Tire rotation/direction
03-21-12, 11:10 PM
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Tire rotation/direction
I just installed a new Conti 4000-s and remembered to look for the rotation arrow.
Why is the rotation arrow not mentioned on the packaging and why is it only printed on one side of the tire in small print? I spent over 5 minutes looking for the arrow.
My guess is that most people don't even realize that the tires are directional. I also question if they truly are direction? The tires are basically slicks and the construction looks uniform?
Why is the rotation arrow not mentioned on the packaging and why is it only printed on one side of the tire in small print? I spent over 5 minutes looking for the arrow.
My guess is that most people don't even realize that the tires are directional. I also question if they truly are direction? The tires are basically slicks and the construction looks uniform?
03-22-12, 01:25 AM
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03-22-12, 04:41 AM
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03-22-12, 06:18 AM
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I just installed a new Conti 4000-s and remembered to look for the rotation arrow.
Why is the rotation arrow not mentioned on the packaging and why is it only printed on one side of the tire in small print? I spent over 5 minutes looking for the arrow.
My guess is that most people don't even realize that the tires are directional. I also question if they truly are direction? The tires are basically slicks and the construction looks uniform?
Why is the rotation arrow not mentioned on the packaging and why is it only printed on one side of the tire in small print? I spent over 5 minutes looking for the arrow.
My guess is that most people don't even realize that the tires are directional. I also question if they truly are direction? The tires are basically slicks and the construction looks uniform?
There are three levels of awareness regards bike tire directional markings:
1 -- Not even aware that bike tires can have directional markings
2 -- Aware of markings and make sure to mount tires per markings
3 -- Aware of markings and aware that it really doesn't make a rat's ass.
Don in Austin
03-22-12, 06:19 AM
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Me too. If there's arrows on the sidewall, I follow them but, on a slick road bike tire, I doubt it makes much, if any, difference.
I think it's easy to overstate the value of tread direction on knobby mountain bike tires too.
I think it's easy to overstate the value of tread direction on knobby mountain bike tires too.
03-22-12, 06:36 AM
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Probably because some people really really care, and bother them with questions asking which way to put it on the rim. Also, some tread patterns there is a theoretical difference, but I doubt much practical difference.
03-22-12, 06:38 AM
#8
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v70cat, There are two reasons for directional tires. Decrease wear and/or increase performance. WRT road bicycle tires and their extremely shallow siping there appears little harm if accidentally mounted backwards IME. My dual pattern mountain bike tires are directional depending on whether mounted on the front or rear wheel and seems that way for braking performance on hard packed soil.
Brad
Brad
03-22-12, 07:16 AM
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I care but question if you get any real difference since the tires don't have a tread pattern.
If you got a performance difference why wouldn't the manufacturer make the direction arrow bigger and mention it in the instructions?
If you got a performance difference why wouldn't the manufacturer make the direction arrow bigger and mention it in the instructions?
03-22-12, 07:46 AM
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These directional arrows are the result of the marketing guys over-riding the engineers and production guys.
03-22-12, 07:52 AM
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These directional arrows are the result of the Asian manufacturers having Friday fun at the expense of us gullible Americans.
=8-)
=8-)
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5000+ wheels built since 1984...
Disclaimer:
1. I do not claim to be an expert in bicycle mechanics despite my experience.
2. I like anyone will comment in other areas.
3. I do not own the preexisting concepts of DISH and ERD.
4. I will provide information as I always have to others that I believe will help them protect themselves from unscrupulous mechanics.
5. My all time favorite book is:
Kahane, Howard. Logic and Contemporary Rhetoric: The Use of Reason in Everyday Life
03-22-12, 08:07 AM
#12
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do you guys in australia mount the tires with the directional arrow
to the rear due to the coriolis effect?
to the rear due to the coriolis effect?
03-22-12, 08:30 AM
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The only thing that really matters is that if the the tire is only labeled on one side, said label better be the same both front and rear (preferably starboard) 
And aligned properly with the valve stem.
And aligned properly with the valve stem.
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03-22-12, 11:17 AM
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03-22-12, 11:20 AM
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03-22-12, 11:49 AM
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Guess we'll have to blame the Germans and their beer then as well...
=8-)
=8-)
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5000+ wheels built since 1984...
Disclaimer:
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2. I like anyone will comment in other areas.
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4. I will provide information as I always have to others that I believe will help them protect themselves from unscrupulous mechanics.
