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My current DHR front and Dissector rear (MaxxTerra) are looking quite worse for wear. At first look it's the knobs' edges lost their sharpness despite plenty of depth left. But it's edge knobs' inboard bases that are worst, there are cracks on their outboard edges too but the inboards seem to be being slowly sawed off from underneath. Had one puncture where one folded off and opened a slit along its inboard edge.
It's probably not helping things that I'm running them at 20F 22R psi with an insert. I imagine they're flexing more with the terrain, and the tyre is riding on those outer knobs even when the bike isn't leant over.
This is on a trail full suspension, forest and countryside use, no racing or uplift. On the "gravel" rigid it's simpler, tyres are finished when there's no tread left down the middle.
Any similar or different experiences?
Usually a big puncture (the kind that a fat tubeless worm struggles with) or a sidewall flint slash from the South Downs, combined with an amount of wear that puts me in -sod it, replace it mindset.
Lost a racing Ralph to a pinky sized stick hole last summer like that. Took me and my son 4 worms and a tube to limp it most of the way back to the Coed Y Brenin visitor centre. It was only about 500m.and he still pushed the last bit.
But it’s edge knobs’ inboard bases that are worst, there are cracks on their outboard edges too but the inboards seem to be being slowly sawed off from underneath.
Standard for Dissectors and DHR IME.
Just swapped in a Pirelli Enduro R which looks like it will wear better so far.
Rear always wear down to really low tread, fronts edges round off. They then get replaced as a pair.
Normally they just get to the point where they lose their gripping edge and become rather drifty.
Other than that it tends to be slashes in the side wall, normally the rear but has happened to the front too.
On the MTB - once the little recessed patterns on the tred blocks are gone, I’m done with it.
On the road - when the canvas is showing or it’s so completely square that you can feel the edge when changing direction.
Gravel depends on season. If it’s winter going into summer, I’ll keep a worn tyre on it, the other way round, it’s like the MTB.
My strategy with tyres is buy a new pair when it starts to get wet, around about September. Then wear them throughout the year, by summer time they are now nicely worn for better rolling resistance. Saves on buying summer specific tyres 👍
Most of my Maxxis tyres get binned due to side knobs getting ripped off.
Left side of the tyre worse than right for some reason.I can only assume I corner harder that way.
Contis on my eeber do much better at keeping the knobs attached until the tyre is more worn all over.
Slowly switching over to Contis on all the bikes.
I tend to take them off when there is too good an offer on other tyres. I then sell the "old" ones on eBay. I am always amazed how much people pay for second hand tyres. Sometimes as much as the new ones have cost me. This time I am pushing the logic beyond what is reasonable by fitting 2 of the £13 Rock Razors, even at the front. But not before spring...
Usually: there's a point where you run out of tread or the tread blocks round off to the point where they no longer offer enough grip for the conditions or you wear through the rubber and expose the carcass.
Sometimes: tread blocks rip off or you get a catastrophic sidewall or tread cut/slash which you can't repair.
Very occasionally: you smack into something hard enough to deform the tyre so it no longer runs true.
There's no single reason. Sometimes a worn tyre that's lethal out back in winter conditions is just fine in summer. Sometimes a tyre is simply horrid so gets binned off for that reason alone.
I don't really get riding with badly worn or just plain poor tyres. They're your main point of contact with the ground, on balance I'd always rather they worked properly. Of course slow deterioration means you don't always notice how bad they've got until you fit new ones.
Normally they just get to the point where they lose their gripping edge and become rather drifty.
This, side knobs inner face wear and they become increasingly unstable when pressed.
Also, lower pressures appear to cause more wear to carcases, presumably by additional flex. They become less able to keep air between rides and start weeping damp spots all over.
I dunno, they just seem fine for ages then one day I realise they're horribly worn and decide to bin them.
Did take the old fashioned approach and swap a part-worn DHF to the rear recently, it was bloody brilliant in the summer.
Maxxis do seem to wear quickly, I've moved to WTB for a lot of my front tyre needs now. They have a great, simple system and the "high grip" rubber feels close to MaxxGrip but lasts waaaaay longer.
I'm a sucker for a decent discount so instead of having an ever growing collection piling up I usually donate my used tyres to my bro or friends, don't think my bro has bought a tyre in years. I never ride around on tyres that look like they need replacing, once I feel there's a noticeable difference in grip or a couple of knobs have been attacked there's usually an offer I can't resist.
At the start o last winter here (Tasmania) I switched from Conti's to Michelin Wild AM2's fro the old school put a new one on the front & the old front on the back. Got a good 5 months before the rear was toast.
& they're really cheap.
dunno, they just seem fine for ages then one day I realise they’re horribly worn and decide to bin them.
This is also my strategy
When they suddenly start getting slidy in places/conditions where they weren't slidy before.
Haven't actually destroyed a tyre since the noughties, rode over the edge of a smashed roof slate that was being used to fill holes in the trail. Then a week later rode over a different slate in a different hole on the same trail, on a different bike. Same result
Will need to get some new tyres soon though, just realised i've got 4 sets of wheels for two bikes and ALL of them are running on various combinations of either fastish XC tyres for normal conditions or larger volume fairly fastish XC tyres for slightly soft going.
I need something with some tread.
My 26HT is running (almost) DH tyres, which is probably excessive.
When the knobs are worn off, the casing is starting to show and no amount of sealant will get them to hold air.
I put them on my son's bike. I don't know what he does. He's only 65kg and has plenty of suspension travel but he's smashed a carbon wheel (lifetime warranty which was great) and seems to have a way with tyres.
The last 3 Conti rears I've put on have lasted less than 3 rides before catastrophic damage. Last rear's demise is caught on go-pro - he skimmed a rock while in mid-air at Fort William and slashed the tyre open. Next run down he shredded the front. At least that one was nearly worn out.
It's depressing putting the tyre in the bin when the box it came in is still sat in the recycle. He's now on the cheapest DH casing tyres I can find (actually, he's currently on one he took from a skip at the Ft Bill SDA, so that's cheap at least).
Rusty iron nails or selling the bike.
Usually a new wheel size comes along that I eventually feel the need to upgrade to, the old stuff is then obsolete
My tyres seem to last awhile being totally fine for ages and then all of a sudden I have a shite, slidy ride and realise they’re wrecked. From extensive research I can confirm that there does not seem to be a middle ground at all.
The last tyre I replaced was due to a split sidewall. This was a road tyre, it didn't half go bang!
Large sharp bolt in the rear cycling back from work in the rain.. pushed in a skinny anchovy, almost sealed it, was contemplating adding another or trying a larger one, and the screw on mini pump I'd pinched from Mrs Davy90 (because it is smaller than my push fit pump) unscrewed the valve on attempted removal...
And snapped the head off...
I've a tube in the pack but **** it, Mrs Davy90 currently on her way to the rescue.
Tyre is worn so may go in the bin...
And it's my birthday 🥳😡
on one he took from a skip at the Ft Bill SDA
Proper dirtbag. Well done.
It seems to usually be a combination of worn knobs and leaky sidewalls.
Standard for Dissectors and DHR IME.
Oh yes, it's just like this https://www.reddit.com/r/bikewrench/comments/ngbs1t/looks_like_my_shoulder_knobs_are_tearing_off_two/
Slowly switching over to Contis on all the bikes.
Replacements will be Kryptotal and Xynotal, then my switchover will be complete.