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Date: 05 Nov 2007 08:09:18
From:
Subject: tire mileage for lightweights?
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some six years ago i put together a bike that was to become my
favorite do-everything workhorse. i outfitted it with conti gatorskins
(28c) and cast off on a lot of miles since then. i admit didnt spend
much time on a bike in the last three years, but now im spending a lot
of time in the saddle again, and a lot of that swimming in city
traffic.
the gatorskin sidewalls are starting to get noticeably old. threads
(which i assume are kevlar, but don't know) are occasionally fraying,
and a few sideswipes to rocks and other obstacles have left some
obvious damage. (decent bit of offroad use). the rubber itself is
checking, but that doesnt bother me. is the sidewall done? how much of
the strength in the tire is supported by those one or two external
plies of well-spaced threading?
my current plan is to retire them to a bike which doesn't see critical
dont-go-under-the-bus use and downgrade to something cheap that i can
afford right now.
but this whole process has me wondering- wasn't i supposed to have
worn through the tread by now? i see folks talk about 1-3k miles per
tire. Surely I put a lot more than that on when I was riding all the
time, everywhere, for training, sport, errands, and to burn off steam.
yet the center tread still has not worn so much that the molded
texture isn't plain and obvious.
did i just ride this bike 800 miles in 3 years of daily use and not
know it? (seems Very dubious, but i do have other bikes). do
light(er)weight riders wear their tires noticeably less? does this
have something to do with that mystical 'light in the saddle' theory?
i have had two flat tires in all those years of biking, and mostly in
city glass-strewn street (mixed with a healthy dose of off-trail fixie
bashing on 700c slicks), and that one bike is the only one with kevlar
anything in the tires.
inquiring minds want to know-
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Date: 06 Nov 2007 17:11:59
From: catzz66
Subject: Re: tire mileage for lightweights?
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dummyaccount@electricant.net wrote:
>
> the gatorskin sidewalls are starting to get noticeably old.
> ...
Tires are cheap. I would not want to get very far away from home on a
tire with cracks in the sidewalls and threads showing. Peace of mind is
worth the price of some new tires and tubes, in my opinion.
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Date: 05 Nov 2007 23:28:07
From: Matt O'Toole
Subject: Re: tire mileage for lightweights?
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On Mon, 05 Nov 2007 08:09:18 -0800, dummyaccount wrote:
> some six years ago i put together a bike that was to become my
> favorite do-everything workhorse. i outfitted it with conti gatorskins
> (28c) and cast off on a lot of miles since then. i admit didnt spend
> much time on a bike in the last three years, but now im spending a lot
> of time in the saddle again, and a lot of that swimming in city
> traffic.
>
> the gatorskin sidewalls are starting to get noticeably old. threads
> (which i assume are kevlar, but don't know) are occasionally fraying,
> and a few sideswipes to rocks and other obstacles have left some
> obvious damage. (decent bit of offroad use). the rubber itself is
> checking, but that doesnt bother me. is the sidewall done? how much of
> the strength in the tire is supported by those one or two external
> plies of well-spaced threading?
>
> my current plan is to retire them to a bike which doesn't see critical
> dont-go-under-the-bus use and downgrade to something cheap that i can
> afford right now.
>
> but this whole process has me wondering- wasn't i supposed to have
> worn through the tread by now? i see folks talk about 1-3k miles per
> tire. Surely I put a lot more than that on when I was riding all the
> time, everywhere, for training, sport, errands, and to burn off steam.
> yet the center tread still has not worn so much that the molded
> texture isn't plain and obvious.
>
> did i just ride this bike 800 miles in 3 years of daily use and not
> know it? (seems Very dubious, but i do have other bikes). do
> light(er)weight riders wear their tires noticeably less? does this
> have something to do with that mystical 'light in the saddle' theory?
> i have had two flat tires in all those years of biking, and mostly in
> city glass-strewn street (mixed with a healthy dose of off-trail fixie
> bashing on 700c slicks), and that one bike is the only one with kevlar
> anything in the tires.
>
> inquiring minds want to know-
Gatorskins and other Continentals are known as long wearing. Even around
here where the hills are steep and the pavement is rough, people report
getting 4000 miles from a rear tire.
