Timeline for Why do bike tires suffer from frequent punctures whereas car tires don't?
Current License: CC BY-SA 4.0
10 events
| when toggle format | what | by | license | comment | |
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| Jun 29, 2020 at 18:30 | comment | added | J... | Car tires also have steel belts with cap and radial plies added - there is much more protection between the rubber and air in a motor vehicle tire. It's not just thicker - it's tougher all the way through. Cycle tires are also typically inflated to much higher pressures - double or more that of vehicle tires. Higher pressure reduces the headroom in the rubber to deflect and absorb sharp point pressure. | |
| Jun 29, 2020 at 11:23 | comment | added | HAEM | @Carel "cycling tyres would be considered worn-out right from the beginning" is the point I'm trying to make. | |
| Jun 29, 2020 at 9:45 | comment | added | Carel | @HAEM: Yes but the comparison is wonky because cycling tyres would be considered worn-out right from the beginning if you applied if you applied these standards, even some MTB or gravel tyres. And the type of puncture in a car tyre differs greatly from a cycling tyre. | |
| Jun 29, 2020 at 9:17 | comment | added | cmaster - reinstate monica | Btw, the effect of tire thickness can easily be observed with bike tires as well: Use a thin racing slick, and you are likely to patch after 100km. Use a serious puncture proof tire, and you can expect to do 10000km without puncture. The entire difference is a bit of extra rubber in the center of the tire... | |
| Jun 29, 2020 at 9:15 | comment | added | cmaster - reinstate monica | @Carel Yep. Car tire: 10cm wide contact patch, 2.5 bar pressure, 250km/h max speed. Bike tire: 2cm wide contact patch, 5 bar pressure, 100km/h max speed. It's clear why the later won't fly on water while the former is all too ready to do so. | |
| Jun 29, 2020 at 8:46 | comment | added | HAEM | @Carel The point I was trying to illustrate is how much thicker a car's tyre is compared to a bicycle's. | |
| Jun 29, 2020 at 7:46 | comment | added | Carel | @HAEM: Car tyres need grooves because they have to evacuate water through these. Else the phenomenon known as aquaplaning happens. On formula cars, slick tyres can be used on dry surface only. Bicycle tyres for road use don't need any grooves at all. The contact patch on the road is very small and the pressure on that surface is great enough to push away any water from under the tyre. | |
| Jun 28, 2020 at 14:55 | comment | added | HAEM | For reference, I took a caliper to a piece of my retired Schwalbe Marathon summer tyre. The groove near the edge of the sidewall is about 2mm deep. The recommendation for cars is to start thinking about replacing your tyres when the main groove is 4mm deep. | |
| Jun 28, 2020 at 14:39 | comment | added | Daniel R Hicks | And you forgot to mention spoke pokes, due to a poorly built rim or weak rim tape. And then there's punctures due to poor tool use when installing the tire. | |
| Jun 28, 2020 at 14:13 | history | answered | Daniele Procida | CC BY-SA 4.0 |