Should bicycle tires be rotated?

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asked Nov 10, 2024 in Cycling by Tinorarams (1,200 points)
Should bicycle tires be rotated?

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answered Nov 23, 2024 by JorelFlorke (12,420 points)
Bicycle tires should not need to be rotated unless you're replacing the rear tire.

If you're using the same type of tire for the front and rear you can move the front tire to the rear of the bike and install the new tire on the front.

There's no need however to remove the rear tire just to place it on the front and then put the front tire on the back.

However rotating the bicycle tires when changing tires can help extend the life of the tires.

The only time that bike tire rotation is needed or appropriate is when you are replacing your rear tire, otherwise it's too much trouble.

When your bike tires are still good the bike tires should have little to no cracks in them and have good tread depth.

Small cracks in a bicycle tire are not usually bad enough to need to get new tires although severe cracks means it's time to replace the tires.

When your bike tire is too worn the bike tire will have low tread depth or be near bald or completely bald.

If the bike tires tread is so thin that you can see the bike tire's inner carcass through it then it's too worn.

Other signs of worn bike tires include.

A squared off tread where the center of the tire is significantly flatter than the edges, indicating uneven wear.

Cracked rubber and visible cracks on the bike tire's surface, especially on the bike tires sidewalls.

Exposed casing where you see the bike tire's inner carcass through the tread.

Frequent flats as a worn tire can cause frequent flats.

Sidewall damage such as cuts or punctures on the sidewall of the bike tire.

Reduced grip, especially noticeably less traction while riding your bike and especially in corners.

Bike tires do degrade over time whether they are being used or not used.

The rubber in bike the tires breaks down over time and the evaporates from the rubber and sunlight also cause the rubber to degrade which leads to cracks and the tire eventually coming apart.

Bike tires do go bad from sitting and many times bike tires degrade before they actually wear out on the tread.

Also when you leave your bike tires flat it also causes cracks in the tires and can make the tire come apart eventually so it's not good to leave the bike tire flat.

Bike tires can sit unused for up to 6 years after they are manufactured.

However if they are exposed to the sunlight and extreme heat the bike tires may go bad within 3 to 4 years even when not used.

The rubber compound in the bike tires can degrade over time from heat, ozone and UV light and the oils in the rubber of the bike tire also evaporate and causes the tires to become brittle and harden.

If cracks appear in your bike tire and especially on the sidewalls the tire is bad and should be replaced.

You should replace bicycle tires every 3 to 5 years depending on how many miles you put on the bicycle tires.

If you don't put a lot of miles on the bicycle tires they can last 5 years and sometimes a bit longer but ideally the bicycle tire should be replaced after 5 years as they can degrade and could come apart.

Bike tires can last from 3 to 5 years depending on how many miles you ride your bike.

Sometimes bike tires degrade before they actually wear the tread out and should be replaced after around 5 years or when they start showing signs of degrading such as cracks or coming apart.

Old bike tires are safe as long as they are not too old or cracked really bad.

If the old bike tires are in good shape and not cracked or coming apart then they can be safe but it's best to replace bike tires after 5 years or so to be safe.

Bike tires that are old and degrading can come apart and cause you to crash the bike, especially if you ride bicycles in races or go long distances with the bicycle.

The lifespan of a bike tire is around 1,000 to 3,000 miles although touring bike tires can last up to 4,000 miles.

The lifespan of bike tires in years is around 3 to 5 years although how often you use the bike will also factor into the lifespan of the bike tire.

Some bike tires will degrade overtime before they actually wear down.

If the bike tire is cracking or getting worn down on tread then it should be replaced.

The rubber that bike tires are made off gets brittle with age and can come apart so if you notice cracks on the tire, especially on the sidewall it's a sign that the bike tire needs replaced.

The 3 numbers on a bike tire mean the tires width in millimeters, followed by the inner diameter of the bicycle rim that it's made for in millimeters.

For example if your tire reads 25-622 then it means the tire is a 25 mm wide tire which fits on a rim that has a 622mm inner diameter.

The French system for bicycle tires will often use "700x25c marking where the 700 means the outer diameter of the tire in millimeters and the c means the width of the tire according to the older French system.

The C on the bike tire means the tire's width, which is often between 28 to 35 millimeters.

700 on a bike tire means the approximate diameter of the tire in millimeters.

The 700 on the bike tire means that the bike tire's diameter is around 700 millimeters and is a French system.

The C on the bike tire means the tire's width, which is often between 28 to 35 millimeters.

700 C bike tires are made to fit 700c bike rims which also have a diameter of 622 millimeters.

The 700C is also now the world's major wheel size standard for road bikes.

The 700C size also equates to around 700รท25.4 = 27.5 inches.

The bicycle rim diameter of a 700c wheel is actually slightly smaller than that of a '27inch'.

700c bead diameter is 622mm whereas 27'' bead diameter is 630mm.

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