Tyre worn or not?

delynet

Got a set of Continental Ultra Sport tires on my bike and they have covered just under 1000km. Noticed today that the rear tire has a very flat profile compared to the front. Both tires have always held 100PSI and never punctured despite the bad roads around Claremorris, Cong & Ballinrobe.

Pic attached is not great but you might get the idea. I am wondering is it due a replacement or could I get lots more use out of it. Rolling resistance must be increasing?

blorg

Most Conti tyres have two little dots on them somewhere that indicate wear. If you can't see the dots any more it is time to replace. If you can you are OK.

Beasty

blorg wrote: »

Most Conti tyres have two little dots on them somewhere that indicate wear. If you can't see the dots any more it is time to replace. If you can you are OK.

Lumen posted this picture of wear indicators previously:

delynet

Thanks for the replies!

Just checked and there are no wear indicators on these and I don’t think they ever had them. Front is okay as there is still faint remains of the centre line from the moulding process. Back just seems to be very flat. I don’t think these were expensive tyres as they came with the bike (Boardman Team Carbon). Can’t fault the puncture resistance of them so not really complaining.
Currently planning a wheel upgrade so will probably get new tyres as well. Just need to stop reading all the “What Wheels” threads and not lose the run of myself and blow the budget.

Just hazarding a guess here, but it looks like there's loads of life left in that tyre. I find the best way to get an idea for how worn a tyre is is to take it off and manually feel between forefinger and thumb how thick it is in the contact area. Also, usually when tyres start to get worn they puncture easily.

Lumen

1000km is nothing for a tyre (except possibly the grippiest rain tyre).

Change tyres when you start getting punctures or when you can see the canvas

blorg

As Lumen says 1,000km is not a lot for a tyre. Incidentally if you have 100 PSI in both tyres one is either under or over-inflated. Presuming the tyre is 700x23 and you are of average weight (75kg?) the front is fine but you should probably have 110 in the back. If they are 700x25 100 is fine for the back but less would be optimal for the front, around 90. IMO. Point is (irrespective of the exact numbers chosen), the back carries more weight and should be at a higher pressure.

niceonetom

Conti use the same compound right across the width of the tyre so they do have a tendency to go square, particularly if you're running them a bit soft. I've had to bin a gp4000s sooner than I was expecting because I simply didn't trust the way the way contact patch went from huge to tiny depending on the lean angle. Maybe a bit over cautious, but the thing was totally square.

OP - your tyre certainly has many many more kms in it but I would stick at least another 10psi in it (unless you're really light) to slow the squaring process.

hawkwing

Slightly off topic but i have been using 100psi front and back on GP4000's (62kg)--should i change to maybe 90 on the front?

Canis Lupus

My tires have got holes in them and I can see the tube through some of the nicks (can't bring myself to buy new tires cheap oirish man that I am )

Unless you're getting crazy punctures or you feel the grip has just totally failed then soldier on.

Lumen

hawkwing wrote: »

Slightly off topic but i have been using 100psi front and back on GP4000's (62kg)--should i change to maybe 90 on the front?

I generally use 90/100 and I'm closer to 70kg, although recently for racing I've (probably irrationally) been using 100/100 for fear of pinch flats.

At 62kg I think 100psi on the front is unnecessarily high.

blorg

Canis Lupus wrote: »

My tires have got holes in them and I can see the tube through some of the nicks (can't bring myself to buy new tires cheap oirish man that I am )

If they are small enough nicks put superglue in them to seal them although if you can see the tube it is probably only a matter of time before you will start getting a series of punctures. To be honest with bike consumables when it is time to replace them you are better off replacing them.

Canis Lupus

blorg wrote: »

If they are small enough nicks put superglue in them to seal them although if you can see the tube it is probably only a matter of time before you will start getting a series of punctures. To be honest with bike consumables when it is time to replace them you are better off replacing them.

I'm probably leaving the country soon. I need every penny and can't be arsed spending them on tires