What Do Mountain Bike Tire Sizes Mean

Outer tire diameters can be 26 27 5 or 29.

What do mountain bike tire sizes mean. The larger number is the tire diameter while the smaller number is the tire width. While you can find a variety of bikes with wheel sizes ranging from 16 to 27 5 inches the most common sizes include 26 inches 27 5 inches 29 inches and 700c. Therefore a 20 622 tire is a tire 20mm wide that fits on a rim with 622mm in diameter typically a road bike rim or a 29er one. As long as your replacement tire size matches your original though no need to worry about what style of bike you might have mountain bike tires.

Also the rim s diameter expressed in this manner coincides with the inner diameter of the tire. What do 26in 27 5in and 29in actually mean. Widths range from 1 9 to nearly 5. The actual outer diameter of the tire may vary based on the tread pattern so the bds bead seat diameter is the measurement of the inner diameter of the tire.

To simplify everything â the best sizing to use is the etrto number as it is a universal standard and is based off the technical measurement of the tires. Finding the right inner tube depends on the size of the tires on your bike. Nowadays bicycle tire sizes are all marked according to etrto european tire andrim technical organization or iso european standard however older english and french tire size dimensions are still used as well. Between 18 622 and 25 622 there are tyres of 19 20 22 and 23mm section.

This is commonly done using inches although millimeters can be used as well. These sizes can be thought of as a sort of shorthand for decimal sizes each with a corresponding iso measurement. Sizes written as decimals such as 2 75 are different than sizes expressed as fractions such as 2 3 4. The table below lists most of the sizes of tyre that are likely to be found in the uk.

Different bike types use vastly different sizes. Whether you are mountain biking on dry trails in utah or through the waterfalls of iceland having the right tires is crucial for the best riding experience. Read the size carefully. The example sizes below give you a rough guide for tire sizes on different types of bikes today.

Tires are essential to mountain biking the type of terrain you ride and they can have a big impact on your riding experience. The sizes you commonly see for mountain bike wheels like 26in 27 5in and 29in all refer to the outside diameter of the wheel with the tire fully inflated. A hybrid of road and mountain tires cyclocross tires are labeled as 700c and have widths indicated in millimeters like road bikes yet are knobbie like mountain bike tires. There is also the french system that measures the sizes we re talking about 700x20c.

There are multiple tires to consider and it s important to understand tire size.