I love BMX tires because they exist in such a wide variety of styles. You
got flatlander, hardpack, street, ramps, and combos of all the above.
This, of course, applies only to 20" tires. And like their 26" brothers,
because of their wide use they are much cheaper than specialty tires, such
as a 24" tire.
Actually, there is really no standard “unicycle” tire. The cheap tire that
comes with your uni is a standard bicycle tire. You could use a street 20"
tire for kids (cheap) or a tandem 20" bicycle tire (narrower for lower
rolling resistance) as alternatives, but BMX tires offer us quite a
selection.
Check out my tire page at http://torontounicyclists.tripod.com/tire.htm
for some common tires that we purchase for our unis.
As for tire pressure, if you pump up to 65 psi the ride may feel too harsh
and your bum will complain, so you may want to soften it up a little. But
the higher tire pressure will offer you less rolling resistance.
To increase your tire’s life you should rotate the tire every so often so
you don’t get a bald spot. Just let all the air out of your inner tube,
rotate the tire 1/8 or 1/4 of the rim, ensure the valve is straight
upright and reinflate. This will prolong your tire’s life by 300%. As
well, practice all your tricks on BOTH your dominant and other leg, so
your wear pattern will be more even. And even if you do wear the tire out,
there’s always pleasure in trying yet another tire!
As you get better you’ll be much more selective of your tires, depending
on your riding style (artistic/freestyle, trials, MUni). BMX tires covers
all these areas, so you can get the right style for you.
don_taiATyahooDOTcoDOTuk, Toronto, Canada
Jay Shah wrote:
>
> I am a beginner, yet I managed to wear out my cheap unicycle tire in a
> few months of off-and-on unicycling. The tire wore off where it touches
> the ground when the pedals are horizontal, the reason being that I
> attempt turns at that position.
>
> I replaced the tire ($12) with a slightly more expensive BMX tire ($20).
> The new tire is slightly fatter and thicker, and incidentally, has a
> skin wall. The tire can be pumped up to 65 PSI, which I did, though I
> haven’t tested yet. The older tire had a rating of 40 PSI. Question:
>
> Is there any advantage to using a BMX tire on a unicycle?