How often do you change your tyres?

gregwari

Simple one really, how often do you change your tyres? I got my first bike in March and (after coming off at the weekend) I was wondering how often people changed their tyres? I guess I've been riding something like 60 miles a week, there's no obvious signs of excessive wear either but there's no tread left (bike came fitted with Schwalbe Lugano tyres which had a small tread pattern in, I run them at around 95psi).

Cheers

cougie

When they need it. So if they start to puncture a lot or I can see the carcass. Tread isnt really an issue on road bikes.

slowbike

I changed my tyres at the beginning of Nov for some that are more puncture resistant and are wider.
The old ones still have life left in them and they'll go back on when the weather warms up a bit ...

Some tyres are better for grip in the cold & wet - those would be what I'd want on my bike in the winter ... I wouldn't recommend the ones I put on as they're 32mm ...

marcusjb

As above - when they need it. Suddenly, you'll start to get loads of punctures.

Some tyres have a wear indicator on them - a small indentation that when it's gone, you might want to replace the tyre (some tyres even tell you where to look for the wear indicator - otherwise this advice is no good to you!).

I'd guess from your average weekly distance, you've done around 3500-4000km on the tyres - that's starting to get to the point where many tyres will need replacing (I have never ridden the tyre you are using, so can not comment). In general, a fast, grippy, light racing tyre will not last very long at all and a hefty, slow touring tyre can last upwards of 10000km.

From a tyre like the Conti 4-Season, I will see around 6-7000km on them.

pedal-rite

It all depends on the weather with mine. Rather than using an all year round tyre, i prefer using seasonal, ie: Fortezza Tricomp's in Spring/Summer months, and Gatorskins in Winter months.

Moonbiker

Some tyres have a wear indicator on them

I never knew that.


TWI they call them google tells me, are they only on continental tyres it seems?

marcusjb

Moonbiker wrote:

Some tyres have a wear indicator on them

I never knew that.


TWI they call them google tells me, are they only on continental tyres it seems?

Entirely possible it is a conti only thing - and it is something they haven't yet got on all tyres (but will be on most) - from their website:

Tyres featuring the TWI :

GP4000S, GP4000, GP Attack/Force, GPTT, Grand Prix, Grand Prix GT, GP 4Season, Gator Hardshell, Gatorskin, Grand Prix Classic.

As this is a phase-in feature, some customers may find that they have identical tyres without this feature. This is no cause for concern.

smidsy

marcusjb wrote:

As this is a phase-in feature, some customers may find that they have identical tyres without this feature. This is no cause for concern.

I thought it was a wear out feature?

How do you know if you have ones supposed to be without it or if they have simply worn out then?

marcusjb

They have TWI marked on the side wall at the point where the indicator is.

dabber

Well, you learn something every day.... I wondered what the two little recessed circles were in my Gatorskins. I never realised they were TWIs. I thought they were just part of the manufacturing process. What a dummy :oops:
Thanks for posting this.

craker

It's worth swapping tyres, rear to front and vice-versa as the back tyre wears more quickly. Do this when they're half worn out if you can determine that accurately ;-)

marcusjb

craker wrote:

It's worth swapping tyres, rear to front and vice-versa as the back tyre wears more quickly. Do this when they're half worn out if you can determine that accurately ;-)

That's sort of good advice, but with a caveat.

The rear will wear quicker, so you move the front tyre to the rear, once the rear is worn.

Do NOT put the worn rear on the front as this is where you want the really good grip.

New tyre on the front.

Front tyres do not wear very quickly, so are fine to swap onto the back after even several thousand kms.

roger_merriman

I don't think I have yet worn out a tire.

They get a fairly hard life, on rough gravel park paths/London roads and Surreys finest so normally too much embedded glass etc and I bin the tyre. Rear takes the worse of it. Had a fairly soft compound tyre in the summer that just got shredded.

simon_masterson

Slowbike wrote:

I wouldn't recommend the ones I put on as they're 32mm ...

And why's that then?

But as above - you should know when a tyre needs to go. It's a good idea to check your tyres regularly for bits of glass and flint (etc) - letting these work their way in can make for nasty surprises. Some people fill cuts in tyres with superglue, but I've always had my reservations, as superglue isn't exactly flexible...

Provided that the roads and/or tracks you use aren't too dire, you should be able to get good mileage from a hardy tyre. My current set of Gatorskins went on last May, and in 18 months I have not even had a p*ncture. They're looking pretty worn, but there's life in them yet.

rolf_f

roger merriman wrote:

I don't think I have yet worn out a tire.

