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MTB Bicycle Tyres

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Ontrack was created in 2009 with firmly committed to the progression of more people riding bicycles by engineering and producing quality, long-lasting bicycle tires that are attainable by the masses.

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Benefits of MTB Bicycle Tyres

01.

Reduced risk of punctures

Tubeless tyres eliminate the need for inner tubes, significantly reducing the risk of pinch flats and punctures caused by thorns, rocks, and other trail debris.

02.

Lower rolling resistance

Without the friction and weight of inner tubes, tubeless tyres typically roll faster and more efficiently, offering a smoother and more responsive ride.

03.

Improved traction and control

Tubeless setups allow riders to run lower tyre pressures for increased traction and control, particularly in challenging terrain or when cornering aggressively.

04.

Sealant seals punctures

The sealant inside tubeless tyres can quickly and effectively seal small punctures as they occur, allowing you to continue riding without significant loss of air pressure.

Types of MTB Bicycle Tyres

Cross-country / XC / marathon: If you’re all about speed and climbing, and you’re a bit of a weight weenie or planning to race, cross-country mountain bike tires are for you. They’re thinner and lighter than the other options, and will roll faster. They generally have smaller, lower, and/or fewer knobs, and distinct front- and rear-specific tires are common.

While lighter means faster, the weight savings come at the expense of protection. XC tires have fewer layers of puncture and cut protection, so they may not be the best choice for gnarly trails, though burlier tires for cross country bikes are available.

Trail / all-mountain / enduro: For most people, this is what they mean when they say “Mountain Biking”. Moving up in travel, you have Trail bikes (120-140mm), All Mountain (140-170mm), and Enduro (160-180mm). The tires get bigger, tougher, and more aggressive as you move up that ladder, too.

Here, knobs are taller and start to get supporting trusses to hold up to higher speed, more aggressive cornering. Tire size and volume increase to offer more traction and support, and they add more protective layers to the casing. Some tires get dual rubber compounds to put more grip on the sides.

Downhill / DH / gravity: If you’ve ever been to a lift-served bike park, you know what downhill bikes look like. They’re burly, have massive suspension, and DH tires are built extra tough to withstand serious drops, huge obstacles, and hard hits.

Plus / fat bikes: These bikes are designed for wider tire clearance. Fat bikes are typically ridden in snow (or occasionally sand, like on beaches) because their massive volume provides great flotation in soft surfaces.

“Plus” bikes sit between fat and trail-sized tires, and had a brief period of popularity with 2.8″ to 3.0″ tires because the added width boosted comfort and traction. But the category has mostly gone away, and most regular mountain bikes and suspension forks won’t fit tires this wide.

Components of MTB Bicycle Tyres

Bead: The edge of the tire that fits into the rim. Wire beads are heavier and generally found on less expensive tires. Folding beads, which are often made from aramid fibers, are lightweight and often found on performance tires.

Casing: The internal part of the tire underneath the tread. A casing is made up of threads that are tightly woven together. A casings strength is charterized by TPI or threads per inch. A lower TPI number will have thicker threads and be heavier than a higher TPI number, but will offer more punture protection. Higher TPI numbers will have more threads per inch of casing but the threads are smaller, are not as protective, yet offer a more supple and smooth ride feel.

Tread

The part of the tire that contacts the ground. Tires meant for different types of riding dicsaplines and terrains will have different treads. for example cross-country tires have smaller tread blocks that are ramped for lower rolling resisance, as compared to an enduro or downhill tire, which will have larger tread blocks that will be designed for braking and traction chartcteristics

Puncture protection

Some performance tires have additional punture protcetion underneath the tread. Tires with a higher TPI count and usually road tires have some form of punture protection due to their lighter weight casings. These are often nylon "breaker belts" that offer additional punture protection and are placed between the carcass layers of the casing.

Sidewall

The side of the tire between the tire bead and the tread. Performance mountain tires will often use a butyl insert in the sidewall of the tire to help protect the tire from cuts and slashes caused by contacting rocks on the trail.

Process of MTB Bicycle Tyres

Preparing the compound for the production of rubber

For a tire to be made, a high-quality, flexible plastic – rubber – is needed. Tire factories create mixtures with well-defined physical and chemical parameters, which are then used to produce a durable elastomer. They are developed in terms of what type of tire is to be made from them. To create these compounds, latex, silica, dyes, among others, are used.

