Tioga Psycho Bike Tires - the Buyer's Guide, 2015

The Psycho tires, made in Japan by Mitsuboshi, use a 1 5/8" repeating tread pattern with nylon for the casing fabric. At the outer sides are stout tread blocks with supports from the sidewall area. They are largely rectangular shaped blocks with a short inner leg, the visible line that appears to separate the two pieces is a 2mm deep sipe to push water out. Between the edge tread blocks is a smaller replication of these outer blocks including the 2mm deep sipe. In the center, there is also a single multi-sided block with a two siped surface. The Psycho is made in a wire beaded model with either a Black or Skin sidewall and a Kevlar beaded model with a Skin sidewall. The wire bead model with Black sidewall is made with Black rubberized casing fabric so what appears to be an actual sidewall is really the exposed tire casing. The wire beaded, Black walled Psycho has a tested tread rubber hardness of 65/A. The wire beaded, Skin walled Psycho has a tested tread hardness of 62/A. The Psycho-K with the Kevlar bead has an exposed Brown tire casing with a tested hardness of 63/A. A final version of the Psycho, having a Kevlar bead, has a Brown casing, making a Skin side wall, and Amber colored tread. The Amber color is to show its lack of carbon content, and hence that it is by nature a soft rubber compound used to make the tread stock. In fact the tread measured a an 52/A hardness which is the softest of all tires we've tested. We have received some of these Amber tires with the casing fabric being clearly visible at the inner base of the outer side blocks. This indicates a thinness of the tread stock prior to molding and vulcanizing. This tread thinness will result in real vulnerability of the tire against sharp objects trying to penetrate at the thin point. It will also lead to a likelihood of tread block separation from the tread stock and casing leaving a void in the tire tread. We have tried to intercept this flaw as it appears in our inventory, but it seems to be a continuing experience. Should you buy an Amber Psycho elsewhere, look for this defect. The Psycho- II tire is based on a modified version of the Psycho tread pattern. The Psycho-II tire is made in a Taiwan factory, making a less expensive Psycho available for original equipment and after market purchase.

Tioga Psycho Tires

TIOGA PSYCHO TIRES