Tires for Friction Drive

[snakedoctor]

Does anyone have any suggestions on a good tire for friction drive. I recently was riding on the Blue Ridge Parkway and had a blowout. The tire I was using was a NIRVE 26X2.125, but was worn thru to the tube. What about tires with KEVLAR?

 

[Oysterville]

The tire I keep seeing suggested for friction drive units is the Innova Swiftor. Compound seems a bit soft, but it sounds like a winner as far as allowing good contact with the roller.

 

[Happy Valley]

Any number of discussions on FD tires in the search archive beginning with the "sticky" at the top of this page IE: Innova Swiftor, the Kenda Qwest, or the Bontragger Hank.

Continental Town & Country also gets a good rep also from users though perhaps a bit pricey for some budgets.

I use Kenda Kwest mainly because I bought a 25 pack bundle very inexpensively awhile back, like 8 bucks a tire. They hold the road extremely well and I swap them out as needed.

That said, I can't recommend enough using the heavy thorn proof tubes. Many of my early problems with FD was pinch flats and the heavy tubes has all but eliminated that.

 

[Esteban]

I can make a tire powered by friction drive last a VERY long time. Learn to take it easy & " feather the gas," as I like to say. No revving, very easy low rpm in the rain while pedalling, & always your start off by pedalling.
That said, many tires are pretty good. Schwalbe makes good tires & I have had good luck with a " Geax Streetrunner " on a friction drive. Remember, you don't need to use mountain bike tires on these !!

 

[Fred Fry]

I use anything I can find.
Have picked up many curbside as trash.
If the tread is too aggressive I take a rasp file to them while being powered.

 

[cycledude]

I've thought about removing the roller and adding a sproket to the friction drive and another sproket to the wheel, but NOTHING is as versatile as a roller drive, I can take it off the bike and install it on another in a half hour.
Mine is grinding the tire but it is the first tire yet with a bunch of miles on it.
Maybe I'll get another roller and modify the one I have now just to see if it can do better on the tires..

 

[Esteban]

You must be doing something wrong, if it is " grinding " the tire. Your operation or the tire/roller is defective. Read over my above post.

 

[aero07]

try this one from niagara cycles
http://www.niagaracycle.com/product_info.php?products_id=1387

 

[Esteban]

Here is the tire.

http://www.performancebike.com/bikes/Product_10052_10551_1035202_-1_1518501_1518500_400237

 

[cycledude]

You must be doing something wrong, if it is " grinding " the tire. Your operation or the tire/roller is defective. Read over my above post.

Running 20X1.95 tires with a 1.25 BMP roller, works very well. I start slow with pedals but sometimes I just let the sparks fly, I think I can do at least 30if not faster.
Thinking the roller is slipping on the tire a little at wide open throtle.