Why Are MTB Tires So Expensive?
Are you looking to upgrade your MTB tires but finding it expensive?
You want to know:
Well, no worries. I am going to explain why mountain bike tires cost so much and what can you do about it.
Tires are essential to MTBs or any bicycle for that matter. Without tires, the bicycle won’t go anywhere. The type of tire you have on your MTB could make or break the comfort of your ride. And getting the perfect MTB tire for a specific situation will determine the quality of ride you’ll have.
Whether it’s your daily ride over wet pavement, a bumpy trail ride or a mountain with unlimited descents, choosing the right tire for the ride will ensure you have a comfortable spin. Tires are the most important part of your MTB so you need to guarantee that you have the correct pair.
Why are MTB Tires so Expensive?
MTB tires are so expensive because they have special rubber composition & generally bigger and wider than most bicycle tires. Also they need to be really high quality in order to perform well.
MTB bikers don’t just buy mountain bikes, rather, they invest in them. Mountain bikes vary based on their sturdiness, safety and performance quality.
Bikers don’t rush into getting a bike, they take their time in planning, researching and comparing parts based on their preferences to secure their ride.
Because truth is, adding cheap parts early on is an upgrade that’s looming on the horizon. A practical approach is to save up for the MTB, price point a little detail taken into consideration.
Best Full Suspension Mountain Bikes
MTB Tires are Bigger and Wider
The average numbers you would see on MTB tires would be 27.5 x 2.0. It means the approximate outer tire diameter is 27.5” and the tire width is 2″.
All-Mountain and Trail bike tires’ width ranges from 2.25” to 2.4”, while downhill bikes that needs to handle the brutal drops and rocky trails usually has tires 2.5” wide.
The tire’s contact patch is dependent on its width.
A wider tire can provide a larger contact patch and can provide more grip and rolling resistance.
The wider tires allow the knobs of MTB tires to be spaced further apart, ensuring that the contact patch is wider and would be able to flex around any unexpected flaw on the roll’s terrain.
Wider tires also allow MTB riders to maintain speed and momentum over roots and rocks along the trail.
MTBs that needs to go downhill often requires much wider tires.
Again, the contact patch size needs to increase because they need to protect the bike rims from damage from the challenging ride.
MTB Tires’ Treads are Larger
MTBs are mostly challenged with bumps and unexpected turns so the tires are built to have total control over direction and unexpected stops rather than with speed.
MTB tires’ have larger knobs and spaced further apart. The tread pattern can vary based on the type of terrain.
The thing is, larger knobs can dig through loose soil and increase grip on steep mountain slopes and on unpredictable bumps.
Meanwhile, wet and muddy trails would need even larger and blocky knobs. Dryer trails require slightly smaller, medium sized knobs to aid them in braking.
For trails going downhill, MTB tires need to have tread patterns that are bigger and stronger so it can have a good grip on sudden turns and effectively brake on vertical falls.
MTB Tires are Inflated with Presta valves
Small as they are, a bike tire valve is very crucial for the success of the bike ride. Most MTBs come with a Presta valve instead of the more common Schrader valve which is normally found in cars.
Schrader valves are wider and is often wrapped in rubber when connected to the wheels. The outer wall has a thread to hitch a cap or pump head.
There’s a spring loaded pin to control the airflow making sure it will only allow air to go in.
Presta valves on the other hand are narrower and are made from metal. The valve is fully threaded and becomes thinner towards the top.
You need to unscrew a nut to open the valve. It also doesn’t have a check valve similar to Schrader, and secures itself based on the pressure in the tire. The core is fully removable.
MTB Tires has a Special Rubber Composition
The rubber composition of the MTB tire determines its life’s span. MTB tires usually have hard knob rubber compounds that resists the trail and won’t wear quickly over miles of bumpy and rocky trails.
The tread is the rubber that touches the ground. It is thicker than the sidewalls to resist wear and tear.
Most tires are black, although rubber is generally tan because of the addition of carbon to the mixture. Carbon black makes the tire durable and increases the traction of the tire’s tread.
MTB Tires has Thicker Casings
MTB Tires have thicker casings to handle the abuse. WIth sharp rocks, it is highly possible that the tires can scrape and tear.
Thicker casing gives the tire stability and helps prevent folding during the roll. It also protects the rim.
MTB tires that are used downhill have the thickest casing because they would normally go through a rocky and bumpy ride while maintaining speed.
Thicker casing makes it harder to cut through the tire during these rough rides.
Conclusion
Therefore, MTB tires are expensive because they are very important to achieve the best ride.
They are made from high-quality materials and elements that can make the roll down the mountain or the trail fun and safe.
Tires are relatively inexpensive parts of the bike but has an extensive effect on the quality of the ride.
Tires are the one that comes in contact with the ground. They are the ones that roll and makes the bike move from through the trail and finish the course.
