This Is How Off-Road Mountain Bike Tires Are Made
Mountain bike tires are chunkier, wider and knobblier than their road bike cousins. They are designed for bikes to leave the relative safety of smooth concrete and tackle mud, dirt, and inclines.
Mountain bike tires are made from a combination of natural and synthetic rubber and are created in a long and fascinating process. This video from The Science Channel takes you on the journey from raw ingredients to the making of an off-road ready mountain bike tire.
Like many everyday objects we take for granted, the actual process of how the tires are made will surprise you. It’s a complicated process of mixing, rolling, slicing, baking, and drying.
And even once that is done, the bike tire can’t leave the factory until it has been tested by a computer to make sure it's going to roll smoothly and efficiently.
Watch the whole video to understand how everything comes together to make the sturdy tires a reality.
What’s perhaps most interesting about the making of the tires is the combination of work by both robots and specialized technicians. Despite millions of tires being produced, there are still parts of the production that require skilled human intervention.
If you aren’t one for taking your bike off the road, browse through the Science Channel’s ‘How it's Made' playlist for an educational video on a product or item that you hold close to your heart.