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?

Comparing 2 different tires, both with 60 TPI, the wire seems much more harsh to me.

I never noticed that much of a difference, other than the difference in price(wire bead=cheaper). I'm sure, some folks focus really hard, to notice the differences and say other wise.
I use folding bead tires, like I use my folding bicycle...its more compact for storage. The weight of the steel wire, is not that noticeable, IMO.

Aramid folding bead tires are lighter. Not that it would matter much unless you were racing. I haven't used a wire bead for a long time, so take this with some skepticism, but I find Aramid bead very difficult to get on the RIM.

I wouldn't think there would be any tangible difference in the ride - it may be attributable to the difference in the tires, not the bead. Folding are generally targeted to a higher end rider, so the tire quality is probably better.

I really liked the Bontragers when I put them on the old bike. Wound up letting them go with bike thinking if I don't like the Kendas that came on the new bike, I can upgrade later. I think I'm there. Kind of disapointed. The Kendas look good and do not make noise when cornering. Not sure of the difference in materials or construction, but the H2's with about 10% less than max pressure really seemed to yeild a good ride.

I don't read much about the Bontrager tires on here one way or the other. Is there a particular reason?

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.

The type of bead will affect the weight more than the ride. But for ride quality the bead type is not as important as the TPI (threads per inch). The higher the TPI the more supple the side wall is and more responsive the tire is. When you have a bike with 4.8 inch wide tires you really notice the difference in the TPI.

I would say no difference, certainly not in terms of feeling harsh or not. Wire is heavier, which theoretically adds to rolling weight (which is theoretically an exponential relation to weight) but is also not just theoretically but empirically much easier to open/close so a lot easier to deal w/ tube punctures.

Nice (light and supple) tires are usually only available with a Kevlar bead.

Living in a 450 sq. ft. apartment, the big thing for me is storage space. I have seven new tires and my two cyclocross tires stored on a shelf in a credenza in the living room, along with a whole lot of other stuff. It lets me buy when they're on sale, and they're stored where I'll work on the bikes.

It helps too, that my preferred three-seasons tires come only in folding bead. Only my studded snow tires are wire bead. They get stored away in the basement storage locker.

Thanks for the replies gents.

I guess I should link these for a side by side comparison.
The Kenda Kourier in 700 x 40
https://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/31DGsSOYGvL.jpg
The Bontrager H2 in 700 x 38
https://bontrager.com/model/07796

The TPI was what I thought was more important to ride quality. I'm not sure what Kenda uses for their "iron cap" flat protection. The H2 uses kevlar. I know the tread doesn't really help with anything on pavement, and may actually slow it down some.

Trying to learn something here. Will probably cough up for the H2's before long. Just trying to use what came on the bike a save a buck!

Those tires both appear to have heavy treads. Do you really need that? The Kenda looks like it would ride worse by the appearance of te tread, but I'm jus guessing. I usually ride on the Panaracer Pasela. I like lightweight tires.

tsl, 425 square feet? Wow.

Remeasured this morning. It's 450 sq ft (roughly 18 x 25). Since moving back to the city in the mid-90s, I've tried several apartment styles and sizes. I find I'm happier in smaller spaces, the sort where you don't really enter the place so much as put it on. This space is just about perfect for me. I could use a smidge more space in the sleeping alcove for the queen size futon to fit better. Alternatively, I could drop down to a double.

I'm in what was (and remains) a high-income desirable section of town. George Eastman's (of Eastman Kodak) 54-room shack is four doors down the street. My building dates from the early 20th century and was originally 23 luxury apartments, each with attached servant's quarters. It's now 46 separate apartments. (You don't need to guess which kind I'm in.) While it's filled-in, the adjoining door frame to the apartment next door is still visible in my kitchen.

And I thought I had problems with crappy tires! LOL. If your good, more power to ya. That seems pretty cramped to me and we have downsized with age.

Playing with air pressure, I may get the ride worked out. I still think the Kendas are slow.

Noglider, the Panaracers look ok. I am more comfortable with some flat protection. The Panaracers that have that are the same weight as the H2's. The H2's really don't have that heavy of a tread. The Kendas do.

At least we have some decent weather coming so I can conduct more extensive testing!!!

The ride comes from carcass construction.

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.

We visited Eastman House a couple of years ago... an odd man with a nice house.

I've had a problem with Schwalbe Mondials folding tires blowing off what is probably a too-wide rim (Velocity Psycho) but only the rear, not the front. The folding tires seem to go on a bit too easily. The wired version doesn't blow off but has a flat spot (manufacturing defect).

Don't know why (other than cost) but the Mondial wired has an inferior compound and sidewall as compared to its folding brother.

No, I don't have crappy tires or tire problems, I have four bikes. I buy chains, brake pads, cables, tires, and other wear parts in bulk ahead of time when I run into a good price. I always buy tires in sets of three since the rear wears out at twice the rate of the front.

So the seven tires I have in stock, are a new set of three Conti 4000S for the Ti bike, which will need tires by summer. The other four are Conti 4-Seasons (one 28 and three 25) for the other three bikes, and one that was intended for the Ti bike, but will become a spare for the others. And the cross tires too.

Drop me a line next time you come across the lake. I'll show you the sights by bike. If you ride a 56, 57, or 58, you don't need to bring a bike even, just your pedals and shoes.

Sorry tsl, I didn't make myself clear. I did not mean you had tire problems. Rather, if I had to live in that small a space, I would have problems. The crappy tires can be easily overcome, if I would loosen up the purse strings a little bit.

Actually I had a really small living space when I was single, many years ago. It was not so bad, in fact, sort of "convenient". There was some adjacent storage space, so I still had room for some of my crap. Its amazing how much we humans accumulate. To the point of not even knowing what we have, or exactly where it is if we do have it. A smaller space forces you into a different mindset.

It's likey that I originally found this on BF but if you really want wired it bears repeating:

^^^^^

Just what I need; A "tire" that makes cornering on dry pavement, just as exciting as cornering in ice.

I use both wire and folding. I like wire Gatorskins on my road bike and folding Paselas on the commuter. My preference is mostly based on what's stocked at the local shop. I can't tell the difference between the two types of beads.

If you ride a lot in the winter or rainy conditions, a wire bead can often end up with corrosion problems. A folding tire won't - which isn't to say that the rim and nipple interfaces won't still need attention and preventative maintenaince.

I can't tell feel the difference between the two. I prefer the folding bead because it stores so compactly in my bicycle storage bin. Easier to change the tires with too. Some of those wire beads, Continental to name one, can be very tough to mount.

As others said, folding tires are generally better quality so they would tend to ride better then wire beads. The main difference, however, is that folders are lighter weight. The lighter weight of folders is a big advantage if you are riding on hilly terrain or need to carry a spare tire -- such as while bike touring. I use folding tires on all of my bikes because it is very hilly where I ride and I need all the help I can get climbing.