Do you rotate your tires?

[spinarelli]

For most people the rear tire wears out faster. Do you rotate the tires to even out the wear? If so how often/miles?
Or, if you don't, do you only replace the rear tire with a new tire and keep the front as it is?
Or, are you as OCD as me, and when you have to replace one tire you replace both because you want the tan sidewall fading/yellowing to match?

[rwsaunders]

I just rotate the air.

[pjm]

When the rear wears out I move the front tire to the rear and put a new tire on the front.

[Dave]

I buy tires in threes - two for the rear and one for the front, no rotation.

[spinarelli]

that's actually a good idea, especially with the current prices across the pond.

I buy tires in threes - two for the rear and one for the front, no rotation.

[Cicli]

When the rear wears out I move the front tire to the rear and put a new tire on the front.

This, you always want your best tire up front. If you have ever had a front explode you will know why.

[rnhood]

I buy tires in threes - two for the rear and one for the front, no rotation.

This is the proper protocol, because rotating tires means the front will have the flattened tread pattern from rotating the rear to the front, and that can compromise its handling.

But if you just commute or putter about, rotating is probably fine. Just be careful when riding in wet weather.

[Mark McM]

When the rear wears out I move the front tire to the rear and put a new tire on the front.

This is my rotation system as well. You generally want the better tire on the front, for a variety of reasons: Front flats at speed are more dangerous than rear flats, and newer tires less likely to puncture; Front wheel skids are more dangerous than rear wheel skids, and newer tires usually have better traction; recent wind tunnel testing shows that aerodynamic drag increases with tire wear, and front wheels produce more aerodrag than rear wheels, so for aero reasons you want the tire with the least wear in the front.

[OtayBW]

When the rear wears out I move the front tire to the rear and put a new tire on the front.
Yerp!

[johnniecakes]

When the rear wears out I move the front tire to the rear and put a new tire on the front.
This is my method also

[marciero]

No rotation. The rears wear differently. Flatter.

More reasons for new-on-front are that most of the ride quality, handling, shock absorption, and braking come from the front.

[Big Dan]

I buy tires in threes - two for the rear and one for the front, no rotation.

Same here.

[Peter P.]

When the rear wears out I move the front tire to the rear and put a new tire on the front.

I do what pjm does. Otherwise, my front tires would get hard and I'd lose grip, the tread would start to peel away from the casing, or the sidewalls would crack.

[AngryScientist]

nah, i dont bother. i replace stuff as it wears out.

[Matthew]

Guess I'm the in the minority here. I rotate mine. In fact I did on one bike today. I've never had an issue by doing this. When the rear wears out after rotation I get a new pair. Never noticed any ride difference or poor cornering, etc. I just check the wear a little more often after moving it to the front.

[charliedid]

I don't

I just buy new tires when I feel they are worn enough.

[Zian]

I might be in the minority, but for my main recreational bike I'm constantly swapping out tires from road slicks to various widths of knubby tires. The front/rear tire swap just happens without intention in that process.

[weiwentg]

I've usually put a new tire on the front and rotated the former front to the rear. On occasion, when I decided to change tire brands entirely, I'd just discard both used tires and put a fresh pair on.

[oldpotatoe]

For most people the rear tire wears out faster. Do you rotate the tires to even out the wear? If so how often/miles?
Or, if you don't, do you only replace the rear tire with a new tire and keep the front as it is?
Or, are you as OCD as me, and when you have to replace one tire you replace both because you want the tan sidewall fading/yellowing to match?

If the rear needs replacing, put the front on the rear and put the new tire on the front, where it's more important for steering, and keeping front end washouts to a minimum..

[wallymann]

When the rear wears out I move the front tire to the rear and put a new tire on the front.

+1...same here. one way rotation.

[zap]

No. Replace as needed.

[charliedid]

I might be in the minority, but for my main recreational bike I'm constantly swapping out tires from road slicks to various widths of knubby tires. The front/rear tire swap just happens without intention in that process.