Manual processing

The best tires are only partially created by machines. Man is responsible for the precision of their manufacture.

Rubber belts, which were formed at an earlier stage of production, are carefully trimmed, and in sensitive areas they are reinforced. An additional layer of plastic is also applied to the resulting tire, which will become the tread in the near future.

Winding the rubber onto rolls

Tire rubber is placed in a drum, and when it is still soft, it is wound onto rollers at a 45° angle. It is then cut with sharp knives to the desired width, so that it can later be molded into tires for a bicycle. At the end of this the rubber is cooled to fix its shape.

Creating the tread

A vulcanization press with a special mold is used to create the tread. The tire is put into it, and under high pressure and temperature, grooves, indentations, larger and smaller cavities are formed on the tire. This creates the tread, which is responsible for the grip of the wheels to the ground while cycling.

How to Maintain MTB Bicycle Tyres

Tire care does not only consist of checking their condition periodically and being careful when you go out on the bike, but also managing them when the bike is not in use. It happens to everyone to take a break from cycling and leave it stationary for some time. In this situation there are some small tips and behaviours that prevent the tire from being damaged.

Where to store the bike: The place where they are kept is essential: it is recommended to leave the tires where the sunlight does not reach, such as a garage or cellar, places where temperatures are usually constant and rather cool. Therefore, avoid leaving them exposed to excessively hot temperatures for a long time, such as terraces, balconies, or gardens.

How to position the bike: Whenever possible, it is a good idea to hook the bicycle somewhere and keep it raised, helping relieve the tires from supporting the weight from the bike. The pressure of the tires, even if they are not being used, must always be in the acceptable range. This means that they should never be inflated to too high of pressures or at pressures leaving it totally "on the ground", as they would risk deforming. It should not be forgotten that with the passing of days and weeks the tire tends to lose pressure even if it is not used.

Pay attention to chemicals: There are products that can be applied to tires and wheels to make them brighter and more eye-catching. While these are not essential and do not improve the quality and performance of the tire, they do have a purely aesthetic purpose. You can use them, but it is important that they are used in the correct manner; if this is not the case, there is a risk of compromising or even worsening its qualities.

How Tire Tread Affects Your Riding (How You Ride)

Speed

You don’t have to be a racer to care about speed and efficiency. As a general rule, the smoother and tighter the tread pattern, the faster you can ride on hard pack surfaces. Tires with small, tightly packed knobs have a lower rolling resistance that’s great for XC racing or gravel riding.

Grip

Another critical part of tire choice is the traction that keeps you on the trail and riding in control. Tire grip comes from the interaction between the tread and trail surface. Each individual knob catches a piece of the trail and the raised edges of each lug allows for better traction. The types of trails you ride should determine how much grip you’re looking for.

Braking

Slowing down a mountain bike puts a lot of force into the tires, so the tread needs to be aggressive enough to push back against the trail. Braking suddenly with slick tires would lead to skidding down the mountain, but a knobby tread provides safe and predictable braking.

Recommended Mountain Bike Tyre Pressure

Finding the optimal tyre pressure for your mountain bike is crucial for achieving the right balance of traction, control, and comfort on the trails.

As a rule don't go over or under the manufacturers recommendation for your tyre. The recommended pressures are generally marked on the sidewall of the tyre. Tyre pressure will also be different dependant on if you run tubeless or not.

Here are some general guidelines to help you determine the recommended tyre pressure based on various factors:

Rider weight:
Lighter riders: Lighter riders may benefit from lower tyre pressures, as they exert less force on the tyres and can achieve better traction and compliance with lower pressures.
Heavier riders: Heavier riders may require higher tyre pressures to support their weight and prevent pinch punctures, particularly on rough terrain and jumps.

Terrain conditions:
Loose or soft terrain: Lower tyre pressures provide better traction and floatation on loose or soft terrain such as mud, sand, and snow. Decreasing tyre pressure allows the tyre to conform to irregularities in the trail surface, improving grip and control.
Hard-packed or rocky terrain: Higher tyre pressures offer increased stability and sidewall support on hard-packed or rocky terrain, reducing the risk of pinch flats and sidewall damage. However, excessively high pressures can result in reduced traction and a harsher ride.

