Time to replace new tires ?
 

Running on a pair of Vittoria Zaffiro Pro, clocking around 6300km currently, never a puncture. there's some tiny cuts on the tyre itself which I assume is normal from the mileage itself but not sidewall. Just wondering should I replace them already or continue using it till I got a puncture ?

now that you've said something you'll probably get a flat. I doubt I'd replace them until I had a problem, just make sure you carry a spare tube/tire with you when you ride.

If you wonder it is probably time.

Wait until you start flatting to change them, or if you feel like it get new ones. Myself, I put a new chain, cassette, and GP4000 tires on every 3,000 miles regardless (if they all make it that long). $100 every 3,000 miles is cheap for a hobby, in my opinion.

On the same token, there are people here who will routinely get 5,000 miles on a set of tires, so your budget, and preferences will make the call. It's not a matter of safety or requirement.

Are you seeing any threads? If so toss them. Otherwise I would probably wait until I started having problems.

I replaced the standard Zaffiro on my rear wheel when it acquired a squared off profile. That was with about half the mileage on it that your pros have. The front tire from that set is still going strong.

I'd like to know where you get a chain, cassette, and new gp4ks for only $100

was kinda wonderin that myself

If you are good about changing your chain every 3k, there should be little need to replace the cassette each time.

ya, pretty much...

I never replace new tires.
I replaced used ones when I see cords.

The profile on a tire will square off, long before the useful life of the tire is up. The squared off profile isn't a problem, particularly on a rear tire.

If you're particularly risk adverse, you can take squared off tires off the front and put them on the back.

Personally, I run tires until the cord shows.

why replace?

Yup

I run em until I see the cords.

Agree with others - ride them till you see the cords or other major damage.

I get flats on new tires and flats on well worn tires. I replace when the cords start showing (or if there's structural damage/cut to the cords). Move good front tire to rear and put new on front.

+1
Funny thing: The first year I ran a new pair of Gatorskins on one bike, I had a flat aprox every 6 weeks all year. The next year I had a flat on the first ride in early spring, then no more flats all year. Late that fall I saw cords showing, and discarded the rear tire. So in my experience, I had more flats in the first half of the tires life than in the second. Just shows how arbitrary one persons data point can be.

Random question, does tire wear affect performance? Like let's say will a squared off tire cause any extra drag or increase rolling resistance? And hard cornering like let's say in a race? (Asking because I replaced my old tires which had about 3k miles and 0 flats only because the profile was squared off and was told to replace before a race, they still rolled fine without any problems or wires showing)

Thinner tread == less rolling resistance.
Thinner tread == less weight.

Every tire is going to get squared off unless you stop spending most of your time riding a straight line.

I've never seen any data about cornering grip with a squared off tire. But bear in mind physics dictates your contact patch will *always* have the same area.

I have to apologize. I looked back and see I was under by $17.

The last time I ordered 4 GP4Ks from PBK on sale @ $38 each, KMC 10 speed chain on eBay for $18.39, and an unused 105 cassette for $23.39 (I always get LBS take-off cassettes). Grand total $117.78.

But even then, I thought cassettes were supposed to last a lot longer than 3,000 miles.

They are.

Replace 1 ride before it looks likes this. Small cut on Vittorias are normal.
http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=309901

If chains are replaced properly you should get at least 10-15k miles out of a cassette. I always do anyway.