[Closed] Road tyres - how do you know when they need changing?

Until they start puncturing a lot or you can see the carcass through the rubber.

If the tread has started to break up and is full of holes and cuts then its time to replace.

If the tyre is puncturing more then this would suggest they need replaced.

Can't say how long a tyre lasts - too many variables.

[i]Until they start puncturing a lot [/i]

See, this is the bit I want to avoid, especially as she uses it once a week (at least) for a 20 mile each way commute through, basically the middle of nowhere.

For me it's when the wear indicators (on Continentals) start to get quite faint, or when they get very squared off. In practice one of these happens long before cuts or gashes write them off, IME at least.

Too many punture or showing threads.

I used to run the tyres on my commuting bike until the kevlar wore completely through causing the inner tube to show and punture. I carried some gaffer tape and bit of milk bottle to repair this to get me to work and back when I would replace the tyre. Did this for a few years. Used the same bit of milk bottle every time too.

My Michelin Pro 3s went from looking fine to exploding in one ride. Even with hindsight I can't see what else I could have done.

Road tyres - how do you know when they need changing?

they go pop, constantly.

Until they start puncturing a lot or you can see the carcass through the rubber.

This^^

mine only ever last till road.cc tell me there is a newer faster grippier tyre on the market.

[i]See, this is the bit I want to avoid, especially as she uses it once a week (at least) for a 20 mile each way commute through, basically the middle of nowhere. [/i]

So she's done over 6000 miles on them then? I would say they could probably do with being replaced.

Cuts in tread, squared off profile or wear markers (in Comtis holes about 2mm across) are you best bets if you don't want to rely on punctures.

I changed some Gatorskins because they went hard and grip went

[i] Road tyres - how do you know when they need changing?[/i]

Explosion followed instantly by loss of control ending in a crash.

Works for me, every time.

So she's done over 6000 miles on them then? I would say they could probably do with being replaced.

Ah, no, she's only recently started doing the commute.

Somewhere between this

mine only ever last till road.cc tell me there is a newer faster grippier tyre on the market.

Explosion followed instantly by loss of control ending in a crash.

I usually keep mine in a pile for use on the Turbo when I've the motivation. Usually 10-20 hours on the turbo will kill a worn road tyre.

[i] Usually 10-20 hours on the turbo will kill a worn road tyre.[/i]

No doubt. Rollers eat road tyres too. I discovered this shortly after completing a ride which included a 40mph decent. When I noticed the tread had begun to come away from the carcass.
I have schwable insiders now.

When you get a puncture and the tyre feels more like paper than rubber then it's time to change.

The "lots of punctures" can be an indicator but this can also happen if you get something sharp embedded in the rubber that only pushes through when that part of the tyre hits something and then retracts so you can't find it by running your fingers round the tyre. Very frustrating.

Usually 10-20 hours on the turbo will kill a worn road tyre

That's interesting, what is it that a turbo does that's more arduous than the road? If anything I'd have thought driving against smooth metal would have been easier on tyres.

Do tyres puncture more because they're losing tread? Serious question.

The inner casing is surely the main line of defence, or whatever puncture resistant layer the manufacturer embeds into the tyre. If you don't look after them, an older tyre will certainly puncture more than a new one, because it picks glass, flint, and whatever else, sitting in the rubber, waiting to pounce on a rainy day. If you regularly check your tyres however, and remove these gremlins, does the lack of rubber make them any more vulnerable to punctures?

Personally I replace them if they start to look dangerous in any way. Bulging, disfigured sidewalls. Large slices. Etc. If you think it's time, and it makes you feel better, just do it. It's a small price for the peace of mind.

All I know is that tyres definitely seem to puncture more often when worn and that isn't when the Kevlar band is wearing. If you look at tyres like marathon pluses, they have a massive amount of rubber on them, so I assume it plays a part.

If you regularly check your tyres however, and remove these gremlins, does the lack of rubber make them any more vulnerable to punctures?

Of course it does.

turbos and rollers kill tyres because the roller gets hot and the tyres cook and delaminate

I changed some Gatorskins because they went hard and grip went

any of the above reasons are sensible for replacement, I wouldn't wait for them to get really bad before changing them out - tyres aren't expensive but the outcome of a burst tyre can be.

Of course it does.

Thank you for your comprehensive and well thought out response. I shall bear that in mind 🙂

Average road tyre has no puncture proofing and a light pliable carcass.

Say 0.5mm vs 3mm of rubber is going to make a significant difference.

That's interesting, what is it that a turbo does that's more arduous than the road? If anything I'd have thought driving against smooth metal would have been easier on tyres.

The roller gets quite warm, and it's not flat, it's a ~10mm radius being pushed into the tyre ll the time. If you run a turbo on a light colored floor for any length of time you'll see the amount of tyre that flicks off. My conservatory floor looks like a GP track after an F1 race.

New tyres last an OK time on the turbo, but it's a good way to eek out the last few hours of life from some old ones without the risk of a puncture.