René Herse Tyres

More Information

How wide a tyre should I run?

As a general rule of thumb, wider tires offer more comfort, more grip and the same speed as narrow ones. Go wider, and you won’t regret it. Conversely, it’s not necessary to squeeze the widest possible tire into your frame. Supple casings make a bigger difference than a millimeter or two in width. When in doubt, go with the smaller size rather than risk that your tyre will rub on your frame or fork. 

Which tread pattern do you recommend?

For paved roads and smooth gravel, our ‘all-road’ tread with its fine ribs is the best choice. It combines excellent performance and grip on pavement with surprising traction on loose surfaces – the supple casing allows the tyre to grip the surface much better than a stiffer tyre.

Our dual-purpose knobbies offer supreme traction on dirt, mud and even snow. They are also a great choice for riders who prefer a more aggressive tread on loose surfaces. On pavement, our knobbies will surprise you with their low rolling resistance and excellent cornering grip. They’re the perfect tyre for adventures where you don’t know what lies ahead.

Which casing is best for me?

Rene Herse tyres are available with four different casings for different riding styles and conditions:

• Standard: The supple casing that has made our tyres famous: comfortable and fast, yet it’s also strong to withstand considerable abuse. Available on all models (except 26″ x 1.25″ Elk Pass).
• Extralight: Ultimate in speed. Ultimate in comfort. Ultimate in light weight. An extremely fine and supple casing that you’ll otherwise find only on hand-made tubulars. Available on all models.
• Endurance: The same extra-fine threads as our Extralight casing, but pushed closer together for a denser weave, and with an additional protection layer on the sidewalls and under the tread. Excellent resistance against punctures and abrasion, while keeping most of the speed and comfort that has made our tyres famous. 
• Endurance Plus: Thicker threads for even more strength and resistance against cuts and abrasions, plus an even stronger protection layer on the sidewalls and under the tread. A tyre for durability above all. 

Rim width?

With supple René Herse tyres, it doesn’t matter how wide the rim is, as long as the tyre is at least 20% wider than the rim (inner width). If the rim is too wide, the tyre can blow off, because it doesn’t properly engage with the hook on the rim’s sidewall. René Herse tyres up to 44 mm wide can be run on rims as narrow as 20 mm. For wider René Herse tires, we recommend a minimum rim width of 23 mm.

You may have heard that matched rim and tyre widths make the tire sidewalls more vertical, so they bear more of the bike and rider’s weight. This works with stiff sidewalls and allows running a lower tire pressure, but also decreases shock absorption and comfort.

With supple tyres, almost the entire weight is supported by the air pressure of the tyres. Whether the sidewalls are vertical or bulge makes very little difference. The most extreme case is a tubular tyre, which touches the rim only in a very narrow spot, yet offers great handling and comfort.

Tubeless or tubes?

Many René Herse tyres are tubeless-compatible. This means they can be set up tubeless (with a sealant) or used with tubes.

Tubeless setup reduces the risk of pinch flats, which can be useful when riding at high speeds across rough terrain. Fortunately, the wider tires found on most bikes today have made pinch flats less of a problem than in the past. Disadvantages of tubeless mounting are higher rolling resistance due to the liquid sealant inside the tyre, more difficult setup, and closer rim tolerances required to prevent blow-offs.

If you are concerned about punctures, you can use sealant inside your inner tube. (The tubes we sell have removable valve cores.)

For any queries about tyres or any other René Herse products please email info@svencycles.com