Tyre wear...

JST

Hi, maybe a dumb question but how to I tell when my tyres need replacing?

My rear tyre has worn into a flatter shape than the front and is completely smooth which I'm pretty sure it always has been (bought the bike used). There are a few nicks in the tyre but I am not getting punctures. Do they normally have wear indicators or do you just wait until you can see canvas :shock:

Monty Dog

I usually replace when you wear down to the canvas i.e. through the rubber, or more normally there are a number of cuts right through the carcass and repeated punctures. For some tyres it can be a thousand miles, others a few years.

overgeared

if you're not crashing on rainy days then a flat stripe isnt a problem, most new tyres are so close to a slick anyway. i replace either a) when i feel like it or b) when my puncture frequency goes up, whichever comes first.

JST

Thanks chaps, looks like i'm ok for now then...

Paul32uk

my gp4000s come with wear indicators. They are what look like two drilled dimples in the rubber. These can be used to gauge when the manufacturer thinks you should change them.

Or just ride until you see canvas or are getting puncture after puncture

Buckled_Rims

Have a look for cuts in the tyre rubber. Have a careful prod with a paper clip to gauge the thickness of rubber. But as most riders will use until canvas is seen, that'll probably be the main answer.

Bike tyres don't aquaplane so there's no need to have a pattern.

iPete

Canvas or when they start to puncture loads. I've never got down to canvas, I've a good habit of destroying side walls!

dennisn

I vote for the "I see canvas in the tread and I replace" theory. It's either that or the old "go till ya blow" idea.

Herbsman

Another vote for when they start to puncture.

I virtually never get punctures, so one puncture on an oldish tyre is enough to make me change them. When you change the tube on an old tyre you can feel how thin the tyre has worn, so this should tell you it needs changing.

Also if the bike feels like sh*t to handle, it could be down to excess tyre wear. You might not notice until you actually get the new tyre, but replacing a worn tyre with an identical new one makes a shocking difference in handling. I change my tyres last week and the bike feels so much faster!

JST

Anything to make me faster, maybe i'll change them now

Pigtail

Kind of diverting somene else's post, but how soon would you change them before an event if new tyres feel better?

I bought an Allez elite in October, and have done well over 1000 miles. Following a puncture in January I bought a new set of tyres, but have never fitted them.

I'm doing the Etape Caledonia in a month's time and intend putting them on for that. I was thinking maybe 10 days before to get used to the feel of them and get maybe 150 miles in before the event.

Does that sound reasonable?

James