Just like cars you can spend a lot or get cheaper versions. You want to get the best tires for the riding conditions. Try Amazon and Nashbar for the best prices. Bell tires at Walmart are around $15 and are pretty decent for the money.
Is your safety worth saving a few bucks by getting extra miles out of your tires? I knew that my tires needed replacing; the tops were worn down to flat (i.e. not round) and the sidewalls were cracked. Yet I thought I could finish out the season with them. I should have known better. The sidewall blew out, it wasn't pretty and I was 15 miles from home. Fortunately, I wasn't hurt. But if the sidewall had blown out at a high speed down hill, it could have been very nasty. Buy the tires.
Most bicycle tires are rather inexpensive. Maybe $20 per tire.unless you have some exotic racing bike. Is $40 at the most worth your life?
