Road tires versus mtb tires

On Tue, 07 Apr 2020 08:34:41 -0500,
AMuzi wrote:
On 4/7/2020 7:31 AM, Ted Heise wrote:
On Mon, 06 Apr 2020 19:55:23 -0500,
AMuzi wrote:
On 4/6/2020 6:17 PM, Andy wrote:

Will the tread last as long as mtb tires ?

Probably more but in my experience worn-through-tread is a
failure mostly found on children's CB bicycles. Your
typical adult bike tires more often fail from sidewall cuts
or road debris.

Interesting. Maybe it's not within the realm of what you
consider typical adult bike tires, but the last half dozen
tandem tires I've replaced have all been the rear--and due to
cord showing on the center of the tread. My wife and I stand
to climb quite a lot, so that may be a factor in the wear.

Yes, that's right. And not only tandem rears. Some riders just
eat tires (and chain and brake pads and so on). You know who
you are.

Atypical, which is why tire designers leave you outliers out of
consideration.

Nice! I've always suspected I was an outlier, and now I've got
evidence!

--
Ted Heise West Lafayette, IN, USA

On 4/7/2020 5:31 AM, Ted Heise wrote:
On Mon, 06 Apr 2020 19:55:23 -0500,
AMuzi wrote:
On 4/6/2020 6:17 PM, Andy wrote:
I use my mountain bike mostly on roads and am thinking of
getting some road tires.

Will the tread last as long as mtb tires ?

Probably more but in my experience worn-through-tread is a
failure mostly found on children's CB bicycles. Your typical
adult bike tires more often fail from sidewall cuts or road
debris.

Interesting. Maybe it's not within the realm of what you consider
typical adult bike tires, but the last half dozen tandem tires
I've replaced have all been the rear--and due to cord showing on
the center of the tread. My wife and I stand to climb quite a
lot, so that may be a factor in the wear.

As an aside, it's always the rear that needs replacing, because
when it's time to change I rotate the old front tire to the back
and put the new one on the front.

This was my tandem tire experience as well, but I think it's fair to
call tandems an outlier.

I also remember that front tandem tires wore more off-center. This was
in the days (80s) that almost all heavier tires had a raised center
strip for wear. Tires on the front of my tandem wore disproportionately
to either side of that strip. Cornering stress, I assumed at the time.

Mark J.

On 4/7/2020 3:53 AM, Ned Mantei wrote:
On 07-04-20 01:17, Andy wrote:
I use my mountain bike mostly on roads and am thinking of getting some
road tires.

Will the tread last as long as mtb tires ?

Â* Andy

If you still ride on unpaved roads or trails some of the time, I would
suggest considering Schwalbe "Smart Sam" tires. On a paved road they run
mainly on a closely spaced series of flat "grids" in the middle, and
don't feel like tractor tires. They do fine on dirt roads, but probably
aren't good enough for tricky downhill trails. I've been using them for
15 years or more.

I've switched to 100% Schwalbe for buying new tires and tubes but I
haven't tried the "Smart Sam." I recently took the mountain bike tires
off of my mountain bike and since it's more difficult right now to buy
new tires I put on some new-old-stock (from my garage) of Ritchey Tom
Slick 26.0 x 1.4
https://us.ritcheylogic.com/us_en/bike/tires/tom-slick-tire. I bought
them when they were being closed out (somewhere) a few years ago, for
something like $10 each.

On Tuesday, April 7, 2020 at 9:32:51 AM UTC-7, sms wrote:
On 4/7/2020 3:53 AM, Ned Mantei wrote:
On 07-04-20 01:17, Andy wrote:
I use my mountain bike mostly on roads and am thinking of getting some
road tires.

Will the tread last as long as mtb tires ?

Â* Andy

If you still ride on unpaved roads or trails some of the time, I would
suggest considering Schwalbe "Smart Sam" tires. On a paved road they run
mainly on a closely spaced series of flat "grids" in the middle, and
don't feel like tractor tires. They do fine on dirt roads, but probably
aren't good enough for tricky downhill trails. I've been using them for
15 years or more.

I've switched to 100% Schwalbe for buying new tires and tubes but I
haven't tried the "Smart Sam." I recently took the mountain bike tires
off of my mountain bike and since it's more difficult right now to buy
new tires I put on some new-old-stock (from my garage) of Ritchey Tom
Slick 26.0 x 1.4
https://us.ritcheylogic.com/us_en/bike/tires/tom-slick-tire. I bought
them when they were being closed out (somewhere) a few years ago, for
something like $10 each.

I have no problem with the performance of Schwalbe tires but a very large problem with the very poor wearing characteristics. Continental has both in spades.

On 4/7/2020 11:26 AM, Ted Heise wrote:
On Tue, 07 Apr 2020 08:34:41 -0500,
AMuzi wrote:
On 4/7/2020 7:31 AM, Ted Heise wrote:
On Mon, 06 Apr 2020 19:55:23 -0500,
AMuzi wrote:
On 4/6/2020 6:17 PM, Andy wrote:

Will the tread last as long as mtb tires ?

Probably more but in my experience worn-through-tread is a
failure mostly found on children's CB bicycles. Your
typical adult bike tires more often fail from sidewall cuts
or road debris.

