Bicycle Mechanics - Should I condemn this tyre?

This is a front tyre. It has about 2500 miles on it... maybe slightly more. I bought it last fall but haven't really ridden it much over the winter. I've noticed some bare threads starting to peak through. Should I relegate it to trainer-duty? Again, this is the front. Curiously enough I am not seeing anything like this in the rear. Maybe I do a lot of tight hard cornering? :) or maybe I've just been brushing up against curbs too much.

That is a funny wear pattern . You still have the "tread" which is not much more than printed on. It really looks like there is just a super thin rubber layer on the sidewall, more than actual wear. Personally, I would replace it, or give it trainer duty. I don't like anything questionable on the front.

Do you EVER use your brakes? Those rims look brand new. :D

Also, please tell me that the shineyness is lighting, and that you are not putting Armor-All on your tires. :eek:

Do you EVER use your brakes? Those rims look brand new. :D

Also, please tell me that the shineyness is lighting, and that you are not putting Armor-All on your tires. :eek:
Or the rims are cleaned regularly with alcohol or something of the like

Almost looks like the tire isn't seated properly...

Or the rims are cleaned regularly with alcohol or something of the like

I knew I was going to get shamed into cleaning my bike. Funny, I just answered that on another thread.

But, 2500 miles and no scoring?

That is a funny wear pattern .

I'm thinking it's probably curb-rub or something since it's more on the sidewall. Or maybe it's a manufacturing defect.



You still have the "tread" which is not much more than printed on. It really looks like there is just a super thin rubber layer on the sidewall, more than actual wear. Personally, I would replace it, or give it trainer duty. I don't like anything questionable on the front.

Yeah, I had one high-speed blowout at 40+ MPH coming down a hill once. Luckily it was the rear and luckily I was going straight. I just lightly feathered the front brake and coasted to a stop. That was scary. The casing ruptured. The tyre was well beyond the its lifespan however so it was really my fault.



Do you EVER use your brakes? Those rims look brand new. :D

You should see them before I've taken the ScotchBrite scrubber to them. ;) Hmmm... I couldn't have taken off sidewall material with a scrubpad could I? This is not to say that I intentionally hit the rubber with an abrasive pad but sometimes there is collateral scrubbing.



Also, please tell me that the shineyness is lighting, and that you are not putting Armor-All on your tires. :eek:

Close-up flash-photography.

Almost looks like the tire isn't seated properly...

Hmmm... why do you say that?

Ive never used scotchbrite before on my rims. I always used a dry paper towel to break the dirt clumps, getting it as clean as possible. Then a wet towel with isopropyl alcohol to clean off the fine stuff and any greases or anything that somehow is on there.
ANd i would replace the tire

I think this comes from the tire flexing a bunch, like running it low on pressure, or if it had been run on a trainer with the roller set real tight. It is not a Continental by any chance? Their sidewalls have a built in self destruct designed by Jim Phelps

I think this comes from the tire flexing a bunch, like running it low on pressure, or if it had been run on a trainer with the roller set real tight. It is not a Continental by any chance? Their sidewalls have a built in self destruct designed by Jim Phelps

Hmm... good catch. It is a Continental GP3000. It's a front tyre so it hasn't seen the trainer. And even if it did, I have a rim-drive trainer so that wouldn't have done anything to it. I normally keep the tyres pumped to 130PSI and I top off before each ride. I hung the bike up for most of the winter though. Do you think letting it sit there slowly seeping air caused this? I've never ridden it with low-pressure and for this tyre, low to me means 100PSI.

It might be from running the real high pressure. The rubber is coming of the casing, because it was stressed past its ability to "stick" to the threads. I would run a little lower pressure than that just becuase you might find the ride more pleasant.
Mostly I think it is a Conti issue. They do just start to come apart after a while. there has been many a time I spent a couple of minutes unwinding case threading from a hub with on ols Conti mounted.

It might be from running the real high pressure. The rubber is coming of the casing, because it was stressed past its ability to "stick" to the threads. I would run a little lower pressure than that just becuase you might find the ride more pleasant.

Well, the tyre is rated to 120PSI so technically I guess I'm exceeding the rating. However, I'm not seeing the same thing happen to the rear which I also run at 130PSI. I generally prefer the higher pressures. I have run them as low as 110PSI and just didn't like the ride. Maybe it's just me. I gues I'll try keeping the pressures closer to the rating.



Mostly I think it is a Conti issue. They do just start to come apart after a while. there has been many a time I spent a couple of minutes unwinding case threading from a hub with on ols Conti mounted.

Do you find it based on wall-clock time or number of cycles/mileage? Like i said, this is a front tyre which has seen only around 2500 miles. I've always used GP3000s on this bike and hadn't seen this before even on ones past 3000 miles. In general, I'm pretty happy with the performance and durability of them. Maybe I should start looking at other tyres if this is widely symptomatic?

It is not a reason to not buy the tires, you just need to up your mileage so you wear the tread out faster. Might be a fluke, as many as they make must be a bad one every now and then

The tires I see it most on are skinwalls. The blackwall tires, all brands, tend to hold up better and seem to resist side wall road damage better.