Riding style:
Aggressive riding: Riders who ride aggressively or tackle technical terrain may benefit from slightly lower tyre pressures to improve traction and control. Lower pressures allow the tyres to deform and conform to the trail surface, enhancing grip while cornering, braking, and descending.
Cross country riding: Cross country riders may prefer slightly higher tyre pressures to maximize rolling efficiency and minimize energy loss.

Tyre width and volume:
Narrow tyres: Narrower tyres typically require higher pressures to maintain adequate sidewall support and prevent pinch flats. Higher pressures also help narrow tyres roll more efficiently on smoother surfaces.
Wide tyres: Wider tyres can be run at lower pressures to increase traction and comfort without sacrificing stability. Lower pressures allow wider tyres to conform to the trail surface and provide a larger contact patch for improved grip. Don't go too low though or you'll end up with the dreaded "snake bite". Then your ride is over unless you carry a spare tyre.

While these guidelines can provide a starting point for determining tyre pressure, it's essential to experiment with different pressures and adjust based on personal preference, riding style, and trail conditions.

Pay attention to factors such as tyre squirm, sidewall stability, and traction to find the optimal pressure for you. Regularly check and adjust tyre pressure before each ride to ensure its dialed exactly how you like it.

How a Tyre Supports its Load

It is commonly thought that the air pressure in a tyre supports the rim. If you think about it, this can not be true because the air pressure against the rim is equal, top and bottom. How, then, does a tyre support its load?

First of all, the role of air pressure in the tyre is to hold the fabric under tension -- in all abut one place, the contact patch with the road surface.

At the contact patch, the tread of the tyre is flattened against the road. Air pressure can only push directly outward, and so here, it pushes directly downward. The downward force of the air must equal the weight load, and so the area of the contact patch approximately equals the weight load divided by the air pressure. (Edge effects and skewing of the weave of the fabric may result in some difference.) For example, if the air pressure is 50 PSI and the weight loads is 100 pounds, the contact patch will be about two square inches.

The threads of the tyre fabric can transmit loads only lengthwise and in tension. How then, do they transfer the load from the contact patch to the rim?

Because the contact patch is flat against the road, the curvature of the sidewalls is increased, decreasing their tension, and the angle at which they approach the contact patch becomes shallower. These effects produce the bulge seen at the bottom of a tire under load and transfer the load from the contact patch to the tyre's sidewalls. The threads of the fabric are pulling downward less and outward more. The load is similarly transferred from the sidewalls to the rim. The sideways forces at the two sides are equal and opposite, and cancel out.

With a bias-ply tyre, the load is carried lengthwise in both directions along the tyre by the diagonal threads, so the bulge is longer and less deep than on a radial-ply tyre. In the early days of radial-ply car tyres, people often thought they were underinflated, because the bulge at the bottom was more pronounced.

A tyre, then, supports its load by reduction of downward pull, very much the same way that spoking of the wheel supports its load. The tension-spoked wheel and the pneumatic tyre are two examples of what are called preloaded tensile structures, brilliant, counterintuitive designs working together remarkably to support as much as 100 times their own weight.

Bias plies also help to transmit lateral and torque loads, by triangulating the connection between the contact patch and the rim -- much like the way the spokes of a semi-tangent spoked wheel transmit lateral and torque loads. With tubulars, the diagonal plies also work like a Chinese finger puzzle: the air pressure makes the tyre fatter, and so makes it shorter and helps hold it to the rim. Radial-ply tyres for bicycles have been tried -- Panasonic made them for a short time in the 1980s -- but they proved to have an odd feel due to their reduced lateral stability.

How Tire Tread Affects Performance

The design of the knobs—or lugs—on a set of knobby mountain bike tires varies widely. Understanding how these and other tire features affect performance will help you match your tires to your riding style.

01/

Big, widely spaced lugs bite into soft, muddy ground; wide channels do a good job of releasing the muck.

02/

Small, closely spaced lugs offer modest grip with low rolling resistance (more speed).

03/

Ramped lugs (slanting rearward): Typically in the center, they lower rolling resistance to help you go faster.

04/

Side lugs: Typically bigger, they provide extra grip in corners.

05/

Transition lugs: Located between the center and side lugs, they increase grip as you lean into a turn; the result is a smoother transition from center lugs to side lugs.

06/

Sipes: These slits within the lugs help them have better grip on hard, slick surfaces.

