The rubber quality of the Suomi Tyres’ bicycle winter tire is designed to withstand studs and riding on them

The rubber of Suomi Tyres’ winter tires have been developed and tested for the demanding environment in Finland at Teknikum’s rubber compound factory in Kerava. The difference compared to competitors is qualitative, as the stud’s permanent attachment to the rubber is not self-evident.

Two rubber properties determine the quality of the studded tire

Ms. Mira Juutilainen, Head of Research and Development at Teknikum’s laboratory, presents efficient rubber testing methods, such as wear resistance testing, that are needed to ensure quality. Bicycle’s studded tires depends on two properties: the rubber doesn’t get hardened in the cold and the stud is firmly attached to the mixture.

Ms. Mira Juutilainen works in the laboratory of Teknikum Vammala factory as the head of the research and development department.

– The choice of raw materials is very important. It is definitely important to us that our rubber compounds are of high quality, reliable and meet all the criteria, Ms. Juutilainen sums up her work in the product development of rubber compounds that is based on European chemical legislation.

Detached studs cannot be studded into the tire again and therefore the rubber compound that strongly secures the stud is of paramount importance in the manufacture of high quality winter tires for icy roads. The tire’s stud holes are done in production during a vulcanization stage by a mold that has the stud pins on it.

Teknikum takes into account the environmental impact of all the raw materials used for the end product

Suomi Tyres’ product manager and one of the entrepreneurs, Mr. Jani Turunen, praises the partnership.

– Teknikum is an obvious choice for us. They know the matter and are able to supply us with the rubber compound we want.

– We have now a proven rubber compound for winter tires that works in our demanding Nordic conditions. In the future, we will shift to manufacture summer tires as well. The role of the rubber compound development is all the time growing so that we can outperform our competitors.

– Last year we made 70,000 tires and this year we are on the swing of 140,000 tires.

We are investing in more capacity to increase production significantly. At the time, two million tires a year were manufactured in these facilities, Turunen calculates.

The only manufacturer of real studded tires in Europe

There are few manufacturers of bicycle studded tires in the world. All of Suomi Tyres’ European competitors import tires from Asia. Some bicycle maintenance companies also offer studding services, but tires from other manufacturers are not originally designed to be used as studded tires.

In addition to high-quality studs, the number of them significantly improves the grip of the winter tire. For example, in the Suomi Tyres tire model Piikkisika (Prickly pig), the studding is dense: one tire can have up to 408 snow-biting studs.

There are several tire models and the product range also includes studless tires. Reliable partners are needed to conquer the market, and the manufacturer of tire tread rubber has been Teknikum for many years. The development cooperation of companies is deepening with new, safe and non-toxic rubber products.

The global boom in cycling is accelerating tire sales

Suomi Tyres has gained extra momentum from the rapidly growing cycling boom. The market has also been boosted by the rapidly growing popularity of electric cycling.

With so few manufacturers of bicycle studded tires, the snowy winter 2020-2021 was also a pleasant coincidence for Europe’s only studded tire manufacturer. However, there is a larger market for studless tires in the world, so they will also invest in them.

In the summer 2021, Suomi Tyres will have a significant launch for cycling enthusiasts, when the brand launches a completely new bicycle off-road tire called Koli. This tire’s high-quality rubber compound also comes from the Teknikum’s factories in Finland.