How many miles do you get from your road bike tyres) 25x700c?

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After my first flat on Sunday since getting the bike, I started to wonder how many miles I should expect to get from a tyre before it needs to be changed. I`ve got the original tyres on the bike as I approach the first year, and very close to 1500 miles. Apart from the odd tiny cut here and there, they still seem to be ok. The thing is, unlike car tyres they never had much tread on them from new. They are the Continental grand prix 4000S II.

So, what sort of mileage do you guys achieve from a tyre?
 

si_c

Guru
Location
Wirral
Bike tyres don't need tread really, unlike car tyres. I keep my tyres until they are worn, which depends on road conditions etc as well as the tyre. If you can see the casing under the rubber, or you start getting punctures frequently then it is time to change them.

My last set of tyres lasted 3500 miles and I replaced them not because then were worn but because I changed wheels and they were too narrow.
 

slowmotion

Quite dreadful
Location
lost somewhere
Most of my miles are on London roads which have a fair amount of rubbish on them, as well as lots of potholes. I use cheap 23mm Vittoria Rubinos. They usually last pretty well for about 1500-2000 miles.
 

raleighnut

Legendary Member
I don't think I've ever actually worn a tyre out (down to the .canvas') since I was a callow youth who thought skiddys were cool (they didn't impress girls either)

My tyres generally succumb to cuts or sidewall bulges but I do spread my riding over multiple bikes, maybe riding 1 bike all the time would make wear more noticeable.
 
My most was 6000 miles before the tyre burst but generally, it's probably closer to 3000 miles. The exception is if the tyre starts getting repeated punctures, it gets changed.
 

LonesomeWanderer

Über Member
Conti GP 4000s's have a wear indicator so you can see how worn they are - look for two small holes close together near the centre of the tread. Unless they've suffered a significant cut they should be good until the indicator, er, indicates overwise....
 

DCLane

Found in the Yorkshire hills ...
About 1500 miles on the rear and 2500 on the front on my GP4000S' and similar on the Rubino's although they're a third of the price.

The roads in Yorkshire aren't in a great state and they tend to be cut up by that point.
 

S-Express

Guest
Different tyres with different compounds on different road conditions with different rider weights will all wear at different rates.

You have to monitor your own tyre condition, rather than apply some arbitrary distance measure.
 

Spiderweb

Not So Special One
Location
North Yorkshire
My Continental Gatorskin hard shell tyres have currently done at least 7200 miles, they were already fitted to the bike when I bought it second hand. I have had one puncture in that time. The back tyre always wears quicker so I swapped front to back after about 3000 miles. Really impressed with the Gatorskin 700x25.
 
Location
London
Bike tyres don't need tread really, unlike car tyres. I keep my tyres until they are worn, which depends on road conditions etc as well as the tyre. If you can see the casing under the rubber, or you start getting punctures frequently then it is time to change them.

My last set of tyres lasted 3500 miles and I replaced them not because then were worn but because I changed wheels and they were too narrow.
Great advice. Yes, wear them into the ground. Check for bits frequently. If with that regime you start getting frequent punctures, time to change. Until then, no matter how many cuts, if all small, no problems. One proviso - keep an eye on the sidewalls as well - if you run your tyres into the ground as I do, always the chance the sides will go first. Have no idea how many miles my tryes have done - a hell of a lot - thousands of miles for sure.
 
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