Front tire has small cuts
 

I have been researching throutghout this forum about the safety of using tires with minor cuts and nicks. I just discovered my front tire has teo small cuts in the tire. I have been using my bike for commuting and for weekend rides of 30-45 km. The tire is not losing air but I am concerned that the cuts would become bigger over time. I was thinking of the super glue method but that may be only a temp fix.

http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=411187

your "best" reaction would be to buy a new tire and replace it but thats probably unnecessary.

What I would do is remove the tire from the wheel.
hold the tire up to the light to determine if those cuts do indeed go all the way through.
put a patch on the inside of the tire to cover those cuts (assuming they go through completely)
reinstall, ride, monitor.

Oh yeah, I would probably buy a new tire now anyways and hold on to it just in case.

if those cuts are big enough your tube will start to push itself out though those holes like a little blister. if that happens you have about 4 seconds to relieve the pressure from your tubes or you're all done BANG!

Thanks for the help. I actually have a tire available to swap it. I will take it off this weekend and inspect it.

While you have the tire off to inspect it, pinch the tire to open the cuts and look for any imbedded glass or other debris that will eventually find its way further inside. The cuts don't look that bad, but hard to tell how deep they go.

All my tires have an assortment of nicks and cuts. If they flat then I inspect for glass or debris by removal but I don't remove a non flatted tire to inspect for glass. If there is no bulging I ride with no fear. If the cut is large enough to cut through the casement or is through and through or if there is a bulging with the defect, then I replace.

That tire looks fine to me. I wouldn't worry about it unless it actualy flatted. Any tire with 500+ miles on public roads will look that way.

I began insecting my rear tire which has 1800 km on it and I noticed small nicks and cuts as well. The tire still performs well but as you stated it has very small nicks and cuts from the public roads.

Ride it until you flat, fix the cause of the flat ride it until cords are showing...... /thread

Those cuts are smaller then the ones on my rear tire, which has 3500 miles on it. I inspect it weekly for signs that the cuts are getting worse. You can't be too careful on a two wheel vehicle; you can't afford to have a catastrophic tire failure. I would be more worried about damage on the side walls which are very thin. In my closet is a pair of GP4000s which I got on sale a couple of years ago.

YMMV (no pun intended)

+1 on totally fine and customary. There is no benefit in attempting to repair cuts in the tread. The rubber will get small cuts, but what's important to the strength and integrity of the tire is the cords beneath the rubber. If these are cut, the tire will start to bulge a little. A small cut through the cords of less than 2mm is usually inconsequential, but putting a boot behind it would be a good idea. If the cut is long enough, the tube will bulge out through the opening and pop. It's best to replace tires like this, though if it's borderline, you might consider booting it.

+1

Those cuts are fine. If you're worried, toss some super glue on them. But otherwise, you are fine.

If I lived in Okinawa, I'd offer to dispose of it for you. And then I'd have you check your new tires two weeks later and offer to dispose of those, too. Rinse, repeat.

Flatting unexpectedly up front can be catastrophic.

Personally, at the very least I'd rotate my tires. If the rear isn't in great shape I'd toss it and put a brand new one up front. No amount of pain or damaged bike parts if you crash is worth the $50 or whatever your tires cost. I'd ride that tire as a rear though, not as big a deal if you flat in the rear.

As mentioned, it's fine. "They all look like that".
If the cords were cut, it would be bulging there from the tube, and then I would not use it.

In all seriousness do you ride on asphalt? Chipseal? My front tires look like the one posted after the first 100 miles with every single new tire I have purchased and I go through at least one steer tire a year. I fear not descents >40 mph. Superficial cuts in tire tread is not a cause for concern I assure you. Rotating bike tires is just dumb to me. I wear out several rear tires a year. By the time I think a front tire is too warn it might be useful as a trainer tire but as a drive tire it would last maybe a month.

I totally agree about rotating tires. It's hard to tell by that pic but I was just trying to say that risking your life or frame over $50 is stupid. I was just saying that if your rear tire looks good and you're concerned about your front AND you're too cheap for $50, rotate them. Otherwise, put a new tire up front and put your worse tire out back.

I ride asphalt and I don't start to get little cuts like that until about 2,000 miles, at which point I'm starting to flat spot my tire and ready to replace it anyway so I'll throw my rear away, move my front to rear, and a new tire goes up front. I've never gotten cuts like that up front, only in the rear. My front never gets worn out enough with this process to get to the point those cuts happen.

Agreed. Unless you can see the casing through the cuts, or the tire starts to bulge in the vicinity of the cut, it's just superficial damage.

+1 I just super glue them closed to make myself feel better.

Get a tire boot while you're at it.