Tire price is something I steered clear of in this, because, well, I just did. Something to consider though: MOST tire brands are having their tires manufactured by one of a handful of tire factories. Those factories will take the tread design that the tire brand wants implemented, and offer the brand a choice of several different compounds. The tire brand does not get to decide the formulation of those compounds. Unless the brand is Continental, Michelin, Specialized, Maxxis (Cheng Shin), and maybe a couple others. And even then, many of these brands will use a basic off the rack formula for their budget tires. Compounding is a very secretive affair, and tire companies guard their formulation and their inventory very closely. This, along with production quantities, and relative sophistication of casing manufacture, is part of why bicycle tires are likely to cost as much as some car and motorcycle tires. They are more painstakingly designed, and then produced in much lower quantity with more precision than the off the rack car tire produced in the millions.
April 12, 2024, 8:58 a.m. - Mike Ferrentino
Tire price is something I steered clear of in this, because, well, I just did. Something to consider though: MOST tire brands are having their tires manufactured by one of a handful of tire factories. Those factories will take the tread design that the tire brand wants implemented, and offer the brand a choice of several different compounds. The tire brand does not get to decide the formulation of those compounds. Unless the brand is Continental, Michelin, Specialized, Maxxis (Cheng Shin), and maybe a couple others. And even then, many of these brands will use a basic off the rack formula for their budget tires. Compounding is a very secretive affair, and tire companies guard their formulation and their inventory very closely. This, along with production quantities, and relative sophistication of casing manufacture, is part of why bicycle tires are likely to cost as much as some car and motorcycle tires. They are more painstakingly designed, and then produced in much lower quantity with more precision than the off the rack car tire produced in the millions.