Ode to the Humble Tire

Tires may not be the most glamorous part of a bike. They’re usually massproduced and almost always come in black, black or black. Yet riders are feverishly loyal to their favourite tires, and will hoard discontinued treads like treasure. At any cyclocross race, the slightest shift in the wind or change in mud consistency will set off a fresh wave of discussions and last-minute changes. Tires are essential. They’re the only part of the bike that actually touches the ground. Tires keep you upright on wet tarmac and safe on slippery, wet rocks.

When every major part of a modern bike turned to carbon fibre, rubber tires remained consistent. Even trendy new rubber compounds are just rubber. A hand-stitched casing on a tubular tire carries the history of the sport while tubeless, high-volume options hint at just one future for riding mountains, cyclocross courses and even roads.

A good choice of tire can transform the quality of your ride, but is surprisingly inexpensive. Compare a new set of tires to suspension, drivetrain or boutique wheels.

More than a functional choice, tire selection offers an element of style. Whether it’s an especially drool-worthy tread pattern, tan sidewalls or a particularly iconic “secret” green tread pattern only pulled out for big events, there’s a certain esthetic quality to tread choice. It’s subtle sometimes, but it’s always there.

The best part of tires might be that there’s no wrong choice. Fashions change, technology improves and evolving standards make once-desirable parts obsolete. But one person’s nightmare tread is the perfect solution to elusive traction and speed for someone else, somewhere else.

Tires allow you to personalize a bike to your style and type of riding. Choosing a tread that matches your local dirt, brand of asphalt or the whims of your local cyclocross organizer is an easy way to make a frame designed to work well anywhere in the world work perfectly on your local slice of road or trail.— Terry Mckall