Tire replacement strategy?

[reuben]

Originally Posted by windsurfer

Strategy?
Wear them out then replace them.
If your front doesn't wear out, ride more

My name is reuben, and I approve this message.

[Gummee]

Originally Posted by litcrazy

I often wear out the rear, rotate the front to back and then replace the front.
I don’t mind if they don’t match and this puts a newer tire up front where flats are more perilous.

...except that front flats are exceedingly rare...

Yes, pinches happen, but rarely punctures

M

[Gummee]

Originally Posted by cabriggs

This is what Sheldon Brown recommends.

...and have any of y'all thought that recommendation through? How many rear flats do you get vs front flats? When's the last time you had a front flat?

Almost all front flats I've ever had have been pinches.

The only thing I've ever noticed is if you don't rotate soon enough, you'll get a squared off front tire which can make handling interesting as your tire climbs up and over the squared off portion of the tire then falls into the normal part of the tire.

Nope. Sheldon may have been smart, but not on this one.

M

[Mark McM]

I also move the front to the rear when the rear needs to be replaced, and then put a new tire on the front.

It is true that front flats are much less common than rear flats. But there's another reason to have the freshest rubber in front: As the rubber ages, it loses its grippiness. This is mostly unnoticeable on dry pavement, but can suddenly bite you when the pavement is wet, and your old front tire suddenly doesn't have enough grip even though a new tire would. It is easier to control a rear tire slip than a front tire slip, so I want my newest, grippiest rubber on the front.

[AngryScientist]

the other salient point is that the OP mentioned he's running tubeless. there is no way i'm breaking the bead on a well sealed tire, dealing with the sealant mess and wasting sealant just to rotate a tire. Nope.

[Gummee]

Originally Posted by AngryScientist

the other salient point is that the OP mentioned he's running tubeless. there is no way i'm breaking the bead on a well sealed tire, dealing with the sealant mess and wasting sealant just to rotate a tire. Nope.

Just pour the old sealant into a cup or other holding vessel and reuse it. /problem

The stuff is a wear item

M

[Louis]

Originally Posted by windsurfer

Strategy?
Wear them out then replace them.
If your front doesn't wear out, ride more

I hope you haven't see the posts discussing how to best equalize chain and cassette wear by rotating through several different chains for short periods of time each on the same cassette...