I got some of this too. Yesterday I had gravel Kings on. Today road tires so I don't know which will go on but I guess I could figure it out. I see no point in that...

I think about bike s&5! more than I should anyway.

[m_sasso]

Yes, most defiantly, I am frugal and try to maintain some sense of respect for our environment. Replace and throw away just does't fit with my lifestyle, hey I save rubber bands that sometimes come on my purchased vegetables.

[Gummee]

This, you always want your best tire up front. If you have ever had a front explode you will know why.

When's the last time you had a front flat?

When's the last time you had a rear flat?

Which happens more frequently?

M

[Mark McM]

When's the last time you had a front flat?

When's the last time you had a rear flat?

Which happens more frequently?


Risk isn't just about frequency (or likelihood), its also about potential consequences. Although front flats are less common, the potential consequences are greater. For me, this tips in favor of installing a new tire on the front.

(And by the way, the last flat tire I had was a front pinch flat, when my tire dropped into a longitudinal crack in the pavement while racing in a criterium.)

[seanile]

i'm sitting here... reading this whole thread as if we're talking about car tires.
and this statement really threw meI buy tires in threes - two for the rear and one for the front, no rotation.
and then everyone else's affirming this method threw me even further.

happy monday, i need some caffeine.:rolleyes:

[Red Tornado]

Back in the day I used to rotate every ~500 miles. Some tires weren't "directional" and I would flip those as well.

Nowadays I'm too lazy. When the rear gets worn I move the front to the rear and get a new front. That's for road bikes. For MTB, I run front/rear specific so no rotation.

[Red Tornado]

Risk isn't just about frequency (or likelihood), its also about potential consequences. Although front flats are less common, the potential consequences are greater. For me, this tips in favor of installing a new tire on the front.

(And by the way, the last flat tire I had was a front pinch flat, when my tire dropped into a longitudinal crack in the pavement while racing in a criterium.)

Agree. I would much rather have a rear flat than a front. If the rear goes down, you can still control the bike just might fishtail some unless your flying down hill. Front goes flat (especially if it loses air fast) you might be screwed pretty quick-like. On a road bike, best tire is always in the front.

[benb]

I just buy 2 new tires when the rear starts getting near it's end of life. Same thing I did with my motorcycles when I had them.

Safer, better performance, more smiles on my face. Trivial cost for my income level.

I would be curious how many of out have bike stables worth $10k, $20k, $30k, or more and worry about getting every last mile out of your tires to scrimp and save a little bit.

I have less bikes than the average on this forum AFAICT. New replacement cost for all my bikes would be about $12k.. but I bought the 3 bikes over a period of about 13 years.. not like I went and bought all the bikes at the same time.

Pretty sure if I had a bad crash as a result of sub-par tire performance my medical co-pays/deductibles would buy a decade or more worth of high end bike tires, but I can't say that's in the back of my mind.

I suppose it'd be nice if there was a way to recycle tires, I have not looked into that.

I have taken advantage of sales the last 2-3 sets of bicycle tires I bought, so there is that as well. My main go fast road bike I have had BOGO on every set of tires I've ever put on the bike.

[weaponsgrade]

If the rear needs replacing, put the front on the rear and put the new tire on the front, where it's more important for steering, and keeping front end washouts to a minimum..

This is what I do. I think it's the best way to get the most out of your tires. It's a little more of a pain with tubeless because I have to reseat and refill with sealant.

[asindc]

When the rear wears out I move the front tire to the rear and put a new tire on the front.

I like this idea.

[Seramount]

since I run 23s on the front (fork clearance issue) and 25s on the rear, the front-to-rear thing doesn't really work. I just replace tires as they need it.

the last front tire had 15K miles on it and you could still see the tread wear indicators, but I decided to replace it anyways. figured I got my money's worth.

