TrekCommuter

Just curious about this one. I am starting to notice some appreciable wear difference on the rear tire vs the front on my commuter. How often do you rotate the tires on your commuter to make them last as long as possible?

koolerb

I just replace them as they wear out. I don't rotate them.

lasauge 

Never, unless I'm putting a single new tire on the front wheel and will move the older tire to the rear. If you have tires with uneven wear you should always put the more-worn tire on the rear because a flat or a blowout of the front tire is much more likely to result in a crash than if the same thing happens on the rear wheel.

Mr. Hairy Legs

Never.

gregjones

Nashbar-Bike-Trash

Repeat.

Bandera

Never.

wphamilton

No rotate. I just last week replaced both tires at once though, and will probably use the less worn tire when the time comes, on the back.

TrekCommuter

Interesting...appreciate the responses. I hadn't even thought about the blowout issue with the front wheel.

acidfast7

It also makes sense that you want the tire wire more tread on the front.

The front wheel sliding out is much more catastrophic than a rear tire sliding out.

Shimagnolo

This^

pdlamb

+2.

Moving the front tire to the rear will let you wear it out before the front tire dries out and starts cracking. You end up getting the same net life out of the tires, and the security of knowing your have more, better rubber where you need it most.

TrekCommuter

Makes a lot of sense.

WestMass

never

f4rrest

They rotate every time I ride.

ItsJustMe

Do not rotate. The front tire should be the best you have. When you rotate you do not decrease the long term purchase of tires, you're just putting a bad tire on the front of the bike.

Ride until the rear tire wears out, then if you wish put the front on the back and put a new tire on the front. Or just replace the rear, whichever.

gregf83 

I ride the tires until they're done and change individual tires when they wear out. I don't move the front to the back and don't worry about blowouts when the front starts to get thin. Most, if not all, blowouts I've heard are due to tube installation errors rather than worn tires.

The probability of having a flat in the middle of a hard corner where the tire rolls is infinitesimally small.

JanMM

+1

blakcloud

I never rotate. Tires are purchased in pairs for me and I start fresh.

Even Sheldon Brown has this to say about rotation. (Essentially don't do it which many here have echoed).

AusTexMurf

On commuter/touring/road bikes…
Always put the new tire on front and rotate the old front to rear.
Rather have rear tire failure when flying downhill or when fully loaded than failure up front.

alan s 

Just put tires from one wheelset onto another, and put the more worn tire on the front. Not concerned with a blowout or loss of traction, because there is plenty of tread left on both tires. Less worn tire is on the rear because it is less likely to get a flat, which is harder to change than the front. The tires are Marathon Supremes 26x2.0. Wouldn't do the same thing with skinny tires.

Mark Stone

↑↑↑↑ Post of the day hahahahahaha ↑↑↑↑

Mark Stone

I rotated when I had big knobbies (although I'm not certain now that it was necessary) but with my current city tires I don't.

I-Like-To-Bike

Agree 100%; my tires for the last 17 years have been Marathon (NOT Supreme) 47 x 622mm and never had a blowout, nor a flat that had to be repaired on the road. The few flats I have had were all slow leakers that could be patched while at home or work/destination.

FBinNY 

Never. As an old time tubular rider, I consider it bad luck to remove any tire that's OK. That philosophy carries onto my commuter and other bikes even though they don't have tubulars. It dovetails perfectly with my basic laziness and rule never to do unnecessary work on my bikes.

NOS88

Another "never".