When tire shopping for the first time, you'll notice a stark price difference between two seemingly identical tire models.
Today we seek to clarify a key aspect of the tire purchasing process. In this article, we will showcase the difference between a Wired tire and Foldable tire, explaining the reasons for the cost difference as well as the potential performance gains.
It’s All in the Bead
The primary difference between a Foldable tire and a Wired tire comes in the construction of the tire’s bead. The Tire Bead is a technical term for the inner edge that sits against the Wheel / Rim upon installation.
In the image above, the yellow strands exiting the tire’s bead represent the Kevlar material. For now, you can ignore the TPI metric. That is a topic for another time and does not pertain to the Foldable vs. Wired tire conversation.
Folding tires feature a bead produced from Kevlar. The Kevlar material is extremely lightweight and flexible. You can easily identify a foldable tire through its packaging as they can be neatly folded up (hence the name). The Kevlar material produces a more pliable tire allowing it to conform into shapes like the image below.
‘Steel is Real’
Wired tires features a steel wire bead. These tires offer more rigidity and are incapable of folding. Unlike Kevlar, Steel is a heavier and stiffer material causing Wire tires to weigh a bit more than folding tires. The difference in weight is considered the primary drawback of Wired tires.
Performance
Folding tires are considered to be the superior racing option because of their ‘premium’ Kevlar construction. The Kevlar bead produces a lighter tire, which assist in reducing Rotational weight. This is attractive to racers because lighter tires accelerate quicker. Similar to most things on a race bike, Lighter = Faster!
On the other hand, Wired tires provide more rigidity thanks to the stiffer steel bead. However, it’s hard for a wired tire to compete with a folding tire in terms of performance. As you’ll soon learn, Wired tires have their advantages outside of pure performance though.
Pricing
Wired tires are considerably cheaper than Foldable tires. The simplicity of the steel tire bead cuts down on manufacturing cost producing a cheaper tire. As a result, you get a tire that is nearly identical to it’s more expensive Foldable sibling but at a cheaper price.
For some racers, the sheer difference in price may be the sole reason they choose Wired over Foldable.
The Low Down
Keep in mind that the performance benefits between the two tire beads is nearly negligible on track. there is a difference, but it’s pretty damn hard to notice a few 100 grams during the heat of battle. If you’re wondering on which to buy, that answer depends on your budget and the goal of your build.
Budget conscious riders will be more incline to pick up Wired tires. With the continually increasing cost of tires these days, it may be best to purchase quantity over quality. With the performance benefits being so marginal on track, some might seek value over performance.
On the other hand…
If your goal is to build the lightest race bike out there, then foldable is the way. Toe-to-toe, foldable tires are the superior choice, hence the price hike. If you’ve already invested into an expensive wheel set and use lightweight tubes like tubolitos; you should stick to folding because steel beads will counteract the performance benefits you're seeking with the expensive tubes/wheels. If the budget allows for it, then foldable is usually the way to go.
Ultimately you will have to decide for yourself. You can save a few bucks by purchasing a slightly heavier tire, or you can spend a little bit more and get the lightest tire possible! Regardless of which you choose, we have a full collection of the industry’s best tire models and manufactures. Click here to browse all the tires we have in stock or get in touch with us for any questions concerning BMX Racing.
About Us
Full Tilt Bike Co. is a specialty race shop based out of Minnesota. We’re rider owned and operated, sourcing many of the latest bmx racing products. You can catch us at the USA BMX nationals supplying racers nationwide.
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