I finally got some time tonight to get some tyres set up on the new wheels I finished building last week. Not long after putting some sealant in them and giving them a good shake I stepped back to admire my handy-work and noticed that I’d gone and put the back tyre on the wrong way round.

I know this is going to annoy me on a spiritual level but has anyone ever noticed a difference in performance after trying a tyre in both ways round?

If it makes any difference the tyre is a Specialized slaughter and I generally end up on fairly dry, hard packed/sandy trails. I’m currently assuming that the general lack of tread will mean that it’s not worth the bother of taking it off to turn around.

Forget the tyre now (trairaker?) but some mud specific one – remember sitting in the middle of field ripping the tyre off mid ride and putting it on the right way around as I was so sick of the lack of traction. Once the right way around I was blasting along happy as.

I’d change it for the same reason as you, it’d do my head in.

After the wheels have been ridden there will be more muck to clean off before changing the tire around too.

Go do it now, only take a few mins.👍

Made a noticeable difference on a vigilante I once out on the front the wrong way round, took me 10 mins riding to figure out why it was squirming around more than the last time I’d had it on

It will eat at you until you get out of bed at 0200 to sort it. The sleepless nights you’ll have until then will make life a living hell.

I’d sort it out now.😜

You’ll only notice it when you go OTB.

It will ride like a cat falling from up high with a piece of toast (butter side up) attached to its back. 😉

I did the very same thing at the weekend, 2.6 butcher on the rear.

First ride with it last night, it’s coming off the anyway, not enough clearance in the frame, I’ll keep it for up front summer duties.

It gripped fine in some pretty epic mud.

I’d defo fit a slaughter properly, there’s not much other than the side knobs to give grip.

Yes, you will notice – unless you cycle backwards the whole time.

I think the spiritual disturbance alone should be enough.

You might occasionally notice it. But then again, I remember bitd I had one tyre (Fire XC?) that had different orientations for front (XC) rear (XC) and rear (DH). So you could just pretend it’s for climbing traction?

Also leaving it as is means you have something to blame your next crash on. You can then easily and cheaply resolve this problem.

…not to mention the levels of humiliation your bike is experiencing right now…..

had you not noticed you likely would not have noticed it until someone pointed it out.

Having slept on it (and pondered things again this morning) I think I’m going to take it off and put it on the right way round. I’m not doing this because I think it will make the tyre magically grip more than anything else ever possibly could but just because I know that it will continue to annoy me every time I get on the bike if I don’t. I can’t face that even if I know its not going to kill me.

I managed to put a Minion DHR 2 on backwards. I left it that way. I’m not good enough to have noticed a difference. Through dumb luck at not getting a puncture and riding very little it stayed that way for about a year.

Am I coming or going? I can barely decide.
I just drank a fifth of vodka, do you dare me to ride?

In Soviet Russia will a backward tyre notice you?

The most important thing is, if anyone points it out you should always say that you did it on purpose for better braking/pedalling/something, it doesn’t matter. You might start a trend

Leave it and tell anyone who notices it’s the new reverse mullit trend lol

I always used to reverse IRC kujos on the rear wheel. They worked much better that way. There was another tyre that worked better on the wrong way round, but I cannot remember what it was. In short try it out first – you might like it.

Used backwards Maxxis Larssens on the rear in my XC days. Doubt I could’ve told the difference tbh

I have a Maxis High roller running wrong way round & didn’t notice it until someone pointed it out to me. Just seemed like it should run that way for traction when I installed it. Will get round to changing it some day!

I have a Maxis High roller running wrong way round & didn’t notice it until someone pointed it out to me.

I would think you would notice an HR on backwards, as it’s got a slope on the back side of a lot of the knobs. Maybe this is far less important than I’d imagine!

Leave it backwards, when asked, tell people it’s because your whips are soooo sick you actually land back wheel forwards and hence need more tyre grip that way around….

#sickskills

Depends on the tyre. The ones with ramped central knobs will give you slightly improved braking grip at the expense of slightly increased rolling resistance, if the opposing edges are square. I doubt most riders would notice.

TBH I’m of the opinion that any old shit will do for hard packed trail centre conditions, especially on the rear, as long as the casing can stand the battering without flatting all the time.

It’s steep wet loam and slop handling where tyre choice can make the difference between confidence inducing and sheer terror!