[dgauthier]

When the rear wears out I move the front tire to the rear and put a new tire on the front.

This is the correct answer. Surely we haven't already forgotten Sheldon Brown's (may he rest in peace) sage advice?

https://www.sheldonbrown.com/tire-rotation.html

[MikeD]

I've never worn out a front tire. They last 3 times as long as a rear tire and will rot out before the tread wears down. That's why I rotate the front to the rear when the rear tire wears out. It's more economical and safer that way.

[Gummee]

This is the correct answer. Surely we haven't already forgotten Sheldon Brown's (may he rest in peace) sage advice?

https://www.sheldonbrown.com/tire-rotation.html

Sheldon was right about a bunch of things, but in this one, he's completely wrong.

For more than a few reasons

M

[Mark McM]

Sheldon was right about a bunch of things, but in this one, he's completely wrong.

For more than a few reasons

What are the reasons? Many others in this thread have agreed with Sheldon Brown (including giving reasons why they agree). Perhaps you should enlighten us.

[Gummee]

What are the reasons? Many others in this thread have agreed with Sheldon Brown (including giving reasons why they agree). Perhaps you should enlighten us.

Answer the questions I asked previously and decide for yourself.

M

[giordana93]

Answer the questions I asked previously and decide for yourself.

M

when a rear tire is moved to the front, 2 bad things come with it:

1.less rubber on the tread, so greater chance of flat from tiny rock or shard of glass since it has to work through less tread

2. squared off tread profile. sucks for cornering. for people who never turn, this isn't a big deal, I guess

so the best idea is to never rotate a rear to the front, but vice versa ain't so bad. of course, if you are rotating a rear to the front after 200 miles, it doesn't matter, but then what's the point of the operation in the first place. it's like rotating the tires on your car 3 weeks after you get a new set.

I still fail to see how Sheldon is completely wrong

[93KgBike]

Whatever for this thread:butt:

3 CHEERS FOR SHELDON BROWN!!! (https://www.sheldonbrown.com/org/journal/journal-0801.html)

[tv_vt]

I rotate my tires every time I ride. ;)

[oldpotatoe]

When's the last time you had a front flat?

When's the last time you had a rear flat?

Which happens more frequently?

M

Rear more frequently but a flat rear is MUCH less 'dangerous' than a flat front..

why sheldon was right(RIP)...

[jamesdak]

Answer the questions I asked previously and decide for yourself.

M

No reason too, Sheldon was dead on right. End of story! :banana::banana:

[Gummee]

Rear more frequently but a flat rear is MUCH less 'dangerous' than a flat front..

why sheldon was right(RIP)...
Nope. Ole Sheldon was backasswards on this one. Front ANYthings are so rare as to be a non-issue.

Most of your weight is on the rear.
Most of your flats happen in the rear. Most = approaching 100% of your flats.
Y'all say you'll wear out 2-3 rears to a front...

So tell me again why having the new tire on the front it SO important if nothing ever happens to it?!

Think about the last time you had ANYthing happen to the front tire. I'll bet it's a hard bit of thinking. Even if you hit a pothole, it's almost always the rear tire/wheel that gets it.

...but since y'all are taking this on faith, I'm not going to be able to convince you. It's akin to a religious argument: no amount of proof will sway your thinking.

M

[MikeD]

If you rotated front your two tires often, is it possible to prevent the tires from squaring off?

[benb]

It's not about the frequency of something going wrong, it's about the consequences of it going wrong.

Rear tire going flat is no big deal, front tire going flat can be much harder to save, particularly if it happens fast.

Same thing with how rarely you see forks fail and how big of a deal it is. They get built with bigger safety margins than other parts of a bike for good reason. You hear about people cracking chainstays and such because their is little safety risk with a cracked chainstay so it's fine for the bike builder/designer to push the boundaries there. Pushing the boundaries on the weight of a fork is a different situation.

