Should you rotate your tyres??

Page may contain affiliate links. Please see terms for details.

mosschops2

New Member
Location
Nottingham
And not in a round-and-round way!!!!

I was noticing Mrs M's car could do with the tyres rotating - mainly to get the two with very slow punctures onto the front. Also to compensate for a slight tracking issue.

Made me wonder, but does anyone swap front and back tyres???

Which tyre wears faster?? I've never cycled far enough to really notice!!


(Also applies to trikes etc!! Not meaning to forget you!!)
 

Danny

Legendary Member
Location
York
My rear tyre always wears quicker so I guess in the ideal world you probably should. But I have to say I have never bothered, I just replace the tyres at different times.

No doubt someone will now tell me that this reduces my rolling effiiciency dramatically - but unless your racing, who cares.
 

alecstilleyedye

nothing in moderation
Moderator
i did it once on a mountain bike, and my training jacket still has the rip in it that reminds me never to do it again! some mtb tyres are specific front/back, and the front end can go with little persuasion if the wrong tyre is on :blush:
 

Tim Bennet.

Entirely Average Member
Location
S of Kendal
The back tyre wears much faster. If I swap my best bike tyres around in late July, they will last through to the end of the summer. Otherwise the canvas carcass will be showing on the back by September. These are Fortezza Tri Comps, but you will see differential wear on more hard wearing tyres - just over a longer time scale.

But I don't rotate on the mountain bike. The new goes on the front and then gets switched to the back when the rear has worn out and is thrown away with another new going on the front. I like the better one on the front off road as that gives you the control when steering and braking. I'm not as worried about loosing trackion at the back on hills - but I do like control down hill. Getting off up hill hurts your pride. Coming off down hill just hurts.

PS As mentioned above, this assumes having the same tyre back and front. (Vredestein Fire XC - all you ever need in't Lakes).
 

Peyote

New Member
I think Sheldon Brown doesn't advise rotating tyres, can't remember his reasoning but it was something about needing maximum grip on the front wheel rather than rear. Hasn't stopped me doing it in the past though!
 

Smokin Joe

Legendary Member
There is no point. You will not get any extra life from the tyres by rotating them, just that they will need replacing together rather than one at a time. In fact you will compromise the bikes handling by putting a half used rear on the front, The extra weight on the back will square off a much wider section of the tyre than a front.
 

Chris James

Über Member
Location
Huddersfield
You are right, Sheldon Brown advises against tyre rotation. His reasoning is that you are more likely to get a blow out on a worn tyre. A front wheel blow out is likely to result in a crash, whereas you stand more chance of controlling your bike with a rear wheel blow out. Hence you should always have your best tyre on the front. And yes, the rear wheel will wear much more quickly as that is the tyre that the drive is applied through.

Likewise, for (most) cars the front tyres wear quickly. Most of us rotate their tyres to avoid having to buy any for a while. Plus they are often cheaper if you buy four at a go. But I remember seeing Top Gear once when they demonstrated that worn rear tyres (still within legal limits though) seriously affect the handling of a car. So maybe we shouldn't rotate these either?
 

alecstilleyedye

nothing in moderation
Moderator
you should always have the best tyres on the back of a car, even front wheel drive. when you buy new tyres for the front, any good tyre place should autimatically put the new ones on the back and put the ones that were on the back to the front.
 

Tim Bennet.

Entirely Average Member
Location
S of Kendal
Sheldon Brown's advice I think is a little US centric. I'm always amazed at how flat topped their rear tyres become. But then, my ride when I work in Florida is out on road A1A for an hour, turn round at a gas station and ride home. The second turn I make is into our drive.

But here I have never had the same flattening. If the bikes not leaning one way in a corner it's leaning the other. And with slick tyres, a part worn one is no less grippy than new. And if a part worn one is going to 'blow out' (something I have never ever witnessed first hand) when do you replace the front? And what do you do with all the old part worn front ones?

Switching them back to front does mean they wear out together. But a new set of tyres is a spring ritual when the summer bike comes out. You can't go to Spring training camp with dirty tyres. It would let the side down. Do you really want Johnnie Foreigner laughing at our bikes. It's bad enough they laugh at us riders.
 
OP
OP
mosschops2

mosschops2

New Member
Location
Nottingham
No worries! Thanks for the replies!! I have just saved myself the battle of removing and replacing the good old Schwalble Marathon Pluses!!
 

Chris James

Über Member
Location
Huddersfield
alecstilleyedye said:
you should always have the best tyres on the back of a car, even front wheel drive. when you buy new tyres for the front, any good tyre place should autimatically put the new ones on the back and put the ones that were on the back to the front.

That was what I was trying to say, but I started waffling.
 
Top Bottom