Tyre direction question

[Pat Dwyer]

As I mentioned in my Bob Jackson restoration thread, I bought a pair of Bontrager All-Weather tyres at a bargain price from Evans Cycles in Liverpool a couple of weeks ago. I was surprised to see that they were marked with a direction of rotation, like car tyres. I can only assume that this is to assist the sipes (lateral grooves in the tread) to clear rain away to the side. I've been using bicycle tyres with heavy treads all my cycling life, and never came across any that have to be fitted in a particular way until these. This isn't a problem for the front wheel, but the rear wheel has a flip-flop hub. Initially, I intend to run it as a singlespeed while I assess it. Later, I'll renovate the Gran Sport derailleur and turn the hub around. So which direction to fit the tyres? I anticipate such narrow ones being difficult to get on and off (the front one called for much determination), so I'd rather not have to remove the tyre until the time comes to replace it. I never intentionally ride in the rain these days, so does it really make much difference which way round the rear tyre is fitted?

[CliveyT]

Personally I don't normally bother looking, particularly after a front puncture. I know I've put a wheel in the 'wrong way' round before and cycled many miles before noticing. The water diverting bit may be correct, but you'll struggle to get a bike to aquaplane anyway so I can't see it personally.

Of course I may have been wasting an extra 5W and producing a few extra dB but I doubt if I'd notice that either

[Audax67]

I don't think the sipes on the like of Conti 4 Seasons make all that much difference.

If you're using it as a fixie you could always ride backwards after flipping it.

[531colin]

Its all hogwash/marketing.

For front vs. rear, do you set for drive at the rear and braking at the front?

BTW, good luck with wearing out a tyre without getting a puncture!

[Vorpal]

I think it depends on the tyre tread & construction. Some tyres with a little tread are clearly marked with a direction of rotation. Most slicks are not. The mroe tread there is, the more rotation direction may make a diffrence (still depending upon design & construction).

On most tyres with a little tread, and an obvious rotation direction, I think that traction is probably a little better if they are mounted correctly, but I also suppose that 99% of the time, it's not enough to make any difference. On something like a Gatorskin or 4 seasons, I agree with Colin. It won't make any difference at all.

Note that I don't have any scientific basis for my assertions. However, I've notice a difference in a Marathon turned round. I didn't notice it on the road, but I did notice it on gravel. IMO, Marathons have mediocre traction anyway, and the tread being the wrong way round made it worse.

[OnYourRight]

I suspect it’s mostly marketing. A direction arrow supports the notion that the tread pattern – itself pointless on hard surfaces – does something useful.

On soft terrain tread patterns and directional features may start to play a role.

Any usefully directional features on road tyres, if they exist, must have something to do with the plies in the carcass – but I would want to see some pretty solid proof of that before I’d worry about it.

[hamster]

Off road it makes a difference. On road it doesn't. Aquaplaning is well-researched with aircraft, the wider the tyre the earlier it aquaplanes. For a bike tyre of 1-1.5" it's (IIRC) around 300mph, by which time you will have other things to worry about.

[[XAP]Bob]

I am fastidious about it. But I run slicks.

The benefit is knowing that I can locate any areas where a fairy is doing her evil works.

The one thing I need to do is to work out how to mark my inner tubes - maybe a triangular patch by the valve

[Brucey]

the tread directionality can affect

- the dry grip (esp if you are on the brakes/going downhill and leant over at all),
-the way the tread deals with water (which can limit wet grip when cornering on smooth surfaces) and perhaps most importantly,
- how you are likely to feel what is going on in the contact patch.

So it might be important, at least some of the time, with some tyres. But mostly it isn't, and I'd worry more about it on a front tyre than a rear anyway.

I don't think the carcass per se is ever directional in a bike tyre BTW, only the tread.

[if the tube has any writing on it, you can set it to read the same way round as that on the cover, and that way know which way round the tube was.]

cheers

[Pat Dwyer]

Thanks for those comments. I must say that, having come into possession of a bike with a flip-flop hub for the first time since the late 1970s, when I acquired my first "racer" (a Sun Mist with Campagnolo pretensions, in the form of a steel Valentino changer), some part of me would like to spin on a track sprocket and give fixed a try. I tried it briefly on the Sun Mist all those years ago, but didn't really take to it. That was long before the current craze for fixed. Then, there were just a few diehards riding without the ability to freewheel. I suppose I take the view that freewheeling is one of the great pleasures of cycling. Nature's way of rewarding you for the effort expended getting up the hills. To me, having to pedal downhill is somewhat counter-intuitive. But I'm a reasonable sort of chap, for an Irishman, and I don't like to dismiss an idea without having tried it. I suppose pedal strike is my greatest fear. I'll see how I feel when I get my rear wheel back from being trued. Brucey, I'm prepared to be convinced that the direction of rotation of the tyre may have some significance, but surely you're not serious about the direction of the inner tube making a difference? Expliquez, s'il vous plait.

[Brucey]

sorry, the inner tube direction comment was for the benefit of Bob's puncture tracking, and not for any other reason!

cheers

[Mick F]

My tyres are directional, but after 1,000miles they're bald, so which direction should I put them in next?

[531colin]

My tyres are directional, but after 1,000miles they're bald, so which direction should I put them in next?

Direction of the bin? (edit...its a joke, Mick)

[Mick F]

Why?
They're good for 4,000miles at least.

Tread on narrow tyres is cosmetic. You can buy slick versions of the same tyre.
Not tried the slick version yet.

[Brucey]

.....Not tried the slick version yet.....

isn't that exactly what you are doing once the tread wears?

cheers