How Long Do Bike Tire Last

Bike tires are designed to last a certain amount of time and mileage. The average lifespan of a bike tire is around 2,000 miles.

However, this can vary depending on the type of tire, the riding conditions, and how often the bike is ridden.

A few things will affect how long your bike tires will last. The first is the type of tire you have. There are three main types of bike tires: road, mountain, and hybrid.

Road tires are typically made from thinner materials and don’t have as much tread as mountain or hybrid tires. This means that they will wear down faster than other types of tires.

Mountain bike tires are made from thicker materials and have more tread than road tires.

This makes them more durable but also heavier. Hybrid tires are a mix of road and mountain bike tires. They’re not as heavy as mountain bike tires but not as thin as road ones.

The second thing that will affect how long your bike tire lasts is the riding conditions. If you frequently ride on rough terrain, your tire will wear down faster than if you stick to smoother surfaces.

Additionally, if you ride in wet or icy conditions, your tire will wear down more quickly because the tread needs to grip the ground.

Finally, how often you ride your bicycle also affects your tire’s length. If you only ride occasionally, your tire may last several years.

However, if you’re an avid cyclist who rides every day, you may need to replace your tire every few months or even sooner.

Our Factory

Ontrack was created in 2009 with firmly committed to the progression of more people riding bicycles by engineering and producing quality, long-lasting bicycle tires that are attainable by the masses.

FAQ

Q: Can you use MTB tyres on road?

A: Yes it's possible as long as you can find mountain bike tyres in that same rim size AND the tread once inflated doesn't touch the forks and seat stays. Because both of these are unlikely, the likelihood of actually fitting MTB tyres in practice is low. What you might try instead is fitting gravel tyres.

Q: What is the difference between road bike tires and mountain bike tires?

A: Compared to the tires of a road bike, mountain bike tires are wider and larger. They are also stronger, more durable, and feature a knobby tread pattern, which provides better traction on uneven terrain.

Q: Is it bad to ride MTB tires on pavement?

A: Conclusion. Mountain bike tires are designed for off-road riding and don't last long on the pavement. The treads wear down quickly, and the tires can overheat from the friction. If you ride your mountain bike on pavement, expect to replace the tires every few months.

Q: What is an MTB tire?

A: Mountain Bike Tire Tread
Cross-Country Smaller tread blocks with a tighter spaced pattern and a faster rolling center. Usually harder rubber compounds. Trail/All-Mountain Intermediate sized tread. There are many variations depending on the terrain you ride in. Soft, medium, or hard rubber compounds.

Q: Do mountain bike tires wear faster on the road?

A: As mentioned above, gravel and mountain bikers may find that the uneven terrain they ride (and the unpredictability that comes with it) grills tires faster than the standard commuter or road ride. That being said, tackling long distances on asphalt can lead to more wear and tear just by nature of use.

Q: Why do mountain bikes have rougher tyres than road bikes?

A: Mountain bike tyres are wider and larger than those found on road bikes, which makes them stronger and more durable on rough terrain. Designed to handle rocks, roots, and ruts, mountain bike wheels and tyres are made to be durable and grippy on uneven ground.

Q: How long do MTB tires last on road?

A: The tires of a mountain bike used once or twice a week on soft dirt or smooth pavement can last 2-3 years. What is this? The mountain bike tires will not last long on pavements as the tires are designed to function properly on rough trails.

Q: Are tubeless tires better for MTB?

A: Firmer tires generally mean less grip when cornering. You can run your tubeless setups at much lower pressure without the risk of getting pinch flat. This means that you'll be able to take corners much faster before your front wheel washes out. Better climbs, smoother rides: Having trouble with a steep tricky climb?

Q: Are road tires faster than MTB tires?

A: The key difference is the traction provided by the tires, and also the wheel size to an extent. So yes, all things equal a road bike is considerably faster than a MTB. Road bikes are designed to be fast on smooth paved surfaces.

Q: Are mountain bike tires bad on road?

A: If you are wondering how to ride your mountain bike safely on the road with a better rolling efficiency, the best way is to get another set of wheels with road tyres and put them on your MTB for your road trips. Otherwise, you should choose mountain bike tyres that are also suitable for road use.

As one of the most professional mtb bicycle tyres manufacturers and suppliers in China, we're featured by quality products and competitive price. Please rest assured to wholesale the best mtb bicycle tyres for sale here from our factory.

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