Why do bike tyres cost so much?

Bike tyres can cost upwards of £200 for a set – we find out why are they so expensive.

- Simon Fellows

If I drive my car to the local tyre fitter, a tattooed guy with bulging muscles and an impressive beard will fit me up with new ‘boots’ for as little as £49 a corner. Yet, three doors down at the local bike shop, a wiry bloke with a lively moustache will charge me up to £200 for two bicycle tyres and fitting. Come October, he'll suggest winter tyres, too. Granted, I’m comparing budget car tyres to high-end bicycle rubber. Realistically, I'd expect to spend £75-£100 per wheel on my hatchback, while my neighbour's Porsche Taycan might cost £1,200 to reshoe. Even so, you can get perfectly good bike tyres from reputable brands for £20, so why do performance bicycle tyres cost so much more, inch for inch?

In part, it’s the compound. Bike tyres don’t need deep tread, so manufacturers can afford to include high-end additives without pricing themselves out. If car tyres were made to the same compound complexity, they'd be too expensive for anyone outside of Formula One, where tyres cost triple what a Taycan’s does.

“The production quantities for bicycle tyres are smaller than for car tyres, enabling us to use more ‘innovative’ materials,” says Hannah Ferle, Road Project Manager at Continental. “We benefit from the purchasing strength and material experience from other departments, and ensure the highest-grade materials are available.”