Originally Posted by
downwinded
Is there a difference in the ride of wire bead compared to folding bead tires? Is the ride based on tire / sidewall composition more so than the bead?
Comparing 2 different tires, both with 60 TPI, the wire seems much more harsh to me.
Are these tires otherwise identical? The bead type shouldn't make any difference in the ride quality - just a marginal weight savings. But higher quality tires are frequently only available with a Kevlar bead since they're targeted at a market that pays more attention to the weight as well as other performance characteristics. When I've used two tires made by the same manufacturer and of the same construction just with one using a steel bead and the other Kevlar I haven't noticed any difference when riding.