Can you recommend a good, as in low rolling resistance, good performance, not terribly expensive tire in 35-40mm width for 20" 451 diameter wheel? I recently came across a listing for the Vee Speedster in that size, but I know nothing about it.

I own a pair of VeeTire Speedsters 37-451, but haven't used them. Why not give them a try?



I rode kevlar Maxxis Torch 37-451 on my last 451er, and they were good. I'd give those a spin again.







Beware the channel gurus -- one in particular who's never seen a competent, affordable, non-European product he didn't dislike, deride or disdain -- who pooh-pooh tires labelled as BMX. I have had nothing but good experience with ostensible "BMX" tires like the Maxxis Torch, DTH and Grifter, and Kenda Kontact. And I have used them, rather than just hysterically heckling from Hasselt, so I speak from actual on-the-road experience.
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Thanks for the input. This is actually for a recumbent trike. I'm running a CST on it right now (CST City???), I like a tire with a little tread over a slick. I had CSTs mounted on my 16" (349) wheels, but the right one completely wore to the bottom of the tread in about 200 miles. It wore evenly so I don't think it was misalignment, and I didn't have any issue with the Schwalbe Kojaks before it. I just think that CST was a crap tire. Makes me a little nervous about CST...

(above) Yeah, misalignment in toe-in/out should affect both front tires, as they would equalize and you would steer straight but constant side-slip on both. For skinny bike tires, you should be able to check alignment easy without a formal alignment rack, by just measuring across from tire to tire, aft and center of tread and front at same, unless no clear center tread rib, in which case I would measure from inside rim sidewall on both. If either tire is off in camber (tilt), you should see it, but you can also measure the same across top and bottom of rim to check that, assuming your trike isn't designed for inward-tilting wheels, as some are I think. Regarding that, a bike tire tilted inward, naturally steers in that direction due to "camber thrust", so I *think* (not certain, been too many decades to remember) may need to have a slight toe-out to compensate, so the tires are not fighting each other.

Was this it?

Dude, if they every do a game show called Bicycle Jeopardy, you should get on it. You'd run the table. Or on regular Jeopardy, "And the category is... Small Wheel Bikes."

Yes, that looks like the guy.

I played Trivial Pursuit once. Invited by friends. I ran the table. But all USA references I think. After that they would tell others, "Never invite him to Trivial Pursuit."

Castle: Aw geez, Asian architecture is not my forte. Not going to cheat and google lens it. Hmm... tiger on it... like that's rare in Asia. I wonder if that biplane is a clue... oh, that's a dragonfly I think. Foilage could be anything from rhododendron to magnolia to madrona, that's no help.

No Dahon K3? Dang, that's pretty obscure reference... one would think present if other Dahons there. Hmm... I seem to recall Litepro making a clone, so perhaps in the city where they are based? Online says Hong Kong, but that would be just maildrop or headquarters, manufacturing would be elsewhere. Man I wouldn't have a clue if in China.

The stonework courses at the corners in particular, flared up and out, looks really, really Japanese. I've only been in Asia four days in Japan on business thirty years ago, but I think I recall that from the outer walls of the imperial palace when I jogged by very early morning (no folding bike!). But not Tokyo. Yeah now that I think about it, architecture is also really Japanese, but IIRC, that's a very common castle style in Japan. OK, now having to look at pics of castles in Japan; Gosh it looks a LOT like Hemiji Castle, but not exactly and not quite as high. But really similar style. Same for Nagoya, close, but not exact. Osaka Castle, the details match. I was able to narrow down to Japan, but further, I needed to look at pics of castles there. Half credit.

I don't see the hint connection to the Dahon D3, or lack of presence thereof.

By the way, are you a fan of the NHK show Cycling Around Japan? I personally think the show rocks. Gave me a greater appreciation of Japanese culture.

The bit about the Dahon K3 is in relation to a channel member saying that it was very popular in Japan. I haven't seen a single specimen in one of Japan's largest cities, but I did see a Dash.

Ok. 200 miles lifespan is unacceptable. On the other hand, the tire sells for under $8 here so one cannot ask too much, but certainly one can expect more than 200 miles from a $8 tire.
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Anywhere else I'd say that is weird, the Dash is more rare (actually I've never seen a Dash or K3 here in the pacific northwest USA), but it's Japan, and I've heard that is THE place for minivelos.

Y'know, honestly, until discovering the folding forum on here this year, I never knew how much of a bike culture there is in Japan, not a clue. I saw a hint of it last year, reading about nice rides and boutique builders in Japan in Bicycle Quarterly (discovered they stock at my local library mag section!), but I thought that was just serious bike-heads over there, just like here. I didn't realize how much more popular biking is there, at least I think. I wish I had known during my visit in the '90s, I might have tried to seek out a bike shop just to look. Boss I was traveling with kept a tight rein, wanted us in and out quick, didn't allow me to schedule a vacation day there.

I like NHK, yes, but I understand their cycling show is staged rather than impromptu. One the best things I've seen on NHK is a rendition of Astor Piazzolla's Libertango accompanied with Japanese flutes. Watch it.

FYI, CST sells this same tire under the model name Sensamo Firenze too.

Wow, quite a rendition on the flute. I never appreciated the accordian when I was young, it was considered a boring old-person's instrument, everything was rock and roll. Now I appreciate it.

Cycling Around Japan: Well, I did question Bobby Judo (one of the many hosts) doing a long road ride in skinny jeans. I also questioned his ability to just walk up to a vegetable farmer and get a sample of a dish prepared with it. So obviously prepped. But what I like about the show is that every small town biked to, has some sort of craft good produced, like an heirloom vegetable, not the most productive, but the best flavor, a bean paste, lacquered chopsticks, dozens of other things that helped me understand now, why my past wishes of their markets being flung open to cheaper foreign imports, might not be best, what would be lost.

Elsewhere I've read, I think there are two main cities where quality knives are produced, everything from mass production, to dozens of mom-and-pop small companies that still do everything by hand, I'd love to see that. Fortunately today, at least we have videos of that.

I have used CST tires before, never had one do this. I suspect I just got a bad one. The left one still looked almost new! The tread pattern looks like they are copying Schwalbe Marathons.