Tires are expensive (for bikes)

"Highlander-Datsuns are Forever" (jamesbowland)
07/01/2016 at 16:25 • Filed to: tires, bikes

$55 for a 29 x 2.1 mountain bike tire, and this is actually a fairly good deal. It will last about 1-2 season or 1000-1500 miles depending on if it experiences a catastrophic failure like a sidewall cut.

DISCUSSION (21)

bob and john > Highlander-Datsuns are Forever
07/01/2016 at 16:29

dont remind me. I used to run 1.95 wide michilens on my XC racer. 60$ a tire

Highlander-Datsuns are Forever > bob and john
07/01/2016 at 16:33

Don’t look at the cost of high end road tires, that’s just highway robbery. $80 for 200 grams of rubber and string.

bob and john > Highlander-Datsuns are Forever
07/01/2016 at 16:37

oh I know. Have a devinci CX-3.

I worked in a high end bicycle shop, so I’ve seen it all at this point.

AM3R shamefully returns > Highlander-Datsuns are Forever
07/01/2016 at 16:43

Looking at tires for my car right now, 265/35/18.. about $350 per tire. Maybe that’s a good deal compared to bike tires.

Sneaky Pete > Highlander-Datsuns are Forever
07/01/2016 at 16:45

The rear tires on my car are 355 width (~14")and a little shorter than 29" in diameter (~27.5"). That’s roughly 7 mountain bike tires. 7 x $55 = $385. When I bought the tires they were about a hundred bucks more than that. Granted, they’ll last about 5-7 times longer than the bike tires...

Highlander-Datsuns are Forever > AM3R shamefully returns
07/01/2016 at 16:55

I can get 205/55 16's for my mazda for less than $100/tire, the R&D and materials that goes into car tires is much more than a bike tire.

Textured Soy Protein > AM3R shamefully returns
07/01/2016 at 17:51

Check out Kumho PS91. Mine in 235/35-19 and 275/30-19 were much cheaper than that. Unless you’re looking at 200 tread wear tires.

Speed > Highlander-Datsuns are Forever
07/01/2016 at 17:58

Word. I started pricing parts for my latest project and decided I might as well buy an entire parts bike for what tires and tubes will cost me. This old 60s Huffy served as lawn art for about two decades and now is getting put back on the road with a minimal polish, maximum patina restoration.

Kinja'd!!!

OPPOsaurus WRX > Highlander-Datsuns are Forever
07/01/2016 at 19:06

I need those exact tires

Highlander-Datsuns are Forever > OPPOsaurus WRX
07/01/2016 at 20:15

I have a 2.3 on my trek Rumble fish and it’s been great. The 2.1 will fit my hard tail Salsa much better. They mount tubeless very well and are very durable.

FTTOHG Has Moved to https://opposite-lock.com > Highlander-Datsuns are Forever
07/01/2016 at 20:48

They’ve always seemed disproportionately expensive to me. I usually just buy whatever WTB’s I can find on close out for $30 when new ones come out.

AM3R shamefully returns > Textured Soy Protein
07/02/2016 at 00:40

How do you like those so far? I’m looking for an UHP all season and have started finding a few sets I can get for around $600. 235/40 fronts and 265/35 rears.

Textured Soy Protein > AM3R shamefully returns
07/03/2016 at 09:11

I like them a lot, although the stock suspension on my car is a bit soft so it’s hard to tell exactly. It’s actually at my mechanic’s at the moment because it took him longer than he was expecting and I’m visiting my fiancee’s family out of town, so I should know how it drives very soon.

Personally, I think the only reason to get a UHP all-season tire is if you want one that works in the snow, and the only one I know of that works in the snow is the Continental DWS (and its replacement the DWS 06). Otherwise just run summer and winter tires.

AM3R shamefully returns > Textured Soy Protein
07/03/2016 at 12:07

I have DWS06 on my 328i and my C300. Nice tires, but not that sporty. Lots of grip, sure, but the sidewalls are ridiculously soft. Totally neutered the steering feel on the 328i. I run them at an extra 2psi and they still feel pretty soft and turn in isn't as sharp.