A lot of tires do wear out in as little as 1000 miles.
Continentals are known for their sidewalls unraveling too.
Matt O.
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Date: 05 Nov 2007 17:28:48
From: Michael Press
Subject: Re: tire mileage for lightweights?
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In article
<1194278958.526438.210710@v3g2000hsg.googlegroups.com >,
dummyaccount@electricant.net wrote:
> some six years ago i put together a bike that was to become my
> favorite do-everything workhorse. i outfitted it with conti gatorskins
> (28c) and cast off on a lot of miles since then. i admit didnt spend
> much time on a bike in the last three years, but now im spending a lot
> of time in the saddle again, and a lot of that swimming in city
> traffic.
>
> the gatorskin sidewalls are starting to get noticeably old. threads
> (which i assume are kevlar, but don't know) are occasionally fraying,
> and a few sideswipes to rocks and other obstacles have left some
> obvious damage. (decent bit of offroad use). the rubber itself is
> checking, but that doesnt bother me. is the sidewall done? how much of
> the strength in the tire is supported by those one or two external
> plies of well-spaced threading?
>
> my current plan is to retire them to a bike which doesn't see critical
> dont-go-under-the-bus use and downgrade to something cheap that i can
> afford right now.
>
> but this whole process has me wondering- wasn't i supposed to have
> worn through the tread by now? i see folks talk about 1-3k miles per
> tire. Surely I put a lot more than that on when I was riding all the
> time, everywhere, for training, sport, errands, and to burn off steam.
> yet the center tread still has not worn so much that the molded
> texture isn't plain and obvious.
>
> did i just ride this bike 800 miles in 3 years of daily use and not
> know it? (seems Very dubious, but i do have other bikes). do
> light(er)weight riders wear their tires noticeably less? does this
> have something to do with that mystical 'light in the saddle' theory?
> i have had two flat tires in all those years of biking, and mostly in
> city glass-strewn street (mixed with a healthy dose of off-trail fixie
> bashing on 700c slicks), and that one bike is the only one with kevlar
> anything in the tires.
Many Continental tires are made with cotton thread.
Cotton thread is a poor choice for tire thread.
Replace the tires with smooth tread, thin tread
carbon rubber tires. Many excellent choices.
Serfas for one.
--
Michael Press
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Date: 05 Nov 2007 21:56:39
From:
Subject: Re: tire mileage for lightweights?
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> tire. Surely I put a lot more than that on when I was riding all the
> time, everywhere, for training, sport, errands, and to burn off steam.
apparently not. And don't call us Shirley.
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Date: 05 Nov 2007 13:33:44
From: Outdoor_Guy
Subject: Re: tire mileage for lightweights?
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On Nov 5, 8:09 am, dummyacco...@electricant.net wrote:
> some six years ago i put together a bike that was to become my
> favorite do-everything workhorse. i outfitted it with conti gatorskins
> (28c) and cast off on a lot of miles since then. i admit didnt spend
> much time on a bike in the last three years, but now im spending a lot
> of time in the saddle again, and a lot of that swimming in city
> traffic.
>
> the gatorskin sidewalls are starting to get noticeably old. threads
> (which i assume are kevlar, but don't know) are occasionally fraying,
> and a few sideswipes to rocks and other obstacles have left some
> obvious damage. (decent bit of offroad use). the rubber itself is
> checking, but that doesnt bother me. is the sidewall done? how much of
> the strength in the tire is supported by those one or two external
> plies of well-spaced threading?
>
> my current plan is to retire them to a bike which doesn't see critical
> dont-go-under-the-bus use and downgrade to something cheap that i can
> afford right now.
>
> but this whole process has me wondering- wasn't i supposed to have
> worn through the tread by now? i see folks talk about 1-3k miles per
> tire. Surely I put a lot more than that on when I was riding all the
> time, everywhere, for training, sport, errands, and to burn off steam.
> yet the center tread still has not worn so much that the molded
> texture isn't plain and obvious.
>
> did i just ride this bike 800 miles in 3 years of daily use and not
> know it? (seems Very dubious, but i do have other bikes). do
> light(er)weight riders wear their tires noticeably less? does this
> have something to do with that mystical 'light in the saddle' theory?