They get a fairly hard life, on rough gravel park paths/London roads and Surreys finest so normally too much embedded glass etc and I bin the tyre. Rear takes the worse of it. Had a fairly soft compound tyre in the summer that just got shredded.

Some folk and their money......

Everyone who rides in urban areas in all weathers will get glass in their tyres. The solution is just to occasionally spend a few minutes digging it out - I reckon that most glass punctures are caused by glass you picked up on previous trips rather than the one you are on now so removing it reduces your likelihood of getting a puncture even on a relatively new tyre. It doesn't take long and I find it therapeutic. But if you like punctures and throwing money away carry on.

roger_merriman

Rolf F wrote:

roger merriman wrote:

I don't think I have yet worn out a tire.

They get a fairly hard life, on rough gravel park paths/London roads and Surreys finest so normally too much embedded glass etc and I bin the tyre. Rear takes the worse of it. Had a fairly soft compound tyre in the summer that just got shredded.

Some folk and their money......

Everyone who rides in urban areas in all weathers will get glass in their tyres. The solution is just to occasionally spend a few minutes digging it out - I reckon that most glass punctures are caused by glass you picked up on previous trips rather than the one you are on now so removing it reduces your likelihood of getting a puncture even on a relatively new tyre. It doesn't take long and I find it therapeutic. But if you like punctures and throwing money away carry on.

Oh I pick the glass out, but even so the tyres end up slashed to pieces less from glass more from the shards of gravel. £20 tyres what every 8 months is hardly expensive.

slowbike

Simon Masterson wrote:

Slowbike wrote:

I wouldn't recommend the ones I put on as they're 32mm ...

And why's that then?

They're big, heavy and slow to respond ... but as I'm commuting on them and I had them "in stock" I'll wear them down before binning them ...

simon_masterson

Slowbike wrote:

Simon Masterson wrote:

Slowbike wrote:

I wouldn't recommend the ones I put on as they're 32mm ...

And why's that then?

They're big, heavy and slow to respond ... but as I'm commuting on them and I had them "in stock" I'll wear them down before binning them ...

The ones you have might be.

slowbike

Simon Masterson wrote:

Slowbike wrote:

Simon Masterson wrote:

Slowbike wrote:

I wouldn't recommend the ones I put on as they're 32mm ...

And why's that then?

They're big, heavy and slow to respond ... but as I'm commuting on them and I had them "in stock" I'll wear them down before binning them ...

The ones you have might be.

They are ... and that's why I wouldn't recommend them .... I'm sure there are some better ones available ...

TakeTurns

Slowbike wrote:

Simon Masterson wrote:

Slowbike wrote:

Simon Masterson wrote:

Slowbike wrote:

I wouldn't recommend the ones I put on as they're 32mm ...

And why's that then?

They're big, heavy and slow to respond ... but as I'm commuting on them and I had them "in stock" I'll wear them down before binning them ...

The ones you have might be.

They are ... and that's why I wouldn't recommend them .... I'm sure there are some better ones available ...

I believe he's trying to insinuate something in relation to the first part of your name.

maltloaf_df

I put about 1400 miles on a pair of Gatorskins over the summer and I'd say they are about 50% worn on the wear indicators however they have squared off quite badly and I don't trust them cornering anymore.

Got some Duranos on order to use for the rest of the winter.

simon_masterson

TakeTurns wrote:

Slowbike wrote:

Simon Masterson wrote:

Slowbike wrote:

Simon Masterson wrote:

Slowbike wrote:

I wouldn't recommend the ones I put on as they're 32mm ...

And why's that then?

They're big, heavy and slow to respond ... but as I'm commuting on them and I had them "in stock" I'll wear them down before binning them ...

The ones you have might be.

They are ... and that's why I wouldn't recommend them .... I'm sure there are some better ones available ...

I believe he's trying to insinuate something in relation to the first part of your name.

I actually wasn't, but reading back it does look like it! Just making the point that 32mm tyres aren't all slow. I'd hate for anyone to miss out.

rolf_f

roger merriman wrote:

Oh I pick the glass out, but even so the tyres end up slashed to pieces less from glass more from the shards of gravel. £20 tyres what every 8 months is hardly expensive.

Ahh, I can see that sharp gravel would be more of an issue. Always worth remembering when people have very different experiences of the same tyre that the geology has an effect - chalky areas tend to have flint and clay areas tend to be slippy when wet. Which is probably the explanation of why I find my Rubino Pro slicks sufficiently lethal at this time of year that I have changed front wheel - yet some swear by them!