Bicycle Mechanics - Directional Tread on Tire-Am I mounting this right?

See photo.

When the portion of the tire shown is in contact with road ("Where the rubber meets the road") the directional tread points to the front of the bike as shown?

Click on the thumbnail for a larger image

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Looks right as long as it's a top view.

Are there arrows on the sidewall that indicate the preferred direction of rotation?

Thanks!

Actually I have it wrong if that's the top view.

It only matters when you do burnouts :)

Easy way to know without arrows. The logic of the directional tread is that the center hits first, then pushes water outward in the channels as they come into contact with the pavement until it leaves out the side. That's very important for flat bottomed car tires that otherwise would plane up on the water film (hydroplaning) like a racing boat.

In reality it doesn't matter on bike tires, because the small contact patch, and curved profile acts like a wedge, cutting through water and pushing it out sideways, regardless of tread direction or even if there's any tread at all.

Thanks! Somehow I thought it probably didn't matter a whole lot, at least at my non-Tour de France level of biking.

And, of course, having the valve stem centered at the tire logo is of the utmost importance. And fortunately the wheel logo isn't on backwards.

pointy part of the "chevron" is supposed to hit the ground first.

It's handy to have the logo useful as a reference point when you are trying to find that tiny piece of wire in the tire casing.

Does it really make a difference which way these "directional" treads are mounted on road bikes? I always mount them the way the manufacturers say I should. I guess the "proper" tread direction helps with wet weather road handling and such potential problems as hydroplaning, but I read somewhere that unless you are riding your bike at speeds over 50mph it doesn't really matter. Some of the best road bike tires are smooth...

Unless you're riding with knobby tires on a soft surface, tread does nothing. I find, when using fenders, having my tires (which have syping for water/marketing also) "backwards" results in less water being shot/flung out the sides and onto my feet, until I hit a large puddle, then it's spashpocalypse.

Raleigh71, Put another way... Viewed from the top the 'arrow head' pattern points forward.

Brad

Sometimes the tyre will have an extra logo on one side. That side goes on the drive side.

Sometimes the tyre will have an extra logo on one side. That side goes on the drive side.

Usually. Some tires are now available with the label on both sides (Conti Super Sports) or when a tire with a single label is reversed if front or rear wheel mounted per another label or seperate mounting instruction.

Brad