Originally Posted by
downwinded
Apologies to PJMC. Did not mean to hijack the thread with his tire question.
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?
The ride comes from carcass construction.
Comparing 2 different tires, both with 60 TPI, the wire seems much more harsh to me.
Much of the market segment which prefers lower rolling resistance over longer tire life also likes light tires, so the fastest tires (implying supple carcasses without much tread) often come with folding beads.