Textured Soy Protein > AM3R shamefully returns
07/03/2016 at 15:37

So here’s the thing, any all-season tire that’s more sporty than the DWS06 is going to be mediocre at best in the snow. Might as well drop the pretense of snow ability and get proper summer and winter tires. Unless you have absolutely nowhere to store whichever set of wheels & tires aren’t on the car at the moment.

AM3R shamefully returns > Textured Soy Protein
07/03/2016 at 20:32

I live right outside DC. Performance winters are mediocre at best (and extremely expensive). Its around 40 or below from mid November til around March so summers wouldn’t be good for nearly half the year.

I’ll take the hit and just drive careful when we get snow so I can enjoy my car more year round.

If you found the stock xDrive suspension soft, you definitely wouldn’t like the DWS06.

Textured Soy Protein > AM3R shamefully returns
07/03/2016 at 23:51

I’m in Wisconsin and swap tires mid/late November and March. You could easily stretch that range a few weeks.

Performance winter tires might be mediocre when it comes to sporty driving but they’re a lot better in the snow than even good all-season tires.

For me, I get a lot of snow so I prefer the performance winter tires to give me above average snow traction and something resembling sporty handling, for the ~4 months they’re on the car. The other 8 months of the year I get to enjoy proper summer tires.

When I got my car it had Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3 in the stock 225/40-18 and 255/35-18 size, which are supposedly one of the sportier UHP all-season tires. I’d describe their dry weather handling as “ok.” I’ve never been all that impressed with the good-weather performance of performance all-seasons.

Sure, it’s cheaper up front to run one set of all-seasons year round. But if you’re keeping the car a long while, eventually the costs even out, at least closer than you might think, since each set of tires lasts that much longer. Hell, when I got rid of my Mazdaspeed 6, I sold its stock wheels with still-good 5 year-old Blizzak LM-25s to another guy with a MS6 for $500 for the set.

Anyway, you like what you like, but I’ll take the proper summer tires for as long as I can keep them on the car.

AM3R shamefully returns > Textured Soy Protein
07/04/2016 at 02:54

Yeah if I lived up north like you I’m sure I’d be springing for winters. Just another excuse to buy more wheels lol, last thing I need.

How are you liking the car so far?

Textured Soy Protein > AM3R shamefully returns
07/04/2016 at 10:02

Overall I’m happy with the car. The stock suspension is too soft handling-wise but it and the non-runflat tires were a welcome improvement over my 135is with its M Sport suspension and RFTs.

I’m picking the car up from my mechanic today with all the new suspension stuff on it: Koni FSD shocks, B&G springs, shorter bump stops (E36 M3 front + Z4M rear), E93 M3 rear sway, Ground Control camber plates, adjustable end links for both sway bars, and poly bushings for front lower control arms, front sway bar, and rear subframe.

This should hopefully keep the ride comfy while improving the handling a lot.

The one thing I’m not really a fan of is the way too slow steering gear BMW inexplicably put on the xDrive cars. It’s 18:1 vs. I think 14:1 on the M Sport and 12.5:1 on the M3. But all the suspension bits and an alignment with a good amount of negative camber and positive caster in the front should at least make the turn-in bite better, if not reduce the number of turns lock to lock.

AM3R shamefully returns > Textured Soy Protein
07/04/2016 at 14:38

You should look into M3 front control arms. Make a world of difference in turn-in feel. I plan on installing mine next week (hopefully) when I get my 219m’s on. Should give the 335 a nice “instant” turn in feel. Pretty cheap too, the whole kit only costs ~$360 IIRC.

Textured Soy Protein > AM3R shamefully returns
07/04/2016 at 16:02

Can’t use them on the xDrive. It’s got a different front suspension. I got Strongflex poly bushings for the front lower control arms to achieve a similar result. I have the car back now and the steering is definitely initially firmer and bites quicker, but tough to pinpoint which part caused that. Going for an alignment tomorrow.