Getting tyres the right way round :-)

larkim

This has often occurred to me on the "hobby" bikes that my kids have had, or on the BSO's that I've owned. Tyres seem to come with a direction marking on them which confuses the hell out of me.

They "normally" seem to have an arrow indication direction. But when the arrow is at the top of the wheel, it points one way, and when the arrow is at the bottom, it points the other way. Confusing. I *presume* it means "this is the rotational direction of the wheel" but I could be wrong.

Now, at the weekend I bought two skinny tyres to put on my RR Big RR5.3 for some one-off road use. These had no markings at all on them to indicate which way round they should go, but did have Schwalbe writting in coloured writing on just one one side only. I've guessed that that is the cassette / drive side on the basis that that is the side that most photos are taken from.

On the Hutchinson Python tyres that I removed, that seemed to have arrows which pointed in both directions and said "< Rear Front >" (where those hairpins represent arrows). Is this telling me where the front and the rear of the bike are (and again, what am I to understand if that writing is at the bottom of the rotation, where the words will in effect be the opposite way round). Or are they telling me that front and rear tyres should be put on in different tread directions.

Why don't they just say "left side" and "right side" on them, which would be much easier to understand!!!

Matt

cooldad

larkim wrote:

Confusing. I *presume* it means "this is the rotational direction of the wheel"

Yes

larkim wrote:

These had no markings at all on them to indicate which way round they should go,

Makes no difference.

larkim wrote:

"< Rear Front >" are they telling me that front and rear tyres should be put on in different tread directions.

Yes

larkim wrote:

Why don't they just say "left side" and "right side" on them, which would be much easier to understand!!!

If you say so.

It's not that hard.

felix.london

larkim wrote:

Why don't they just say "left side" and "right side" on them, which would be much easier to understand!!!

because that would depend which way you were looking at the bike.

They are designed with the rotation of the wheel in mind so they are marked accordingly...as CD says..it's really not that hard is it?

njee20

^^ this

larkim

OK, I'll put my dunce's hat on and sit quietly in the corner :-)

(Still think Left / Right would make more sense...)

Matt

cooldad

larkim wrote:

OK, I'll put my dunce's hat on and sit quietly in the corner :-)

(Still think Left / Right would make more sense...)

Matt

By Jove, I think you're onto something there. Bally foreigners should all speak English anyway.
Rule Britannia, god save the queen.
Pip pip.

paul.skibum

I have to think about it before I put tyres on but I can stand to spend those 2 to 3 extra seconds on the task of putting on a tyre and I am not convinced that with my bike flipped upside down and a wheel in my hands left and right would make a considerable difference to the process.

The Rookie

Arrows work, if you think left right is better then I think your nuts! (Meant in the nicest possible way!)

karlth

The Beginner wrote:

Arrows work, if you think left right is better then I think your nuts! (Meant in the nicest possible way!)

You think his nuts what?

Chunkers1980

I think he'd like to touch them, in the nicest of possible ways, of course.

larkim

I'd take it in the nicest possible way. Think my wife might have something to say about it though...

sandy771

felix.london wrote:

larkim wrote:

Why don't they just say "left side" and "right side" on them, which would be much easier to understand!!!

because that would depend which way you were looking at the bike.

Port and Starboard.....