Riding on Different Tires

[Misha1809]

Greetings All,

After experiencing a lot of flats recently, I decided to upgrade my velox tape and put on a new tire. Unfortunately the store only had one of the kind I wanted (Gatorskin). I bought it and put it on my rear wheel as that is where I have been getting most of my flats.

So now I am running a Kenda with about 300 miles on it on the front and a new gatorskin (0 miles) on the rear. Anyone see anything wrong with this picture?

Thanks,

J

 

[genedan]

It's fine. You might notice some difference in grip between the two tires, like when starting from a stop, but there's no inherent danger caused by using two different tires. Some tire systems are based on two different kinds of tire, like Continental GP Force & Attack.

It comes down to personal preference. In my opinion, I think it's good to use a "grippy" tire in the rear so it won't skid under wet conditions. I usually make sure the front tire matches for cosmetic reasons, but I can't always do that because the rear tire won't always last as long as the front, so whatever tire I use next might not match the front tire that's still on my bike.

Keep trying different tires until you find one you like, then buy them online in big batches when they're on sale to save money.

 

[wooliferkins]

Agree completely on a technical level with genedan. On personal level I look at the road rash scars on knee, hip and ankle and say get rid of the POS Kenda ASAP.

 

[Misha1809]

Hey wooliferkins....is kenda a crappy brand? Consider me a novice.

J

 

[genedan]

In my opinion Kenda's not fantastic, but others have had better experiences. Personally, I've only used the tubes, half of which were defective. Gatorskins, on the other hand, are good if you can get them at a good price (I wouldn't pay over $40 USD for them). They are very durable, but don't expect them to be impervious to glass and nails.

 

[wooliferkins]

Cheap and IMHO not very cheerful. In the wet they are about as much use as a chocolate fire guard, I have the scars to prove it. I'm a great one for using something that comes on the bike until it wears out but they had to go.

 

[billydonn]

Genedan,
It is very bad ju ju to boast of streaks without flats.... only bad things can come of this!

And I would much prefer matching tires myself but you can get by with whatever you want of course. There are ways around the LBS only having one tire.

 

[rparedes]

Greetings All,

After experiencing a lot of flats recently, I decided to upgrade my velox tape and put on a new tire. Unfortunately the store only had one of the kind I wanted (Gatorskin). I bought it and put it on my rear wheel as that is where I have been getting most of my flats.

So now I am running a Kenda with about 300 miles on it on the front and a new gatorskin (0 miles) on the rear. Anyone see anything wrong with this picture?

Thanks,

J

Not a problem but FWIW... I prefer to run my best/newest tire on front

 

[davereo]

It's fine. You might notice some difference in grip between the two tires, like when starting from a stop, but there's no inherent danger caused by using two different tires. Some tire systems are based on two different kinds of tire, like Continental GP Force & Attack.

It comes down to personal preference. In my opinion, I think it's good to use a "grippy" tire in the rear so it won't skid under wet conditions. I usually make sure the front tire matches for cosmetic reasons, but I can't always do that because the rear tire won't always last as long as the front, so whatever tire I use next might not match the front tire that's still on my bike.

Keep trying different tires until you find one you like, then buy them online in big batches when they're on sale to save money.

+1 buy in batches once you know what works for you.

 

[kdelong]

Kenda uses a harder rubber compound that lasts longer but does not have much grip, none when it is wet. I don't use them anymore, but not because I crashed with them thankfully. They just aren't that good.

I also like to have matching tires on the front and back, although mixing them up is not necessarily a bad thing. I would only buy a year or two worth of tires at a time. I just don't feel comfortable riding with NOS rubber on my bike.