Interesting. Maybe it's not within the realm of what you
consider typical adult bike tires, but the last half dozen
tandem tires I've replaced have all been the rear--and due to
cord showing on the center of the tread. My wife and I stand
to climb quite a lot, so that may be a factor in the wear.

Yes, that's right. And not only tandem rears. Some riders just
eat tires (and chain and brake pads and so on). You know who
you are.

Atypical, which is why tire designers leave you outliers out of
consideration.

Nice! I've always suspected I was an outlier, and now I've got
evidence!


Not that there aren't products form time to time. IRC had
their excellent Japan-made 700-30 Tandem with double thick
tread and Aramid belt. Naturally, it's discontinued.
There's no clear path from 'specialty product' to
'profitable volume'.

--
Andrew Muzi
www.yellowjersey.org/
Open every day since 1 April, 1971

On 4/7/2020 11:31 AM, Mark J. wrote:
On 4/7/2020 5:31 AM, Ted Heise wrote:
On Mon, 06 Apr 2020 19:55:23 -0500,
AMuzi wrote:
On 4/6/2020 6:17 PM, Andy wrote:
I use my mountain bike mostly on roads and am thinking of
getting some road tires.

Will the tread last as long as mtb tires ?

Probably more but in my experience worn-through-tread is a
failure mostly found on children's CB bicycles. Your
typical
adult bike tires more often fail from sidewall cuts or
road
debris.

Interesting. Maybe it's not within the realm of what you
consider
typical adult bike tires, but the last half dozen tandem
tires
I've replaced have all been the rear--and due to cord
showing on
the center of the tread. My wife and I stand to climb
quite a
lot, so that may be a factor in the wear.

As an aside, it's always the rear that needs replacing,
because
when it's time to change I rotate the old front tire to
the back
and put the new one on the front.

This was my tandem tire experience as well, but I think it's
fair to call tandems an outlier.

I also remember that front tandem tires wore more
off-center. This was in the days (80s) that almost all
heavier tires had a raised center strip for wear. Tires on
the front of my tandem wore disproportionately to either
side of that strip. Cornering stress, I assumed at the time.

Mark J.


I thought that as well but the omniscient Jobst Brandt
straightened me out. It's just the crown of the road not
cornering wear.

--
Andrew Muzi
www.yellowjersey.org/
Open every day since 1 April, 1971

On 4/7/2020 10:36 AM, AMuzi wrote:
On 4/7/2020 11:31 AM, Mark J. wrote:
On 4/7/2020 5:31 AM, Ted Heise wrote:
On Mon, 06 Apr 2020 19:55:23 -0500,
Â*Â* AMuzi wrote:
Â* On 4/6/2020 6:17 PM, Andy wrote:
I use my mountain bike mostly on roads and am thinking of
getting some road tires.

Will the tread last as long as mtb tires ?

Â* Probably more but in my experience worn-through-tread is a
Â* failure mostly found on children's CB bicycles. Your
typical
Â* adult bike tires more often fail from sidewall cuts or
road
Â* debris.

Interesting.Â* Maybe it's not within the realm of what you
consider
typical adult bike tires, but the last half dozen tandem
tires
I've replaced have all been the rear--and due to cord
showing on
the center of the tread.Â* My wife and I stand to climb
quite a
lot, so that may be a factor in the wear.

As an aside, it's always the rear that needs replacing,
because
when it's time to change I rotate the old front tire to
the back
and put the new one on the front.

This was my tandem tire experience as well, but I think it's
fair to call tandems an outlier.

I also remember that front tandem tires wore more
off-center.Â* This was in the days (80s) that almost all
heavier tires had a raised center strip for wear.Â* Tires on
the front of my tandem wore disproportionately to either
side of that strip.Â* Cornering stress, I assumed at the time.

Mark J.


I thought that as well but the omniscient Jobst Brandt straightened me
out. It's just the crown of the road not cornering wear.


Jobst (RIP) is no longer with us to enlighten us, but this seems odd to
me. Being in the US, wouldn't crowned roads put the front tire wear
strictly to the /left/ of the center ridge? [& Brits on the right
side?] That's not what I (dimly) remember actually happening.

Mark J.

On Tuesday, April 7, 2020 at 10:34:56 AM UTC-5, wrote:
On Tuesday, April 7, 2020 at 7:17:26 AM UTC-7, Andy wrote:
On Monday, April 6, 2020 at 7:05:14 PM UTC-5, Frank Krygowski wrote:
On 4/6/2020 7:17 PM, Andy wrote:
I use my mountain bike mostly on roads and am thinking of getting some road tires.

Will the tread last as long as mtb tires ?

Probably not, especially if you're running full knobbies, with big
separate blocks of rubber contacting the road. But if you go to a smooth
tire, the bike will roll so much better it will easily be worth it.

Unless, that is, you're the kind of guy who values the pennies spent per
mile more than anything else.

I'd recommend slick road tires, i.e. no tread at all. I made the same
recommendation to a neighbor who was getting ready for his first 50 mile
event, and he was very grateful.

What kind of tires are you using now?

--
- Frank Krygowski

I am using Seyoun NJK tires.

Andy

If you're commuting or riding almost entirely on hard surfaces, road tires will far outlast knobbies which normally have a pretty thin casing between the knobs.

Thanks to all for the feedback.

Andy