It’s been a couple of seasons since I replaced my tires, and since viewing a whole slew of gnarly crashes that were the result of a tire blowing mid-trail, I wondered when will I need to replace the tires on my bike. After digging in, and of course, recalling my years in the automotive\/commercial tire industry, here’s what I surmise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So when exactly should I replace the tires on my mountain bike? There are a number of factors that would indicate the need to replace your mountain bike tires, which include worn tread, casing cords showing or exposed, missing or torn lugs in the tread, bead tears, bulges, dry rot, cracking, bulges in the casing, and after any large temporary patches have been applied.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cords showing<\/strong> –<\/strong> because the casings on bicycle tires are so thin, it can be a little tricky at times to tell if a tire is still good to run, or if it needs to go. Certain tire manufacturers casings, tend to experience this a little more frequently than others, especially when run at lower air pressure, which causes more sidewall flex allowing the threads to work their way to the surface.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A general rule of thumb is that if the cords are just slightly visible outside of the casing, but none of the threads show any signs of being torn or severed, then you’re good to go. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Though you will want to be extra diligent about inspecting your tires after every ride, cause once those cords are exposed, it doesn’t take much of an impact to tear through them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Heavily worn<\/strong> –<\/strong> probably the most obvious reason to replace our tires, is when the tread is worn out. But how do when know they’re worn out? Bicycle tires, unlike car tires, do not have wear indicators between the tread blocks that tell us when it’s tread is worn too thin. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So go with what feels right to you, if you notice the rear tire locking up a bit sooner than you’d like, or when the bike begins to slide out on you in corners, it’s probably getting time to get some new skins. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Changing of the seasons –<\/strong> many ‘year-round’ riders prefer to switch out their tires during the changing of the seasons. Most commonly they will run a heavier lugged, mud or wet weather tire beginning in fall, up until spring when the weather tends to dry out, then swap to a faster rolling tire engineered for more loamy to hardpack conditions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is a great option, as it allows you to achieve more grip in the winter wet months where you might not be riding quite as fast anyway due to mud and slippery conditions. Then take advantage of the increased traction in the dryer conditions, by installing a tire with smaller, less chunky lugs when the warmer weather hit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Trail conditions –<\/strong> there’s a reason that tire manufacturers make so many different models and tread designs for varying different riding surfaces. What makes a tire grippy and stick to the trail on rock surfaces, is most likely going to be slip-sliding away when any kind of mud is encountered. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Maximum fun in mountain biking, is at maximum (you’re capable of) speed, and the faster you go, the more traction you’re going to need. So run with tires that are designed for your particular riding conditions, even if that means swapping them out frequently. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

You’ll most definitely enjoy the ride more, and be a bit safer as well. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

After a boot-repair<\/strong> –<\/strong> if you ride long enough, and hard enough, eventually you will blow a tire on the trail, and it doesn’t matter how much sealant, or how many tubes you through at it, the hole is just too big to run with out putting a boot (reinforced patch) over it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But this doesn’t mean that the tire is good as new. These patches are considered temporary and are intended to just get you back on the trail so you can finish your ride. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Due to the amount of flexing that a bicycle tire encounters, it’s nearly impossible to get a heavy reinforced patch to stay adhered to the inside of the tire, even if a tube is installed. Over time, the patch will work it’s way off and begin leaking again if run tubeless or even chafe a hole through the tube in tube-type setups. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

You’re best off just replacing the tire at your soonest convenience, as it won’t be long before it’s going to start giving you troubles again. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bulges –<\/strong> any kind of irregular bulging, or bubbling in the tire, whether it be in the sidewall or tread face, is an indicator of the plies in the tire separating from each other. As a result, the pressure inside the tire is able to expand the tire further than the surrounding areas, creating a bulge. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In some cases, the air in the tire actually seeps through the rubber and becomes trapped in between the different layers that make up the casing of the tire. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In either one of these cases, it is important to replace the tire before even considering your next ride. It’s not going to be long before the tire bursts and leaves you with a face full of sealant and pushing back to the truck.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cracking\/cuts –<\/strong> any kind of cuts or cracking that begins to appear on the tire should be inspected closely. If the splits are relatively shallow, aren’t more than about 1\/8 of an inch in length and no cords or threads can be seen, it’s most likely just a superficial and you’ll just want to keep tabs on it before\/after each ride. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the other hand, if you see cords, or worse, the tube, it’s time to get a new skin on there. Additionally, any slices that span more than 4 millimeters or so will have a tendency to weaken the casing and could potentially fail when you least expect it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lugs tearing off –<\/strong> over time, and through harsh use, the tread lugs will begin to tear off, most generally starting with the side\/cornering lugs for real aggressive riders. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rocky conditions can have a tendency to do this to a tire as well, as the lugs are unable to dig in as they do on a softer dirt trail. You can reduce the occurrence of this by running a tire designed for more rocky conditions, that has a different tread pattern and is less susceptible to being ripped off. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In most cases, the lugs will shear off even with the casing, never exposing the casing cords, so it doesn’t create for an unsafe condition as far as that is concerned. Be aware though that you’re running with less traction now as a result. And if it’s the outer cornering lugs that have been torn off, it can get dicey real quick if you’re leaned over in a corner and your front tire washes out because of poor grip. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dry rot –<\/strong> rubber, and tires, as a result, have their own natural oils inside. When it’s left out to the elements or is not being used, it will dry out and lose its pliability and naturally suppleness, causing it to crumble, chunk out and fall apart if put into use. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If your tires begin to show signs of dry rot, get them replaced at your soonest convenience, as they are just going to continuing to get worse. Even still, the loss of traction due to flaky non-pliable rubber isn’t worth trying to eke out a few more months on those 10yr old hoops. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Age –<\/strong> in the automotive world, it is not recommended to run tires that are over 10 years old, because they tend to deteriorate with time. Bicycle tires should be considered with a similar guideline. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you’re a hard charger; like to blast over roots and rocks rather than around them, or maybe you like the big air, trusting your life to a set of tires that are past their prime is probably not the best option for you. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As with dry-rot, older tires will offer less grip as well, due to the loss of malleability in both the casing and tread lugs. A tire needs to be nice and pliable in order to flex on, over and around trail bits and bobbles that increase bite. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bead tear –<\/strong> mounting and dismounting tires is actually a bit strenuous on the bead portion of the tire (the inner circle that seats into the rim). A small reinforcing bundle of wires sits just under the overlaying rubber, allowing the tire to keep its shape. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If the tire did not have this, the air pressure in the tire would be too great for just the casing to hold, and the tire would burst off of the wheel, before ever even getting close to operating pressure. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Regardless of whether you have a folding bead or non-folding bead tires, if the rubber surrounding this bead bundle becomes gauged, torn or cut, it is very likely that the internal air pressure will begin to stretch the rubber away from the bead and could potentially burst. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

And it can be quite easy to tear the rubber bead when mounting and dismounting your tires. Especially when the proper tools are not used.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If any of your tires have been torn at the bead, it would be a great idea to get them replaced soon. When a bead tear bursts, it loses air suddenly, without warning, and usually under high-stress loads when you need your tires most. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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