Bandvulc, the renowned retread tyre brand, has unveiled its new Citymaster 5 retread tyre for the bus and coach sector. As with previous tyres in the range, the next generation Citymaster 5 majors on delivering exceptional reliability, durability and safety for operators of passenger carrying vehicles. 

Key to achieving these standards with the Citymaster 5 is the all-new reinforced sidewall, developed exclusively for the bus and coach market. Tyres used in urban applications are frequently exposed to sidewall scrubbing, with buses and coaches especially vulnerable when pulling over against a kerb to collect and drop off passengers. This can cause damage to the tyre, resulting in the need to fit a replacement prematurely. 

The Citymaster 5’s reinforced sidewall adds an extra layer of rubber compound to the outer sidewall for added protection against kerbing. The tyre also features a dimple indicator, moulded into the sidewall rubber in three places. This allows operators and technicians to easily see when a tyre has been ‘scrubbed’ enough to begin compromising its performance and should be considered for a change.

The high polymer rubber compound used in the Citymaster 5 has been designed to resist punctures and withstand the punishment of start-stop use. Both are vital to maintaining passenger safety and reliability of service. 

Tony Mailling, Head of Hot Retread Production EMEA & ContiLifeCycle Plant Manager, said: “Our bus and coach customers demand the very highest standards from their tyres. We created Citymaster 5 to not only meet their needs, but to exceed them. These operators are responsible for transporting large numbers of passengers on a daily basis, so safety is critical. 

“As with all of our retread tyres, every casing is checked by our experienced team of specialists, and we have multiple processes, standards and ISO accreditations in place to ensure every tyre that leaves our factory is of the uppermost quality.”

Along with the added resilience afforded by the reinforced sidewall, Citymaster 5 also promotes great handling characteristics through its solid shoulder design, a wide contact area to combat lateral forces and additional deep sipes to provide excellent traction and grip. The proven tread pattern is retained from the tyre’s predecessor, the Citymaster 2, and is offset for noise reduction, with grooves designed to lessen the impact of any punctures.