How long should a cheapish tyre last?

Colin MacDonald said:

My commute bike has the same original chunky tyre on the front that it
has had for years. The back tyre is a £15 Specialized Crossroads that
has been on for between 12-18 months, and when I had a look at it at
the weekend it was full of cracks. The bike does about 15 miles /
week in all weathers. Should I expect the tyre to last longer than
this? The previous back tyre (different make) expired in a similar
way - do back tyres naturally deteriorate much quicker because they
are doing the driving? If this is 'normal' then I may as well get my
next tyre from Asda.

there is more weight on the back ... IME the solution is to get a
better not a cheaper one

Colin MacDonald said:

My commute bike has the same original chunky tyre on the front that it
has had for years. The back tyre is a £15 Specialized Crossroads that
has been on for between 12-18 months, and when I had a look at it at
the weekend it was full of cracks. The bike does about 15 miles /
week in all weathers. Should I expect the tyre to last longer than
this?

Yes, that type of tyre should last for much more than 1170 miles.

Unless perhaps for tyres that aren't used much and are many years old, a
tyre should simply wear out before it fails through cracking or any other
reason. By "wearing out", I mean the rubber disappearing where it contacts
the road/ground.

Quoted message said:

The previous back tyre (different make) expired in a similar
way - do back tyres naturally deteriorate much quicker because they
are doing the driving?

They wear out quicker for that reason (between 2 and 5 times quicker than
fronts), but shouldn't deteriorate more in the way you're experiencing.

Using them while underinflated also increases wear - but again I don't think
it should make them crack. This can also contribute to sidewall failure in
some tyres - but that would show up as tears in the sidewall where it meets
the rim.

Quoted message said:

If this is 'normal' then I may as well get my
next tyre from Asda.

Cheapo tyres can sometimes be ok, but sometimes wear out really quickly and
have little natural puncture protection. You'd be taking a gamble unless
you research the particular model.

~PB

big_one said:

Colin MacDonald said:

My commute bike has the same original chunky tyre on the front that it
has had for years. The back tyre is a £15 Specialized Crossroads that
has been on for between 12-18 months, and when I had a look at it at
the weekend it was full of cracks.

there is more weight on the back ... IME the solution is to get a
better not a cheaper one

And make sure it is inflated to correct pressure. More flexing means
quicker wear. I've never had a tyre go through getting lots of cracks.
Excessive cuts through to the kevlar, but not general cracking.
Unfortunately I can't remember how long my tyres lasted on my 622-25
shod machine, but my Birdy went through it's rear tyre in about 18
months on a daily mileage of about 10 miles. The Schwalbe Marathon
replacements seem to looking good after nine months.

I reckon even if tyres only last 18 months getting good ones is worth
it for the ride improvement alone.
--
Phil Cook looking north over the park to the "Westminster Gasworks"

in message <[email hidden]>, Colin

MacDonald (') said:

My commute bike has the same original chunky tyre on the front that it
has had for years. The back tyre is a £15 Specialized Crossroads that
has been on for between 12-18 months, and when I had a look at it at
the weekend it was full of cracks. The bike does about 15 miles /
week in all weathers. Should I expect the tyre to last longer than
this? The previous back tyre (different make) expired in a similar
way - do back tyres naturally deteriorate much quicker because they
are doing the driving? If this is 'normal' then I may as well get my
next tyre from Asda.

Cheap tyres made of hard rubber often last longer than good ones. But they
have much poorer grip and are much heavier. I get about 3,000 miles out of
my road bike tyres.

--
[email hidden] (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/

;; lovely alternative to rice.

In article <[email hidden]>,
Colin MacDonald
[email hidden] says...

Quoted message said:

My commute bike has the same original chunky tyre on the front that it
has had for years. The back tyre is a £15 Specialized Crossroads that
has been on for between 12-18 months, and when I had a look at it at
the weekend it was full of cracks. The bike does about 15 miles /
week in all weathers. Should I expect the tyre to last longer than
this? The previous back tyre (different make) expired in a similar
way - do back tyres naturally deteriorate much quicker because they
are doing the driving? If this is 'normal' then I may as well get my
next tyre from Asda.

The rear tyre carries more load, so is more prone to damage from under-
inflation. Cracking is often as much to do with aging as with use - is
the bike stored in a cool dry place out of direct sunlight? Sidewall
cracks don't make a tyre unusable as long as the structural fabric is
still in good condition - even if the tread is cracked it shouldn't be a
problem as long as it isn't lifting from the carcass, though it might be
more prone to punctures.