding tyres can be folded

Wired tyres can be folded too, just not as easily and they won't be as compact https://sheldonbrown.com/tire-folding.html

[gxaustin]

I find folding tyres easier to get a tube into than rigid beaded tyres.

[POIDH]

...

[Brucey]

in many cases you can get 'the same tyre' in rigid or folding form. Usually the only difference in the tyres is the bead construction, making the rigid/wired version an easy way to save money, and a folding tyre an easy way of saving weight. If the construction is otherwise the same, so too will be the performance; grip, ride quality, puncture resistance etc. should be identical. Indeed, apart from the cost, the folding and the weight, the only difference might be the fit, with the folding tyre typically being a bit tighter.
This may, in part, be due to the moulds/curing temperatures in use. It is fairly obvious that the folding beads will be a lot less stiff (so it will be expected to 'grow' more when fully inflated) but what is perhaps less obvious is that the CTE is higher too. With a following wind, the two effects may produce similar amounts of 'growth'. If this also the case for both bead materials, it may be possible to use the same mould for both bead materials too. However, if the curing temperature is made a wee bit more, so will the shrinkage be too, potentially making the tyres more difficult to fit. Needless to say, they don't always get this right, so tyres can be variously too tight or too loose.

[pwa]

Folders are also easier to pack as spares.

[freiston]

I have a vague recollection of reading (maybe on https://www.bicyclerollingresistance.com?) of a particular tyre (Vittoria Randonneur?) where the folding version was stated as having a lower rolling resistance than the wired version. Whether this be because there were other significant differences and they were in fact very different tyres or whether it was because of sidewall differences (to allow for folding in addition to the bead), of higher tpi counts or what, I do not recall.

As I understand, tyre manufacturers often make so many variations of models over the years, that it could simply be comparing apples to oranges rather than the "same" tyre.

[Brucey]

confusingly, the Vittoria Randonneur and the Vittoria Randonneur Hyper were very different tyres.

[PH]

As I understand, tyre manufacturers often make so many variations of models over the years, that it could simply be comparing apples to oranges rather than the "same" tyre.

Yes, the Marathon Racer in rigid and folding were considerably different. Apparently these were sequential versions, though they retailed at the same time.
Some of the advantage of folders is for the supply chain, they must be hugely easier to transport and store, I wonder how much this has influenced the marketing. When I've had the same tyres in rigid and folding, any difference in performance has been too subtle for me to notice.