Recumbent - Tires for the R200

Now that we have a few miles each on the R200, we are enjoying it very much. That leads to the question of how long will these old cracked and yellowed tires last? The wheels are Bontrager Maverick, ERD 390 (whatever that means). Which leads directly, where do we get replacement high-pressure 20" tires that will work with our new family member?

The tires on the bike, which we were told were the originals, are Tioga brand, 20x1.75 30-90 psi tires with sidewalls that were probably white originally. They are basically slick with small cylindrical "holes" along the "edges."

How narrow a tire can we install? How wide? I understand the relationship between width and comfort, but comfort doesn't really seem to be an issue compared to our road bikes:D

Thanks for any and all comments, suggestions, criticisms, opinions, and dirty looks.

Fran McHugh
Winslow, AZ

The tires you're referring to were "Comp Pools" and were originally designed for use on BMX bikes doing tricks in empty pools. The holes are wear indicators on an otherwise slick tire.

I don't know how wide your rim is; but if you measure them, you can go to the bottom of the page here (http://www.sheldonbrown.com/tire-sizing.html) and get a conservative estimate of what widths will fit.

BikePedia shows that the 2001 R200 came with the Bontrager Maverick rims with Primo Comet 20x1.35" tires. Those tires are available, as are 20x1.5" Comets, which are a bit wider. You'll be looking for 406 tires, as opposed to 451 tires.
One good source for recumbent tires is http://www.hostelshoppe.com/

Thanks! I was confused by the "390" on the rim and the "406" on the tires. I've ordered the Primo Comet 1.35s.

I had to google ERD:
E.R.D.
Effective Rim Diameter. This is the rim diameter measured at the nipple seats in the spoke holes, plus the thickness of the two nipple heads. The E.R.D. is needed for calculating the correct spoke length.

That's from Sheldon Brown's glossary: http://www.sheldonbrown.com/gloss_e-f.html

Have fun!

I've ordered a pair of the Comet 20x1.35s. In the meantime I'm pumping up the old tires - taking them from 35-40ish to 60-70ish. I'll probably do it in 10 psi increments to keep an eye on the old tires/tubes.