[AngryScientist]

Nope. Ole Sheldon was backasswards on this one. Front ANYthings are so rare as to be a non-issue.

Most of your weight is on the rear.
Most of your flats happen in the rear. Most = approaching 100% of your flats.
Y'all say you'll wear out 2-3 rears to a front...

So tell me again why having the new tire on the front it SO important if nothing ever happens to it?!

Think about the last time you had ANYthing happen to the front tire. I'll bet it's a hard bit of thinking. Even if you hit a pothole, it's almost always the rear tire/wheel that gets it.

...but since y'all are taking this on faith, I'm not going to be able to convince you. It's akin to a religious argument: no amount of proof will sway your thinking.

M

sorry gummy. i disagree, based on my experience. rear flats are more frequent yes, but i flat the front reasonably often also. it's just a matter of luck and what road debris you pick up.

as a matter of fact i had a front flat last week. it was in the rain, on my rain bike, which admittedly, as a pretty worn front tire...

it was a slow flat, and posed no danger, just wanted to refute your point that rear flats approach 100% frequency, when that is not the case in my personal [actual] experience.

and since you seem to like proof:

https://instagram.fhhr1-2.fna.fbcdn.net/vp/94c6ab961f5f2f260895f17fe993ff2f/5DD8F91C/t51.2885-15/e35/67099192_747575875680168_6119098105025551410_n.jpg ?_nc_ht=instagram.fhhr1-2.fna.fbcdn.net

[wkeller79]

Rotate Front to Back.... 100%.

[martl]

A single-track vehicles stability depends on the front wheel (exactly the other way around as on a dual-track vehicle like a car). A sudden pucture on the front tire has a much bigger chance of sending you down than a puncture on the rear. That is why the old rule better (=newer) tire to the front.


For most people the rear tire wears out faster. Do you rotate the tires to even out the wear? If so how often/miles?
Or, if you don't, do you only replace the rear tire with a new tire and keep the front as it is?
Or, are you as OCD as me, and when you have to replace one tire you replace both because you want the tan sidewall fading/yellowing to match?


If your tires aren't rotating, you're doing something fundamentally wrong.

SCNR

[Mark McM]

Nope. Ole Sheldon was backasswards on this one. Front ANYthings are so rare as to be a non-issue.

Most of your weight is on the rear.
Most of your flats happen in the rear. Most = approaching 100% of your flats.

I agree that rear flats happen more often than front flats. But I don't agree that front flats are so infrequent that they are a non-issue. In the past 5 years I've had 3 flat tires - 2 rear, and 1 front. Front flats happen often enough that they matter.

Your insistence to put a new tire on the rear (instead of the front) appears to assume that tire wear dramatically increases the frequency of flatting. But I don't think that's necessarily true, as there are many variables involved in tire flatting. In my experience, the difference in dynamics between front and rear tires (such as weight on the wheel) are bigger factors than tire wear. In my last 3 flats, only one of the rear tires had any significant wear, the other rear flat and the front flat were on nearly new tires. In contrast, many times I've worn rear tires down to the cords with no flatting.

[Mzilliox]

I have only flatted my front tire in the last 3 years. 2 flats in 3 years, both fronts, both massive tubular rips from big things i did not see in time. i cannot tell you the last time i flatted a rear.
i ride wrong

[jamesdak]

Nope. Ole Sheldon was backasswards on this one. Front ANYthings are so rare as to be a non-issue.

Most of your weight is on the rear.
Most of your flats happen in the rear. Most = approaching 100% of your flats.
Y'all say you'll wear out 2-3 rears to a front...

So tell me again why having the new tire on the front it SO important if nothing ever happens to it?!

Think about the last time you had ANYthing happen to the front tire. I'll bet it's a hard bit of thinking. Even if you hit a pothole, it's almost always the rear tire/wheel that gets it.

