Tire direction for Conti 4000s
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Tire direction for Conti 4000s
im confused which direction i should run my tires and dont want to get it backwards.
please help
thanks,
maria
please help
thanks,
maria
#4
Throw the stick!!!!
If it has an arrow why not just go with it? They are too expensive to risk ruining prematurely.
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#6
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I made that mistake when I first mounted the tire. Good thing someone in the Cannondale forum pointed that out to me. It wouldn't be there if it didn't matter.

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Yep, according to the late great Sheldon Brown
[h=3]Road Applications[/h] With tires for road use, it really doesn't matter, since tire tread patterns serve no function on hard surfaces. Tires with "V" patterns are common for motorcycles, and are generally installed so that the point of the "V" hits the road first. This is to help "squirt" the water out ahead of and to the side of the tire contact patch, as a protection against hydroplaning . Since hydroplaning is impossible on a bicycle, there's no need to observe this custom.
[h=3]Road Applications[/h] With tires for road use, it really doesn't matter, since tire tread patterns serve no function on hard surfaces. Tires with "V" patterns are common for motorcycles, and are generally installed so that the point of the "V" hits the road first. This is to help "squirt" the water out ahead of and to the side of the tire contact patch, as a protection against hydroplaning . Since hydroplaning is impossible on a bicycle, there's no need to observe this custom.
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^ +1. The Michelin site said with the footprint of a 23mm tire you would have to hit a speed of 120 mph to hydroplane
https://www.michelinbicycletire.com/m...oothtread.view
https://www.michelinbicycletire.com/m...oothtread.view
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My guess is they put the arrow on it because people kept asking them which way they went on. In reality it doesn't matter, although the decorative tread probably looks faster one way compared to the other. As we all know, looks count!
PS, I always put mine on correctly.
PS, I always put mine on correctly.

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I put mine on backwards for my training wheels, for extra resistance. Then on race day when I mount up my arrow-forward race wheels, it's like gaining an extra 50 watts.
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I'm willing to bet if you pay attention to the arrow they tire labels will also be on the correct side.
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I put mine on backwards so that the tire never wears out. The more I ride, the thicker the tread becomes. Sure, like Caloso said, the tire is faster with the arrow pointed forward. But I've not had to buy tires in over 40,000 miles. Plus, people are impressed when they see a bicycle traveling in reverse.
Last edited by Hank244; 07-04-12 at 07:32 PM.
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Wonder how many people here looked at their tires after reading this thread?
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if i ride my tires backwards and then forward and continue rotating them and then inside out, my tires should last forever, theoretically speaking.
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Its true that mounting them backwards will suck rubber back up off the road but its usually not black chilli rubber. Often its slippery michelin or puncture magnet schwalbe.

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What kind of resistance do you get if the front is backwards and the rear forward? Would you move at all
?
