Cycling UK Forum

...because if they do I need new ones.

I know that GP4000 have them, but even on a Four Seasons where the profile is still clearly visible on the highest part of the tread I can't see any.

The only wear tell tales that I use on cycle tyres are the blue or white ones under the tread.

I've been using 4 Seasons for about the last 5 years; not now though because of the price. I have never seen any wear marker. The light tread at the top of the tyre does of course wear but there are many useful miles left. The "rubber" of the tyre is extremely thin but tough, by thin I mean around 1mm, so you can see that the lightly imprinted tread is about 1/3 of that. I used my 4 Seasons until the rubber was splitting as it got thin and the canvas just starting to show. I did not do this deliberately, it was simply that it is very hard to determine the state of wear and as soon as I noticed I changed them at something like 4 thousand miles. I have a pair in use right now that I am keeping an eye on because they are coming towards the end. Nice grippy and tough tyre, but I do not like the way the black strip over the bead unravels.

Right enough, every so often I need to trim off a thread here & there. Re the grip, though, they're great: if the surface is clean they go right where you put them.

I suppose that wear telltales are like sell-by dates: they leave a considerable safety margin and thereby boost sales.

I used to use Conti 4 Season on my audax bike. I have a visitation on the way to the start of a CTC ride last year. When I took the (back) wheel out to fix the p******e I noticed that the tyre was down to the carcass on about 30% of the tyre. I had not noticed this due to the mudguard covering most of the visible tyre. A tale of caution. BTW I had only done about 1500 miles on that tyre.

I know when it's time to change my gp4seasons when the carcase starts showing through the tred.

Since I had a similar query a couple of days ago I hope this isn't a hijack. Ignore me if so...

Just wondering, if Plod will fine you in your car for having insufficient tread, are we right to so gamely carry on riding when our bike treads are worn away? Suggests the tread does an important job?

Not intending to be provocative, but I'd be interested to hear people's views.

I believe that either the highway code or the law says we should have tread still visible across the tyre.
However many tyres come with no tread at all anyway, eg Schwalbe Kojaks.

Any possible penalties and I doubt there are any will be minor enough to not bother me.
However some lawyer trying to reduce compensation because the lack of tread caused you to fail to stop quickly enough does.

Scientifically there is no reason at all for tread on a ROAD cycle tyre, the reason why it became compulsory for cars just doesnt apply to cycles (until they reach 90mph, I think).

tyres work very differently.....

doubtless the condition of your tyres would be of interest if there was an accident.

cheers

ed_b wrote:Since I had a similar query a couple of days ago I hope this isn't a hijack. Ignore me if so...

Just wondering, if Plod will fine you in your car for having insufficient tread, are we right to so gamely carry on riding when our bike treads are worn away? Suggests the tread does an important job?

Not intending to be provocative, but I'd be interested to hear people's views.

Tread on car tyres exist to channel water away from the surface and prevent aquaplaning. Bike tyres can't aquaplane, the surface area of the contact patch isn't big enough, and therefore don't need tread. GP4season tyres don't really have a tread.