On average, you should replace your bike tires every 2,000 – 3,000 miles. Also, if you’re getting excessive flats almost all of the time, the treads are all out, and when you see wear on the side walls or deep tread cuts, you should consider replacing your bike tires.
Bike tires play key roles
Bike tires surpass being mere black circular rubber hoops that prevent your wheels from scraping against the road surface.
They are simply a state of creative traction which provides technology that continues to improve yearly, although the fundamental concept is the same as it always has been.
Tires work well by affording a buttress of air amidst your machine and the road surface, which provides shape for them, and allows tires to fit onto the surfaces and wade through bumps.
Therefore, it is essential not to underestimate the importance of tires for a couple of reasons.
Tires are the sole point on bikes that touches the ground.
Therefore it possesses a central influence in deciding how our bike operates and how it manipulates on the road.
What do Bike Tires Do?
- Provide the necessary traction to the road surface so that the bike can move.
- Transmit the braking force to the road.
- To maintain and change the direction of the ride
Sooner or later, tires become worn and therefore have to be changed.
More often than not, the rear tires begin to square up, passing their circular structure, as the center of the tread diminishes quicker than the shoulders.
Generally, front tires wear uniformly across their tread but can start to develop dented wear (cupping).
Lumpy tries are more glaring because the knobs begin to wear off or tear with time.
No matter what type of rider you are, sharp tread edges are a must.
When they’re worn down to the point where you’re getting lots of flats, your bike is handling poorly, and/or the tread appears rounded or uneven, replace your tires to guarantee more fun and more safety
Now, we know that tires don’t last forever. A question pops up! When exactly do bike tires need to be replaced?
Below are ways to tell when to go for a new pair of bike tires:
1. Constant Flats in Short Time
Frequent flatting is a sign of danger. A lot of flats in a short time, let’s say a week, or multiple flats on prolonged rides signify that your tire needs to be changed.
This requires a little or no effort really. It occurs due to the tread being so thin that it cannot secure the tube from prickly objects anymore. It is also the case for road tires and mountain bike tires.
Should your tires not have tread wear indicators, constant flatting from little stones as well as pointed glasses is proof that the tread has worn thin and it is high time that you changed your bike tires.
Look out for several flat tires in a short time.
Whereas a flat tire every once in a while is a part of riding a road bike, getting several flat tires in a short time is a clear sign of trouble with your tires
2. Sidewall Cuts
Cracks on the sidewall of bike tires are an obvious clue that you have sidewall deterioration and your tire needs to be changed.
One more crucial pointer to keep watch over is a sidewall cut or tears close to the bead of the tire. It can cause a blast.
Therefore, any tire with a jeopardized casing – especially close to the bead — should be junked instantly.
The margin of the road has all kinds of trash and junk, especially after rain.
Albeit you don’t get an instant flat tire, you will observe a frequent development of small scratches and cuts. It is a profitable plan to check if any of the cuts have penetrated through the casing.
If so, it may require that you change the tire. A tube pumped to about 110 PSI will sail through any hole present, which usually results in a nick.
3. Exposed Casing
The naked casing is as well as very clear as a bell if you search for it. If you notice that the protection layer is showing through, it is certainly time to replace the old rubber?
This is often noticed on front and rear tires if you ride them for an extended period.
If you continue to ride on such tire, you are definitely seeking trouble, as what only keeps the tube inward is a slim segment of the protection layer, which was not initially designed to touch the road surface, and doing so will make it wear much quicker than the rubber tread.
The exposed protection layer resembles a sequence of transversal threads, commonly on the edge of the tire, but can happen just about anywhere on the tire.
4. Worn out Treads
In many instances, though, tires basically diminish steadily with use because of contact with the road surface.
For example, continental road tires currently have possessed mini ‘tap-holes’ in the middle section of the tread.
These holes are created to fade as the tire approaches the termination of its expected life span.
As soon as the holes vamoose, it’s time to discard the tire regardless of how alluring it is to strive to squeeze any more life out of them.
Some tires are manufactured with tread wear indicators which signify when replacement is due.
A small triangle and the letters “TWI” on the sidewall signify where the tread wear indicator is supposed to be. Some other brands use their tread wear indicators. — For example, Giant tire.
If you have ever skewed your bike, it could be that the wear indicators are still sound but you’ve worn the tread through in a different area. In a situation like this, you need to change your tire.
Should your tires not have tread wear indicators, their shape will change slightly once they have worn out.
Also, the handling will be affected marginally; it will not look circular in the cross-section anymore.
The shape will be more like a square as the tread area has diminished beyond control.
If your tire possessed a tread design, this will have vamoosed and in severe situations, it is possible to see the casing material showing through.
Why Replace Your Bike Tires?
There are two basic reasons:
- The tires you have now are worn out.
- Replacing Tires To Improve Ride Quality
Steps to Maintain Your Bike Tires
Bike tires are not a component that we can exactly plan to change at a definite period.
Where the rubber touches the road is the point on a bike that can go from excellent status to being worthless almost immediately, depending on your luck.
- Take conscious steps to maintain them to help prevent flats and wear.
- Clean those after every ride by spinning them and then letting them run through the bristles.
- Constantly check the wear of the tires by closely inspecting for any serious cuts.
- Always buy about 3 tires at a time so that I have a regular stock on hand when it comes time to replace a worn or damaged tire. You never know when that time will come.
- If a tire required replacing, closely check the status of the other tire.
Conclusion
Though traction, handling, and sway are important, tires also have to resist punctures, provide good wear, survive sunshine and rain, and withstand the harm of hitting potholes, junks, steels, stones, and in the case of off-road rubber, far worse.
It’s therefore vital to have top tires on all your bikes.
A good habit is to prearrange and have replacement tires in line and set to fix them before the aged ones wear out.
Tubes should be replaced at the same time as the tires, on tube types.
While we can’t tell you definitely when to buy new tires, it is good to examine what you are riding, where you are riding, and how crucial your ride is going to be.
Examining and regulating the inflation pressure before every ride with a pressure gauge is the best thing you can do to increase the lifespan of your tires.
