How long should a cheapish tyre last?

[Colin MacDonald]

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.

Colin

 

[big_one]

On Mon, 09 Jul 2007 07:31:28 -0700, Colin MacDonald
<[email protected]> wrote:

>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

 

[Pete Biggs]

Colin MacDonald wrote:
> 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.

> 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.

> 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

 

[Phil Cook]

big_one wrote:

>On Mon, 09 Jul 2007 07:31:28 -0700, Colin MacDonald
><[email protected]> wrote:
>
>>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"

 

[Simon Brooke]

in message <[email protected]>, Colin
MacDonald ('[email protected]') wrote:

> 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 protected] (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/

;; lovely alternative to rice.

 

[Rob Morley]

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