WHY TIRES ARE SO IMPORTANT
The only touch point a bicycle has with the road is the tires. The experience of a bicycle ride is therefore largely influenced by a tire.
How do tires make a difference? Most importantly by enhancing safety through grip and puncture resistance. But tires can also absorb shock and reduce rolling resistance which leads to a faster and more comfortable ride. And all this has to do with casing.
CASING: THE HIGHER THE TPI, THE BETTER THE RIDE
The most important factor in determining a tire’s effect on a bicycle ride is the fabric used to construct its casing. A fabric with a fine, dense weave produces a softer and more flexible casing.
Flexible casing provides more grip due to more contact with ground.
Flexible casing provides more comfort due to absorbing more shock.
Flexible casing provides more speed due to low rolling resistance.
The density of the weave is expressed in threads-per-inch, or TPI: the greater the TPI count, the finer the thread and the denser the weave.
Therefore the greater the TPI count, the more flexible the tire.
COTTON: MOST FLEXIBLE CASING
Cotton is incredibly strong and incredibly thin producing casings with the highest possible TPI.
Not only does this bring the rider the most grip and the most comfort, but it also brings the most speed. This is because high-TPI cotting casings need less rubber in the tread which causes most rolling resistance.
There is no faster tire than a high-TPI cotton casing tire, like Vittoria Corsa CX. |
