A lightweight metal was needed to replace the metal
There is also another innovation featured in the Panaracer Fire XC Pro series of tires. It also employs the latest improvement in the tire's bead. The "bead" has traditionally been a hoop of metal surrounding the edge of a clincher tire. It hooks onto the rim, holding the liner and inner tube to the rim. This is a strong and sure method of keeping the tire in place, but the metal adds weight to the wheels. Keeping the tire and rim lightweight is essential to racers. A couple of ounces can mean that races are won and lost by fractions of seconds.
The answer to this dilemma is Kevlar. A lightweight metal was needed to replace the metal in the Panaracer Fire XC Pro tire as well as many of their other models. Kevlar is lighter weight but does not sacrifice the strength the traditional metal hoops offer. This tire also employs a unique system of knobs positioned in multiple directions to improve its traction when riding on the sides. Most cyclists recommend that this tire is perhaps best used on gravel and other hard-packed surfaces rather than pavement.