5. My all time favorite book is:
Kahane, Howard. Logic and Contemporary Rhetoric: The Use of Reason in Everyday Life
5000+ wheels built since 1984...
Disclaimer:
1. I do not claim to be an expert in bicycle mechanics despite my experience.
2. I like anyone will comment in other areas.
3. I do not own the preexisting concepts of DISH and ERD.
4. I will provide information as I always have to others that I believe will help them protect themselves from unscrupulous mechanics.
5. My all time favorite book is:
Kahane, Howard. Logic and Contemporary Rhetoric: The Use of Reason in Everyday Life
03-22-12, 12:21 PM
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03-22-12, 12:33 PM
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03-22-12, 01:15 PM
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03-22-12, 09:57 PM
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Although I usually mounted my tires correctly I never thought it made much difference until a ride a couple years ago. I had Bontrager 700 x 35 Select K tires mounted on my Trek 520 touring bike. As it was winter I had fenders installed on the bike. Snow had been on the ground for 3-4 weeks previously but was gone when I started an 80 mile ride. The road shoulder was muddy with a real fine, silty mud. About 15 miles into the ride I had a three mile descent. When I got to the bottom the bike felt like the brakes were dragging. After checking it over I realized that the front tire was mounted backwards, and as a result mud built up and was impacted on the underside of the fender. I scraped off and then turned the wheel around. Since it was the front, of course, I didn't need to dismount/remount the tire. The ride was fine from then on with no more build up of mud. I haven't mounted a tire the wrong way since.
03-22-12, 11:42 PM
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Although I usually mounted my tires correctly I never thought it made much difference until a ride a couple years ago. I had Bontrager 700 x 35 Select K tires mounted on my Trek 520 touring bike. As it was winter I had fenders installed on the bike. Snow had been on the ground for 3-4 weeks previously but was gone when I started an 80 mile ride. The road shoulder was muddy with a real fine, silty mud. About 15 miles into the ride I had a three mile descent. When I got to the bottom the bike felt like the brakes were dragging. After checking it over I realized that the front tire was mounted backwards, and as a result mud built up and was impacted on the underside of the fender. I scraped off and then turned the wheel around. Since it was the front, of course, I didn't need to dismount/remount the tire. The ride was fine from then on with no more build up of mud. I haven't mounted a tire the wrong way since.
03-23-12, 12:18 AM
#24
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I doubt anybody on this thread is a tire engineer or even has a notion about how a tire is constructed internally and how belts are oriented in the tire for longest life, least heat buildup, proper tire squirm/slip angles, etc.
I agree that it probably doesn't matter in most instances and that many people ignore the arrows and run their tires quite successfully. But that doesn't mean it doesn't matter in all instances or that you won't get optimal performance by mounting them correctly. Call me anal, but bike, motorcycle, car, or airplane (I own them all), if the tire has a direction arrow (or some other orientation that the mfg wants, like inside/outside on a car), I mount them correctly.
- Mark
I agree that it probably doesn't matter in most instances and that many people ignore the arrows and run their tires quite successfully. But that doesn't mean it doesn't matter in all instances or that you won't get optimal performance by mounting them correctly. Call me anal, but bike, motorcycle, car, or airplane (I own them all), if the tire has a direction arrow (or some other orientation that the mfg wants, like inside/outside on a car), I mount them correctly.
- Mark
03-23-12, 05:33 AM
#25
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I doubt anybody on this thread is a tire engineer or even has a notion about how a tire is constructed internally and how belts are oriented in the tire for longest life, least heat buildup, proper tire squirm/slip angles, etc.
I agree that it probably doesn't matter in most instances and that many people ignore the arrows and run their tires quite successfully. But that doesn't mean it doesn't matter in all instances or that you won't get optimal performance by mounting them correctly. Call me anal, but bike, motorcycle, car, or airplane (I own them all), if the tire has a direction arrow (or some other orientation that the mfg wants, like inside/outside on a car), I mount them correctly.
- Mark
I agree that it probably doesn't matter in most instances and that many people ignore the arrows and run their tires quite successfully. But that doesn't mean it doesn't matter in all instances or that you won't get optimal performance by mounting them correctly. Call me anal, but bike, motorcycle, car, or airplane (I own them all), if the tire has a direction arrow (or some other orientation that the mfg wants, like inside/outside on a car), I mount them correctly.
- Mark
If that is true why do they make the arrow so small and not mention it in the mounting instructions?
Last edited by v70cat; 03-23-12 at 05:37 AM.