Cycling is amongst the most sustainable modes of mobility, which has zero dependence on fossil fuels and zero emissions unlike the motorized modes of transport, which have huge negative externalities, namely, accidents, congestion, fossil energy use, and environmental degradation.
A bicycle tyre is a tyre that fits on the wheel of a bicycle, unicycle, tricycle, quadracycle, bicycle trailer, or trailer bike. Bicycle tyres provide an important source of suspension, generate the lateral forces necessary for balancing and turning, and generate the longitudinal forces necessary for propulsionand braking. They are the second largest source, after air drag, of power consumption on a level road. Bicycle tyre casing is made of cloth, usually nylon, though cotton and silk have also been used. The casing provides the resistance against stretching necessary to contain the internal air pressure while remaining flexible enough to conform to the ground surface. Tyres are classified into several standard types, based on the type of vehicle they serve. Bicycles tyre classification includes all forms of tyres, including road racing tyres, mountain bike tyres, snow tyres, and tubular tyres, used also with other human-powered vehicles.
Bicycle tubes are the backbone of the bicycle industries.An inner tube is basically a doughnut-shaped balloon, with a valve for inflation. The only requirement for an inner tube is that it should not leak. Being rubber, they have no rigid structure.
Tyre industry is largely dominated by the organized sector, the unorganized sector is predominant with respect to bicycle tyres. The industry is a major consumer of the domestic rubber market. Natural rubber constitutes 80% while synthetic rubber constitutes only 20% of the material content in Indian tyres. Interestingly, world-wide, the proportion of natural to synthetic rubber in tyres is 30:70
The Indian tyre industry has come of age with the manufacture of almost all types of tyres. The industry has an estimated turnover of close to Rs. 200 bn. It is made up of 40 playersof which the top 10 account for over 96 per cent of the country’s total tyre production. The tyre export market in India is valued at Rs 3.6 billion. The industry claims a perceptible export market.
The demand of tyres flows from three segments–original equipment manufacturers, replacements and exports. Of the three, the replacement market is the primary source of demand, followed by the equipment manufacturers (OEM) segment and exports.Any entrepreneur venture into this field will be successful.
Few Indian Major Players are as under
MRF Limited Ltd.
Apollo Tyres
JK Tyre& Industries Ltd.
Balkrishna Industries Ltd.
TVS Srichakra Ltd
Goodyear
Govind Rubber Ltd.
PTL Enterprises Ltd.
Falcon Tyres Ltd.
