When you buy a complete road bike, it almost certainly comes with clincher tires.

Many wheels themselves are designed specifically for clincher tires, and it's probably safe to say that the vast majority of people use clinchers.

Let's take a moment to learn about clincher tires, which are such an everyday presence.

History of Clincher Tires

The oldest form of bicycle tire is the tubular tire. This type involves an integrated tube-like structure, where a tube is covered with rubber and glued to the rim.

Even today, due to their light weight, they are widely used for competitive on-road cycling.

Following the tubular tires of the early days, the clincher tire, which is the subject of this article, was developed.

As you know, clincher tires, which consist of a separate tire and inner tube, offer various advantages and dominate the current bicycle tire market.

Nevertheless, up until the 1980s, when road bikes were called "road racers" and treated as competitive sports vehicles, tubular tires were the mainstream for road bikes.

The main advantage, as mentioned earlier, was their light weight, and in case of a flat tire during a race, the entire wheel could be replaced, so the difficulty of changing a tire was not an issue.

Then, from the mid-1990s, as road bikes gradually gained public acceptance and became widespread, clincher tires emerged as the mainstream choice for road bike tires.

Types of Clincher Tires

The idea that road bikes are exclusively for on-road use is now a thing of the past.

Currently, types that can also be ridden off-road, such as gravel bikes and cyclocross bikes, have been added.

Therefore, in addition to conventional sizes like 700x23C and 700x25C, tires with considerably wider dimensions such as 700x38C and 700x40C, and block-patterned tread surfaces, are also available.

If a tire is wider, its outer diameter also increases. This requires a dedicated frame, and it's worth remembering that there's a limit to the size that can fit into a conventional road bike.

About inner tubes to match clincher tires

Actually, the grip and ride comfort also change depending on the inner tube used inside the tire.

Currently, there are mainly three types of materials to choose from, but two of them are what you might call "competition tubes" and are not very practical for everyday use.

① Butyl Tubes

These are the most common type of inner tube. They have a consistent thickness, resist air leakage, are durable, and are easy to install, making them highly practical and widely used.

② Lightweight Butyl Tubes

These are lightweight tubes designed for racing. They are lighter because they are made thinner, but they are more prone to punctures from pinch flats and require extreme care during installation.

③ Latex Tubes

These high-performance tubes offer improved grip and ride comfort compared to butyl tubes.

However, their air pressure drops in about a day, so they should be considered strictly for racing.

Of course, this is not to say that you shouldn't go touring with race-specific tubes, fully aware of their drawbacks.

The joys of cycling are boundless, and deliberately using thrilling, high-performance parts is also a wonderful act.

Clincher, Tubular, Tubeless

So far, I've only covered clinchers and tubulars, but there's still the tubeless option.

I'd like to introduce tubeless tires in a separate article on another day, but currently, they are arguably one of the most talked-about parts among cyclists.

While tubeless offers many advantages, there are also factors such as uncertainty during installation and difficulty in case of a flat, which is why many people are currently taking a wait-and-see approach.

Some manufacturers, like the pioneering Company M, are taking advanced approaches, but generally, there are difficult aspects such as compatibility with wheels, so we have high expectations for future technological developments.

As for ICAN, we are actively working on incorporating tubeless tires, which have many advantages, and a significant number of our products are tubeless compatible.

Summary

The wave of innovation in road bikes has also reached tires, and in a way, we are in a position to witness it as a testament to the times.

Aluminum frames were made, then carbon, and disc brakes are becoming widespread. The joy of riding off-road with gravel and cyclocross bikes has increased, and derailleurs are becoming electric.

What a wonderful era we live in.

Keep trying new things and keep riding!

And don't forget, ICAN is with you!

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