Is this tire safe?
04-20-07, 11:27 PM
#1
Over the hill
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Posts: 24,372
Bikes: Giant Defy, Giant Revolt
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 996 Post(s)
Liked 1,204 Times
in
690 Posts
Is this tire safe?
It has less than 1000 miles on it, but it was a discontinued item (so I don't know how long it was sitting on the shelf) and has been developing these cracks along the shoulders for a while, and now they're covering more than half of the circumfrance. The front tire isn't as bad, but it has tiny cracks too. Is this thing going to fall apart while cornering if I keep riding them?
__________________
It's like riding a bicycle
It's like riding a bicycle
04-21-07, 01:25 AM
#2
Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Gainesville/Tampa, FL
Posts: 2,343
Bikes: Trek 1000, two mtbs and working on a fixie for commuting.
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
"Cracks in the tread are harmless. Small punctures in the tire such as are typically caused by nails, tacks, thorns or glas slivers are also harmless to the tire, since the tire doesn't need to be air-tight."
-From https://www.sheldonbrown.com/tires.html
-From https://www.sheldonbrown.com/tires.html
04-21-07, 01:25 AM
#3
Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: northern California
Posts: 5,603
Bikes: Bruce Gordon BLT, Cannondale parts bike, Ecodyne recumbent trike, Counterpoint Opus 2, miyata 1000
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Notice the cracks are in the sidewall, not the tread. If it ws just one crack I might ride them a while longer but no, it is a series of cracks all the way around. Please replace both of them. A clear case of bad product to me. I bet the sidewall blows out first.
04-21-07, 07:35 AM
#4
Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Soviet of Oregon or Pensacola FL
Posts: 5,342
Bikes: Still have a few left!
Mentioned: 48 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 467 Post(s)
Liked 532 Times
in
267 Posts
I would replace it, but if all you do is ride the bike path at 10 mph or less, it could be ok until you wear it out. Would you trust this tire at 30 mph on a steep descent? I hope not! Don
04-21-07, 08:07 AM
#5
Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Minneapolis, MN, USA
Posts: 1,152
Bikes: 1990 Burley Bossa Nova, 1992 Paramount PDG-70, 1993 Specialized Stumpjumper, 2005 Jamis Dakar XC Pro, 2007 Rivendell Bleriot
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 28 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 5 Times
in
3 Posts
Unless i'm mis-reading the picture, the cracks are in teh green rubber, not in the sidewall. When you turn the tire inside out in that area, do you see damage to the casing?
04-21-07, 08:08 AM
#6
Over the hill
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Posts: 24,372
Bikes: Giant Defy, Giant Revolt
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 996 Post(s)
Liked 1,204 Times
in
690 Posts
Originally Posted by robo
Unless i'm mis-reading the picture, the cracks are in teh green rubber, not in the sidewall. When you turn the tire inside out in that area, do you see damage to the casing?
I'm not keen on bike tire construction, but on car tires that's called the shoulder, which is between the tread and the sidewall. On a car, that's a no-no to patch (thread only) but I don't know how crucial it is on a bike. I imagine crucial because the bike leans a lot.
__________________
It's like riding a bicycle
It's like riding a bicycle
04-21-07, 08:27 AM
#7
Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Minneapolis, MN, USA
Posts: 1,152
Bikes: 1990 Burley Bossa Nova, 1992 Paramount PDG-70, 1993 Specialized Stumpjumper, 2005 Jamis Dakar XC Pro, 2007 Rivendell Bleriot
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 28 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 5 Times
in
3 Posts
Originally Posted by urbanknight
Good idea, I'll check that.
I'm not keen on bike tire construction, but on car tires that's called the shoulder, which is between the tread and the sidewall. On a car, that's a no-no to patch (thread only) but I don't know how crucial it is on a bike. I imagine crucial because the bike leans a lot.
I'm not keen on bike tire construction, but on car tires that's called the shoulder, which is between the tread and the sidewall. On a car, that's a no-no to patch (thread only) but I don't know how crucial it is on a bike. I imagine crucial because the bike leans a lot.
I don't know much about car tires, but i suspect bike and car tires are constructed differently, since car tires are never meant to lean, while bike tires are. So the 'shoulders' of a bike tire are definitely still part of the tread, while on a car they may be more like a bike tire's sidewall.
04-21-07, 09:08 AM
#8
LF for the accentdeprived
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Budapest, Hungary
Posts: 3,549
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
I had similar cracks in a tyre sidewall. I retired that one when I got new tyres but I'm keeping it around...
My theory is that these cracks are not an issue as the stress (pressure) is handled by the casing (threads inside) and not the rubber.
It does show that the rubber is aging so grip may not be as good as new.
My theory is that these cracks are not an issue as the stress (pressure) is handled by the casing (threads inside) and not the rubber.
It does show that the rubber is aging so grip may not be as good as new.
04-21-07, 05:32 PM
#9
Over the hill
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Posts: 24,372
Bikes: Giant Defy, Giant Revolt
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 996 Post(s)
Liked 1,204 Times
in
690 Posts
I checked the casing and it looks fine on the inside, but just because I already had one wheel mishap recently, I will probably replace them anyway. I wasn't too happy with them in the first place, and am now pretty confident that I trust Continental for clinchers and Vittoria for tubulars.
__________________
It's like riding a bicycle
It's like riding a bicycle
