Tire casing is important - it determines the feel of the tire under load and offers levels puncture and tear protection. We have really simplified the casings options with simple names so that each rider can get the right tire every time. There is no blackhole of naming conventions and abbreviations.
It's still important to choose the right casing for your riding style and terrain. If you are an aggressive rider, heavier or riding DH or Enduro trails the SuperShield offers the best protection.
To help you get up to speed.. Here is a quick rundown on our casings.
Tubeless Ready (TR) - Designed to be run without tubes and lower pressures to offer more traction and lower rolling resistance. Punctures are reduced because there is no tire to be snake bitten. It is important to seal the tire to the rim with a quality non-toxic solution like the Black Seal tubeless sealant. Every rim shape is different so some rims may work better than others.
ProShield - Specific to our MTB tires. Internal fabric on the sidewalls that offers maximum protection against tears and punctures with minimal weight. It also offers a bit more rigidity to the tire structure giving the tire more support at lower pressures. ProShield is a great option for all MTB riders, it offers a good balance of weight and protection.
SuperShield - Our most extreme protection for enduro and downhill tires, it increases lateral stiffness maintaining tire structure at low pressures and boost the sidewall protection. SuperShield sits in between a full blown DH casing and a protected Trail casing - A nice balance if you ride sharp rocky trails.
RoadShield - A bead to bead protection for our road tires that reinforces the entire tire structure increasing rigidity and offering high protection again punctures. Ideal for road training tires.
We also offer Skinwall or Blackwall - These are purely cosmetic and does not change the casing strength or ply count. We do offer the skinwall in the 120TPI Race compound which is the lightweight version of our tires.
How many plies?
120TPI - Our supple casing for XC tires and road performance line. It has more "threads" and less rubber which allows the tire to conform to the terrain offering less hysteresis. It often gives the feeling of having a few PSI less in your tyres and with an overall smoother ride. Our 120TPI casings offer lightweight weigh that the 60TPI, but offer less puncture protection.
60TPI - Our intermediate casing for all types of riding and terrain - It offers the best balance of protection and feel.
33TPI - Entry level casing that offers great resistance to cuts and punctures, but with the trade off of add weight.
It's important to choose the right casing for your terrain and riding style. If you are riding bike parks on a big trail bike it's just not smart to run a lightweight 120TPI tire, you'll more than likely puncture and leave you in a huff to go online and rant about how you shredded your brand new tire. gaaarh. We've made it easy for riders to pick and choose the casing and compounds for their needs and if you are not sure what to choose you can get in touch with us.