Tyres & Tubes

Browse our range of tyres and tubes from Schwalbe, Impac, Cyclepro, Raleigh, Conti and Kenda.

In 1888 a Belfast vet John Boyd Dunlop invented pneumatic tyres with an inner tube for his son’s tricycle. By 1889 having quickly taken over from the solid tyres, they were used on racing bikes and by 1892 all bicycles had pneumatic tyres.

Today bicycle tubes from firms such as Schwalbe are made of synthetic Butyl rubber which is very elastic and airtight. Because a wide range of different tyres and sizes need to be covered other fillers are necessary to make up the rubber compound to give it high elasticity.

Schwalbe produces 100% recyclable tubes without loss of quality and today every standard tube is made up of 20% recycled old tubes.

The size of a tyre which is usually on the sidewall will determine the tube needed; for example 26 x 1.95-2.125″, indicates the tube is meant to fit a 26-inch tyre with a width of between 1.95 inches and 2.125 inches.