Guide to repairing a punctured tyre part ii: bike tyres & tubes explained

In part 2 of our series on bike tyres, find out how to make the right decision on which tyre or innertube is right for your bike!

Purchasing a new tyre or inner tube for your bike can be confusing BUT it doesn't have to be.

What size, width or valve type do you look for?

Read on to find out which one you should buy for your bicycle in Singapore.

Sizes and dimensions

When looking for a new inner tube or tyre, a good starting point is to have a look at the size and dimensions of your current setup.

To find that out, simply check the side of your tyre - the dimensions should be embossed or printed on the side.

Here's what to look out for:

Size:
Referring to the diameter of the wheel. Depending on what type of bicycle you have, this measurement may be in inches or millimetres.

The size of the tyre/innertube MUST match the wheel. Any different combination will not work.

Width:
This refers to the cross-sectional diameter of the tyre when inflated.

This dimension is generally found together with the tyre size when printed on the tyre. eg. 27.5 x 2.0 inches or 700 x 25mm.

When choosing a new innertube, look out for the range of widths that the innertube can accommodate.

Your tyre should fall within that range, if not, you might run a higher risk of puncturing the inner tube, or the tube may not fit into the tyre at all.

Valve type

Do note that valves come on the innertube and you cannot purchase a separate, spare valve if your current tube's valve is faulty.

There are generally two types of valves to look out for:

Shrader:
The most common type, pictured above, is found on most kids', city, hybrid, and mountain bikes.

Presta:
More commonly found on road bikes and higher-end mountain bikes.

These can be identified by their conical valve caps and screw top (as seen in the photo).

We highly recommend that you stick with the valve type of your previous innertube.

Choosing the wrong valve may result in the valve not being able to fit through the valve hole of the wheel.

Last things to note

Here are some final tips:

1. Both front and rear tyres must match at least in dimensions, if not in thread pattern as well so as to avoid an awkward ride feel.

2. It is possible to get a different tyre width - you just need to ensure that your bicycle is able to accommodate the larger tyre.

3. Different tyres may have different recommended pressures, do take note of this when you're pumping up a new tyre.

We hope you found this article useful! If you haven't read the first part of this series yet, click on the article below.

Read part 1 here:

Guide to repairing a punctured tyre Part 1: How to repair

Looking to learn how to repair a punctured bike tyre? Here's part 1 of 2 in a guide on how to repair a punctured tyre - read on!