Tire Types and Characteristics.
Although a small number of tires sold consist of solid rubber, most are pneumatic, or inflated with air. The pneumatic tire was developed in the late 1800s for use on bicycles just prior to the onset of the automobile industry. Later, thousands of sizes and types of pneumatic tires were made available for passenger cars and other vehicles, including trucks, buses, tractors, motorcycles, airplanes, and construction vehicles. Tire sizes range from less than two pounds to more than three tons for earth-moving equipment.