When do you change your tyres?

[ed_o_brain]

Every x thousand miles?
When you can see the nylon casing?
When they have too many cuts?
When you get a few punctures?
When they have worn smooth/squared off?

 

[trustysteed]

when they actually fail, as in a hole appears in it or they are bulging and deformed as my rear one did a few weeks ago after 2400kms

you've got to get your money's worth!

 

[gf1959]

When i see too many cuts forming,i never worry about smoothness or squaring off but
of course cuts soon lead to punctures.

 

[threefingerjoe]

Heck, I run tyres until you can see the AIR! ;-)

Ideally, I run them until the fabric starts to show, but, sometimes, something more serious happens, first, and I'll change the tyre "prematurely". This could be a bad cut, a hole too large to "boot", or, perhaps I'm getting ready to go on a long ride, and don't want to start out with tyres that only have a couple hundred miles left. Sometimes, when they're almost worn out, you'll suddenly lose a piece of rubber about the size and thickness of a postage stamp. At that point, I figure that I got my money's worth out of them.

Now, mind you, everyone's circumstances are different. I'm referring, mainly to my commuter, which is seldom more than 20 miles from the house. Also, if you're doing long-distance heavy touring, or racing, different criteria may apply.

 

[GrasB]

Usually I find that a tyre will start to allow punctures on a regular basis, when it gets to 1 a puncture every week then the tyre is changed.

 

[Davidc]

Every x thousand miles?
That's usually how long they last, unless wrecked by road surface, debris etc.

When you can see the nylon casing?
Yes, by then they are a bit p*****re prone.

When they have too many cuts?
No, not unless they look as if they might fall apart.

When you get a few punctures?
I've generally found that coincides with the fabric showing.

When they have worn smooth/squared off?
Since the tread doesn't do anything* on bike tyres I don't take any notice, until the fabric shows through.

* except in thick mud, where mtb knobblies actually have a function!

Having said that, the tyres I use are always in the <£20 category, and last me well over 2 years. The onset of tattyness, fabric showing, and cuts usually coincides and it's obvious that new ones are needed.

I also keep a spare of each size, because all too often failure is because of sharp sides of potholes or surface defects, or damage from debris in the road. A big gash (not a little cut in the rubber) means a new tyre!

 

[Deleted member 1258]

in the autumn I will put a new tyre on the front of the bike, put the old front tyre on the back and ditch the back tyre. after a year on the front and a year on the back the tyre is usually knackered.

 

[Tynan]

if I get a few flats in a short time I start to take an interest in the tyre, if it's clearly cutting up or worn then I change it

and of course the odd slash to the side wall is pretty immediate cause for chnage

 

[Fab Foodie]

if I get a few flats in a short time I start to take an interest in the tyre, if it's clearly cutting up or worn then I change it

and of course the odd slash to the side wall is pretty immediate cause for chnage

Same here, the only other reason is when Michelin bring out another version of their Pro-Race

 

[longers]

if I get a few flats in a short time I start to take an interest in the tyre, if it's clearly cutting up or worn then I change it

Same here, but it's days are numbered after two punctures and those days are how long it takes for me to get a new one.

I changed a spoke while away from home recently and found the rear tyre showing the casing quite badly, thought I'd change it after the first flat and got another 300k out of it before I binned it and no puncture.

 

[byegad]

Usually I find that a tyre will start to allow punctures on a regular basis, when it gets to 1 a puncture every week then the tyre is changed.

I'm the same, once visits from the dreaded fairy start to appear too often I swap the tyre. Life is too short to be spending daylight hours by the side of the road.

This is not the cheapest method but I can afford a tyre every now and then. Also I never bother repairing tubes unless I've had to use both of my spares on the ride already. Too many of my patches have come off over the years!!

Yes I know how to do it but for me somehow a patch is always a weak spot. I had one come off after three years of use and others come off after 3 days, 3 hours or even 3 minutes.

 

[FootSore]

Do you have a speacial date stamping kit for the patches?

Can I get a lightweight carbon one. Aero if possible.

 

[Archie_tect]

When the rubber perishes and goes brittle.

 

[Crankarm]

Every x thousand miles?
When you can see the nylon casing?
When they have too many cuts?
When you get a few punctures?
When they have worn smooth/squared off?

Saw this and thought "Who wants to be a millionaire?"

Can I phone a friend?

 

[GrasB]

This is not the cheapest method but I can afford a tyre every now and then. Also I never bother repairing tubes unless I've had to use both of my spares on the ride already. Too many of my patches have come off over the years!!

I recently got a 10 pack of Coni inner tubes, worked out at £2.25, in terms of petrol for a car that's what 15 to 20 miles & in terms of what I'm paid per hour at work around 10min to fix a puncture properly. Is it really that expensive?

Footsore, why do you want to date stamp puncture repairs? I know when I last had a puncture so I just keep a track of how often I go between punctures.