Tire Mounting...

[CarbonCycles]

Alright guys,

This might be a no brainer, and No I didn't use the search feature before posting this :D

Anyway, you know the tires with the little chevrons "\/" on them...what way do you mount them? I know for auto tires that there is a specific direction to mount them, but I'm wondering if it really matters for bikes?

Let's hear it

[KevinK]

The "industry standard" is the label on the tire is on the drive-side of the bike. I'm guessing if you mount the tire that way, you will have the tread oriented as the manufacture intended.

Kevin

[Ozz]

If it matters, there should be an arrow the sidewall that shows the direction of the tire rotation....

I think my Conti GP4000's have a "rotation arrow" on them.....

[Ken Robb]

in my experience the arrows point forward in the hope that the leading point will funnel water away from the fat part that follows.

[CarbonCycles]

Yes, I agree with both you guys, but I just got a pair of Michellin's that have neither the arrow nor a label on one side (they are on both sides). Go figure?

[CarbonCycles]

Bingo, that's what I am guessing as well...

in my experience the arrows point forward in the hope that the leading point will funnel water away from the fat part that follows.

[Lincoln]

I rember when a friend accidentally (rushing an on the trail flat fix) discovered that his F mtb tire worked better "backwards."

[stevep]

a lot of times the front works better backwards. performs different task.
rear drives . front steers and stops.
very different.

[Lincoln]

a lot of times the front works better backwards. performs different task.
rear drives . front steers and stops.
very different.
What made it worse was that it was a front specific tire.

[Peter P.]

I wrench in a bike shop and run into this all the time. Here's the deal:

When straddling the bike and you look down onto the top of the tire, the point of the chevron should face the front of the bike. This holds true for both wheels. In other words, the point of the chevron will lead in the direction of tire rotation-think of an arrowhead travelling through the air.

I'm fussy, and I respect even the $300 bikes I build. Wheels come out of the bike box with the tires installed, and it's easy to install the front wheel backwards because the rims will be symmetrically labelled and the hub will have no label at all. I check the rear tire and match the front to it. If the tread is "chevron-ed", it's always as above. If there's a directional arrow on the sidewall, it always matches the chevron.

[CarbonCycles]

Many thanks for the responses folks!