> i have had two flat tires in all those years of biking, and mostly in
> city glass-strewn street (mixed with a healthy dose of off-trail fixie
> bashing on 700c slicks), and that one bike is the only one with kevlar
> anything in the tires.
>
> inquiring minds want to know-
You can get a new pair of the Gatorskins for about $23-28/ea online.
They're a killer bargain for the miles and durability you get from
them. I've been riding them on my winter bike for >5 years now, with
no pre-wear failures and getting tons of miles on them.
Very, very few flats, partially due to the tread thickness, some due
to the kevlar I'm sure...
-pete
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Date: 05 Nov 2007 13:03:45
From: vey
Subject: Re: tire mileage for lightweights?
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dummyaccount@electricant.net wrote:
>
> the gatorskin sidewalls are starting to get noticeably old. threads
> (which i assume are kevlar, but don't know) are occasionally fraying,
> and a few sideswipes to rocks and other obstacles have left some
> obvious damage. (decent bit of offroad use). the rubber itself is
> checking, but that doesnt bother me. is the sidewall done? how much of
> the strength in the tire is supported by those one or two external
> plies of well-spaced threading?
The sidewalls have dry rot.
http://www.ferrarichat.com/velostrada/issues/200507/04DetailingDynamics_Caring_for.htm
Left alone, tires and other exterior rubber will fade, crack and
eventually lose their mechanical properties through Mother Nature. The
first environmental enemy of rubber is exposure to the ultraviolet (UV)
light. UV attacks rubber through a process called photo-degradation
(similar to the way UV light oxidizes paint). The second enemy degrading
tires and other synthetic rubber parts is ozone, a colorless gas that is
part of the air we breathe. When ozone combines with UV light, a
reaction occurs that attacks the rubber polymers. Add environmental
pollutants into the equation, and we have a problem; “dry rot”. Dry rot
is a million dollar concern for RV, boat trailer and classic car owners
that are parked for extended periods (I’m sure you’ve seen RV’s parked
with their tires covered).
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Date: 05 Nov 2007 18:39:17
From: Lou Holtman
Subject: Re: tire mileage for lightweights?
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dummyaccount@electricant.net wrote:
> some six years ago i put together a bike that was to become my
> favorite do-everything workhorse. i outfitted it with conti gatorskins
> (28c) and cast off on a lot of miles since then. i admit didnt spend
> much time on a bike in the last three years, but now im spending a lot
> of time in the saddle again, and a lot of that swimming in city
> traffic.
>
> the gatorskin sidewalls are starting to get noticeably old. threads
> (which i assume are kevlar, but don't know) are occasionally fraying,
> and a few sideswipes to rocks and other obstacles have left some
> obvious damage. (decent bit of offroad use). the rubber itself is
> checking, but that doesnt bother me. is the sidewall done? how much of
> the strength in the tire is supported by those one or two external
> plies of well-spaced threading?
>
> my current plan is to retire them to a bike which doesn't see critical
> dont-go-under-the-bus use and downgrade to something cheap that i can
> afford right now.
>
> but this whole process has me wondering- wasn't i supposed to have
> worn through the tread by now? i see folks talk about 1-3k miles per
> tire. Surely I put a lot more than that on when I was riding all the
> time, everywhere, for training, sport, errands, and to burn off steam.
> yet the center tread still has not worn so much that the molded
> texture isn't plain and obvious.
>
> did i just ride this bike 800 miles in 3 years of daily use and not
> know it? (seems Very dubious, but i do have other bikes). do
> light(er)weight riders wear their tires noticeably less? does this
> have something to do with that mystical 'light in the saddle' theory?
> i have had two flat tires in all those years of biking, and mostly in
> city glass-strewn street (mixed with a healthy dose of off-trail fixie
> bashing on 700c slicks), and that one bike is the only one with kevlar
> anything in the tires.
>
> inquiring minds want to know-
>
You can destroy a tire within 10 miles. Don't over analyze this. A pair
of tires in 6 years (time counts to) is not a bad score.
Lou
--
Posted by news://news.nb.nu (http://www.nb.nu)
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