How to know when bicycle tires are worn?



Status
Not open for further replies.
E

Eric Lambi

Guest
I have a set of Hutchinson Carbon Comp tires that I've only used for racing this year, so they have
very few miles, but they are developing cracks along the sidewalls around the entire circumference
of the tire. these cracks don't look particularly healthy, but the tires have so few miles on them I
have a hard time believing they need to be replaced already. Any opinions?

Also, I have a Bontrager Race Lite tire that has seen a fair amount of use. It is developing some
surface cracks on the top of the tire, but other than that everything looks fine. Are surface cracks
on tires an indicator that it is time to replace the tire? How do you know in general when it is
time to replace a tire?

Thanks,

Eric
 
Don't worry about the cracks. Ride those tires until the tube is about to poke out and say howdy.

Robert
 
Eric Lambi wrote:
> I have a set of Hutchinson Carbon Comp tires that I've only used for racing this year, so they
> have very few miles, but they are developing cracks along the sidewalls around the entire
> circumference of the tire. these cracks don't look particularly healthy, but the tires have so few
> miles on them I have a hard time believing they need to be replaced already. Any opinions?
>
> Also, I have a Bontrager Race Lite tire that has seen a fair amount of use. It is developing some
> surface cracks on the top of the tire, but other than that everything looks fine. Are surface
> cracks on tires an indicator that it is time to replace the tire? How do you know in general when
> it is time to replace a tire?
>
> Thanks,
>
> Eric

Those tires really suck. I have the blue and red striped ones with the USPS logo on it. I have worn
out two sets in less than a 1000 km. The first ones were replaced by my LBS when I showed him all
the cracks and cuts that both the front and rear tire had after only 500 km. I rode them a little
more before the replacements came. The new tires I rode about 200 km before I had to brake hard
going very slowly. This emergency stop rendered a three cm long worn through spot. It was worn
through the outer layer of blue rubber and the next layer of some brownish stuff down to the next
black layer and almost through that. So if you have these tires do not ride outside a velodrom nor
use the brakes.

If I get a replacement again I do not even want it this time. Does anybody have any suggestions on
what to get. I've been thinking about the Conti 3000 GT.

--
Perre

You have to be smarter than a robot to reply.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads