Originally Posted by
andr0id
It is generally accepted that moving front to back and putting the new tire on the front is the safest thing to do.
The reasoning is that a blowout is more likely on a worn tire and a blowout on the front is harder to control, so put your best tire on the front.
Also, unless there is other damage, or you are starting to get too many flats, you can ride those Contis to the bottom of the dots.
You're right of course, as far as you take it. Yes, if you only own 2 tires, and both of them are the on the bike, and you're worried about finishing that 500 mile tour thru Europe that you're on because the rear is more worn than the front, then rotate them to maximize the lifespan of this finite pair of tires. Otherwise, scrap the rear tire when it's worn out and replace with a new one.
EDIT: Re-read your post. I guess I might ask though what constitutes or how do you figure out when the rotation is supposed to happen, assuming you have two tires both of which are not worn past a place where you'd want to use them (on either wheel)? I guess I'm of a mind that if I'm unsure whether a tire is prone to blowing out, on whatever wheel, then I'm not going to want to put it on either wheel.