When to replace tires?

[MCAP]

I'm full of questions today.

When do you need to replace tires? My husband has had his bike since April of 2008. He didn't ride it much in 2008 and only slightly more in 2009. Now in 2010 he has ridden quite a bit. Is replacing tires based upon mileage or something else?

[TrekTheKaty]

My husband's rule of thumb is yearly. Our bikes politely remind us if we don't . It depends on your mileage, of course. We ride road bikes at least 2000 miles per year on mixed surfaces--road and gravel--on skinny tires (700 x 23)

[ny biker]

I just replaced my rear tire. I had noticed a couple of small cuts in it, so I asked at the LBS if I should replace it. They said the cuts were not such a big deal, but it was showing wear because it had become more squared-off than round.

I bought a new tire but it took a few weeks for me to put it on the bike -- in the interim I noticed that the bike felt unstable in back during left turns. I finally put the new tire on over this past weekend that solved the problem.

[OakLeaf]

If the tires were fairly new when he mounted them, they shouldn't be getting hard or dry-rotted yet, but it depends on the compound. Do they feel hard? Are they sticking to the pavement in braking and turns as much as they used to?

If the tread compound and sidewalls are in good condition, then how's the tread wear? Do the tires have wear indicators? Is the rear very squared off, as ny biker mentioned (as much a product of riding too many straight roads as anything else)? Is he starting to get frequent flats?

Tread life varies hugely depending on the tire and the rider. Unless there are wear indicators, he'll have to visually judge the condition of the tires. Also, typically you'll get twice the mileage from a front tire as from a rear.

[badger]

I only replaced my tires after I started getting too many punctures. I hadn't replaced in about 10 years, actually. I never rode much, and when I did start commuting daily, it lasted about a year before I had to replace them because I was getting too many flats.

[MCAP]

Well, he's had one flat but that was his fault. He said he somehow tightened something too much and punctured the tube. No biggie.

His tires are smooth- there is no tread at all. I think they came that way. He did say they seem to have flat spots on them that weren't there before- perhaps they are becoming squared off?

I'm thinking he should be okay for the rest of this season, but in the spring we should get him at least a new rear one. Does that sound reasonable?

[OakLeaf]

There's no "tread" in the sense of innies and outies, but slicks still have tread material that wears away.

[marni]

I suppose it also depends on what is more important to you. The cost of 2 new tires or the time and aggravation of possibly having to change a tire out on the road, espcially if you are racing and or doing structured training.

Personally I would just bite the bullet and buy two new tires but perhaps that is just me.

[ny biker]

It's not just a risk of flats. I felt like my rear wheel was going to slide out from under me while turning. I replaced the tire because I didn't want to crash.

[redrhodie]

I go through 2 rear tires for every front one. I base it on # of flats and cuts in the tires. I still get more rear flats. I could probably go 3 rear tires for every front one. I wonder if it's not just wear, but that I miss more glass with the front because I can see it, but then still hit it with the back?

There's a lot of glass on the roads I commute on. I've only had one flat ever in my town, but lots on the main road to work. If I just rode here, I'd probably get way more miles out of my tires.

[Melalvai]

If you don't ride the bike at all, the rubber still ages and gets brittle. But that takes years.

Otherwise replace it when the tires are worn. Not just the tread but the rubber.

[MCAP]

I asked him if it felt different when descending and cornering and he said no. I'll make sure he keeps and eye on the tires, but it sounds like they are okay for now.