How to Choose the Right Bicycle Tyre and Inner Tube
What type of bicycle tyre should I choose?
- When buying bicycle tyres, it’s important that they fit your bike and your cycling style. That is, inch size and tyre type.
- You need to start with the type of bike you have and whether you need an extra-reinforced bicycle tyre that helps to protect against punctures.
- You also need to decide what type of tyre tread you want. The more treaded the tyre, the tougher the surface you can ride on.
In our range you will find:
- Mountain bike tyres
Bicycle tyres for mountain bikes. - City/standard tyres
Bicycle tyres for city bikes and standard bikes. - Racing tyres
Bicycle tyres for road bikes
How to choose the right bicycle tyre size
To find the right bicycle tyre size, you need to keep two things in mind:
- Tyre diameter
- Tyre width
The tyre dimensions can be found on the side of the tyre and consist of different types of measurements. It usually looks like the image below, where the different types of measurements are underlined in different colours.
Explanation of measurements
- Pink
The first measure (in pink in the image) is the size of the tyre in millimetres and is called ETRTO. It indicates the tyre width (40 mm) and the rim bed diameter (622 mm), i.e. the inner diameter of the tyre. - Blue
The second measure (in blue in the image) is the size of the tyre in inches. It indicates the tyre’s outer diameter (28), profile height (1 5/8) and width (1 1/2) in inches.
On a mountain bike tyre, only the outer diameter and width are indicated, for example 29 x 2.2. - Green
The third measure (in green in the image) is the so-called French size, and indicates the outer diameter of the tyre in millimetres (700 mm) and the width of the tyre (38 mm).
Which measure should I use?
When looking for a new bicycle tyre, use the measurement you feel most comfortable with.
But we recommend using the ETRTO dimensions when looking for tyres for a standard bike, and inch dimensions for mountain bikes.
Bring old bicycle tyres at our stores
It can be a good idea to bring along the old tyre to the store so you can compare. It is usually possible to get a tyre that is slightly wider or narrower than the original if you prefer. Just keep in mind that when changing to a wider tyre, there must be space for it inside the mudguards, V-brakes and fork.
Which inner tube should I choose?
Once you know the size of your new tyre, you can easily find a suitable inner tube with corresponding dimensions. Keep in mind that an inner tube can fit many different tyre widths as long as the diameter is the same. In our range, you can find the dimensions of the inner tube in the product name and in the technical specifications on the website, as well as on the packaging in our stores.
In the image below, you can see an example of measurements that may be included in the product name.
Technical information - Explanation of the technical specification for our bicycle hoses.
Explanation of measurements
- 28”
This number in the product name represents the outer diameter of the tyre in which the inner tube fits. - 35/44
This number represents the width of the tyre in which the inner tube fits. In this case, the inner tube is suitable for tyres with a width of 35-44 mm. - 622/630 mm
This number represents the inner diameter of the tyre in which the tube fits. In this case, the inner tube is suitable for tyres with an inner diameter of 622/630 mm.
The right valve
It is not only the size of the inner tube that determines whether it fits your tyre. You also need to have the right valve to inflate your tyres.
There are different valves to choose from. It is important that you choose a valve that fits the valve hole in the rim and is long enough to reach through the rim.
Our different valves
Dunlop valve
The Dunlop valve was used almost exclusively in the past and is also called the “English valve”. The Dunlop valve has the same diameter as the Schrader valve, and therefore fits the same valve hole in the rim.
Schrader valve
This is the most common valve on bicycles today. The Schrader valve is the same as the valves found on cars, and is also called the “American valve”. The advantage of this valve is that you can pump it at almost any filling station. The Schrader valve has the same diameter as the Dunlop valve and therefore fits the same valve hole in the rim.
Presta valve
The Presta valve is used on more advanced road bikes and mountain bikes where higher tyre pressure is desired. The Presta valve uses the same type of pump as the Dunlop valve, but is smaller in diameter, which means the hole in the rim is smaller and thus not compatible with the Dunlop or Schrader valves.