...but since y'all are taking this on faith, I'm not going to be able to convince you. It's akin to a religious argument: no amount of proof will sway your thinking.

M

LOL, you've been told over and over yet you are accusing other of "taking this on faith" I suspect you are the one that "no amount of proof will sway your thinking".

[Gummee]

It's not about the frequency of something going wrong, it's about the consequences of it going wrong.

Rear tire going flat is no big deal, front tire going flat can be much harder to save, particularly if it happens fast.

Same thing with how rarely you see forks fail and how big of a deal it is. They get built with bigger safety margins than other parts of a bike for good reason. You hear about people cracking chainstays and such because their is little safety risk with a cracked chainstay so it's fine for the bike builder/designer to push the boundaries there. Pushing the boundaries on the weight of a fork is a different situation.

If nothing ever goes wrong, how is the situation dire?

M

[Blue Jays]

If I ever had to experience a high-speed tire flat...my hope is that it would be my REAR tire.

I opt not to rotate. I just purchase them in multiples of three.
Tires are cheap insurance and I change them with frequency.

[Marc40a]

If I ever had to experience a high-speed tire flat...my hope is that it would be my REAR tire.

I opt not to rotate. I just purchase them in multiples of three.
Tires are cheap insurance and I change them with frequency.

Me too.


Though, I will rotate a chunky 3" mtb tire, but never a road tire.

[benb]

If nothing ever goes wrong, how is the situation dire?

M

You didn't notice all the other people saying they've had flat front tires?

I have definitely had more rear flats but I've had a couple of front flats and they scared the sh*t out of me when I consider what would have happened if they happened at slightly different points in the ride.

[Mark McM]

If I ever had to experience a high-speed tire flat...my hope is that it would be my REAR tire.

I opt not to rotate. I just purchase them in multiples of three.
Tires are cheap insurance and I change them with frequency.

Here's a different, but related case:

Here in New England, we experience a lot of freeze/thaw cycles in the winter, so off-road trails are often covered with sheets of ice. Many riders here use studded tires, which work remarkably well on ice. There are also a lot of rocks on our trails which can wear down studs so they don't grip ice as well. On slippery conditions (like ice), front wheel traction is far more important than rear wheel traction, so riders will use their newer studded tires on the front, and move their worn front studded tires to the rear.

[giordana93]

3 flats in the last 18 months. 2 in front, 1 in rear. based on that empirical evidence, I declare I flat twice as often on the front.

better, I switched to tubeless last year and the first flat I had (doh, let sealant get a little dry I guess) was on the front. at that moment, 100% of my flats on tubeless tires were on the front....

anyway, I'm in the "buy 3 tires" camp and don't usually bother rotating, unless I'm fixing a flat at the house and circumstances push me move an older front to the rear

[tony_mm]

Road: I usually don’t rotate but change the tires quite frequently.

MTB: I usually rotate the tires in order to always have the best tire in front.

[dgauthier]

The reason one puts the best tire on the front *is to reduce the number of flats on the front tire*. If a small majority of riders are rotating front to back(*), if front tires seem to get less flats it would seem to indicate the practice works.

(*) Of the 30 responses in this thread so far that indicate a preference, 17 rotate front to back only. Your count may differ because some responses are open to interpretation.

[dem]

My flats are 3:1 ratio rear:front. :)

I also rotate the front to the rear, mostly because I am cheap. After 5000 miles, the front barely looks used - might as well square it off on the rear and put a fresh one on the front.

My most terrifying flat: High speed descent >40 mph, front puncture dead in the center of the tire, spewing tubeless sealant which then oiled down my rear tire too(!) - thankfully it was a straight descent, so I somehow slithered to a halt without crashing.

[kestrel58]

Over 40 years of cycling, I notice 2-3x as many rear flats on tires that are near their life expectancy. Why? Less rubber. So why not keep as much rubber on the most important wheel, the front. I always keep fresh rubber on the front.
HAPPY CYCLING!