Road Cycling - Tire wear

After reading few posts about tires I still have 3 additional questions:

1. How can you tell whether the tire is used? (except for weighting) - when middle of tire is soft, when there is a big flat surface on the tire (how big is too big?)

2. How long (on average) can you cycle on rear / front tire (average users, no hard braking, riding full year, 75kg rider)

3. Is it true - the more tpi the better? the more layers the better?

4. Trek Race X Lite are most similar to Contis GP, GP3000 or GP Attack/ Force?
I heard that Bontrager tires are made by conti.

I think tyres are a total rip-off, so I wouldn't go spending money on "Attacks", etc.
I don't even like buying GP3000s...TOO MUCH. I use good old Conti GPs which I
get for ~$27 USD ($39 Aus). Racing is a different story.
To check for wear, I let the tyre down, and feel the worn area for thickness.
This might sound a bit silly, but you get used to what a worn Conti GP feels like: wafer-thin.
I don't worry about the "squareness" of the wear, just the thickness. Often the tyre
will lose some shape, or the side walls will be damaged before they wear out.

I only get about 1500 miles out of a 20mm rear pumped up to 150psi. I'm about 84 kg (185lbs)
I get at least double on the front, but I'm always changing them around because I like a newish tyre on the front for safety.

It's my understanding that the more TPI the better.

Thanks for tips. What is really interesting is that you said you change tyres after 1500 miles. Currently I have Bontragers Race X Lite and have on them 3600 miles so far. I am 75 kg, pump them up to 120psi. They are 23 mm. Front looks like it could withstand double that. Rear looks like it could go another 1000 miles. I do not brake that often (no mountains). The flat surface on my rear tyre is about 6-7 mm wide - maybe its the right time to change it? For the thickness I will have to check it again and maybe compare with front tyre - to sens the difference.

As for new ones I am considering (reading previous posts) that contis GP or GP3000 are among the best choice.

After reading few posts about tires I still have 3 additional questions:

1. How can you tell whether the tire is used? (except for weighting) - when middle of tire is soft, when there is a big flat surface on the tire (how big is too big?)

2. How long (on average) can you cycle on rear / front tire (average users, no hard braking, riding full year, 75kg rider)

3. Is it true - the more tpi the better? the more layers the better?

4. Trek Race X Lite are most similar to Contis GP, GP3000 or GP Attack/ Force?
I heard that Bontrager tires are made by conti.

1. well I guess you check for wear.. For a very new tire, its really hard.. But what I noticed about tires is the seem to have a very fine line (rubber) that is bulging on the center.. It usually wears out after 30~40kms.

2. I'm not sure about 75kg riders, but my rear tire can go up to 2000kms fine, then I start to see a flatter center.

3. The more TPI the better.. but diff. brands count TPI differently.. some manufacturers count the total TPI on all layers, and some count it TPI/layer.
So a 120TPI(with 2 layers) will have the same TPI as a 60TPI(if the manufacturers count it per Layer).

As for new ones I am considering (reading previous posts) that contis GP or GP3000 are among the best choice.

GP 3000s are good tyres, but for training I think they are too expensive. In Australia, they cost ~$75, which is ~$51 USD, 42.75 EURO, or 183 Zloty!!!!

:)

GPs are in Poland for 100 Zlotys
and GPs 3000 are for 145 Zlotys (depending on colour) - Difference is much smaller! kind of suspicious

just ride your bike and not worry about your tire, if youre riding it, the tire will wear out, so what the heck. just do it.... and ride your bike

GP 3000s are good tyres, but for training I think they are too expensive. In Australia, they cost ~$75, which is ~$51 USD, 42.75 EURO, or 183 Zloty!!!!

I've been dissapointed in the durability of my GP3000s. they have about 1000 miles on them, and the back one is already starting to wear out...plus, I've gotten quite a few flats. They ride really nice though.

I've been dissapointed in the durability of my GP3000s. they have about 1000 miles on them, and the back one is already starting to wear out...plus, I've gotten quite a few flats. They ride really nice though.

I only got about 1700 miles out of the rear GP3000 -- hardly any more than the non-foldable GP

I only got about 1700 miles out of the rear GP3000 -- hardly any more than the non-foldable GP

I think that next time I might try the 700x25 GP 4-seasons. I have also heard good things about the durability of vittoria rubino pros, but I haven't heard anything...positive or negative...about the ride quality. also they only come in 700x23. I kinda want a 25 for my next tire, after riding 27x 1_1/4s on my commuter.

In that situation it looks like that Bontragers X Lite are a really good deal. As I said I have on them 6000km - rear one is worn out (I checked the flat surface again and is kind of flat on 14 mm wide of the rear tyre). I haven't got any flat so far on them + the same story for my friend using same tyres. I ordered GP3000 (good deal as they are in the same price as standard GP) and will see how long will they last.

Well, that is a good deal. Like I said, in Australia the 3000s are roughly double the price of the standard GPs