Sgt8706

What is the main difference, if any, between foldable and wire tires? By difference I mean as far as rideability.

FrozenK

Wire bead tires are usually heavier than their folding bead counterpart. They are also often made with a less supple casing and/or harder rubber which can increase rolling resistance.

tclune

I would also expect that wire beads don't come off the rim as easily when you hit a pothole -- they sure don't come off easily when you're trying to fix a flat! But I suppose it's a matter of taste whether you consider losing the tire to be a "rideability" issue...

Retro Grouch 

Folding tires weigh less and cost more. They also store more compactly. I think that folding tires are a little more awkward to install initially but, once they've gotten some shape into them, act about the same as wire bead tires.

JanMM

Other than differences related to the lighter weight of a folding tire, there should be no difference in performance between folding and non-folding versions of the same tire model.
I've dealt with only two sets of folding tires, Panaracer Pasela TG and Schwalbe Marathon Supreme, and have found both easy to put on and take off.

ThermionicScott 

I've never had the bead pop off when hitting a pothole, have you?

Ghefty

My Gatorskins are folding, I find folding tires are easier to carry as a spare on longer rides.

StephenH

I can't tell any difference on my Gatorskins. If you need to carry a spare, go folding, otherwise, you can save five bucks and it won't really matter. It's handier to keep a spare folded tire in my big ol' rando tub, come to think of it. I suppose folding are handier for mail order.

FrozenK

I have never heard of such a thing either.

tclune

No, it hasn't happened to me. But it did happen to a friend when we were riding together. I don't know what the bead of the tire was, though.

andr0id

I have never in 40 years seen the correct tire for a rim just pop off from a bump or pothole.
I have seen tires blown off the rim by a catastrophic blowout.
Maybe your friend had a blow out in conjunction with hitting the pothole?

tclune

Yes. I couldn't tell you which happened first, though.

avidone1

So except for a slight weight advantage there is nothing inherently superior about a folding tire as opposed to it's non folding counter part?

JohnDThompson 

That, and the folding tire is more portable and usually a bit more costly than the equivalent wire-bead tire.

Leebo

Usually it is a significant weight issue. Plus the folding tires are usually better made, have a higher TPI and better rubber compounds.

KBentley57

Folding tires, are IME, easier to get on wider rims than those with wire beads.

Doug5150

Folding beads weigh less, but most of the bead failures observed are from folding-bead tires. Feeling lucky?

Mainly I have read of bead failures happening with people using the tubeless-conversion MTB setups, and running kevlar-bead tires. When they are inflating the tire for the first time, one of the beads snaps and then the tire is ruined. (see any MTB forum for numerous examples)
-But tubeless setups have been commonly used on MTBs for a few years now. With road bikes being delivered with tubeless rims, it is happening with them as well.

Fact is, kevlar cord stretches more than steel cable does. So kevlar-bead tires run a higher risk of popping off, or (if the bead is made smaller) then they are a lot more difficult to get on and off the rim.
Consider that airplane tires, car tires, truck tires, motorcycle tires are not available with anything but steel beads.

This problem is especially getting worse with "combination" rims now: that is--rims that are supposed to be capable of running regular tires with tubes, or tubeless tires.
The beads of a regular tire and a tubeless tire do not sit in the same place on the rim. Conventional tire beads sit somewhere around halfway up the sidewall (this exact distance is not fixed) and tubeless tire beads sit snugly down near the base of the sidewall.
Some tubeless rim companies are shortening the height of the rim sidewalls to save weight.... This doesn't affect use with tubeless tires, but it increases the risk of conventional tire beads popping over the rim sidewalls.

Phloom

I like folding tires because I can put a 700C x 23 on a wheel with just my fingers. No more damaging the tube trying to wrestle a wired tire on.

70sSanO

I can only speak from my own experience, but I have found that a folded tire seems to mount and remove easier than wire bead.

My experience does include squeezing 2.1 WTB tires onto 19mm Matrix Mt. Titan rims and numerous road tires onto MA-40 rims. I have also broken Pedros levers in the process.

John

fietsbob

Once its on your wheel and inflated, Not Much, unless You Are prone to OCD. =/

cale

Folding beads are what you put on your bike when you think you're in good shape. Wire bead tires are for getting in good shape.

FrozenK

Wait, some people honestly believe that there is a risk of rolling the tire off the rim with folding beads? You are kidding me, right? If you don't want to spend the money on kevlar because you don't think the weight difference is worth it I understand that. But folding beads are dangerous?

Leebo

Umm, no. Folding beads are for when you can spend the extra $10.00 and not carry the extra weight for the next 3,000 miles.

cale

Uhh, okay, but you'd still have to carry that $10. Just saying...

Jarrett2

I've used Gatorskins in both flavors.

Other than the PITA factor of putting on the non-foldable the first time, I didn't notice any difference.

If the LBS is doing the initial install for you and you don't plan to change them out often, save the $5, imo.