Updated on June 2, 2022
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recommends that tyres be replaced every six years, regardless of the number of kilometres travelled. Proper tyre pressure is essential to tyre maintenance. Uneven or overinflated tyres might cause a lot of problems down the road.
How often should you replace your tires?
In contrast to air filters and engine oil, there is no set time for changing tyres. To put it another way, the number of kilometres they’ve clocked and their age all play a part in how long they’ll be around. Keeping these three things in mind will help you decide how often to change your tyres.
Wear
Because they are in direct contact with the road’s surface, they are more susceptible to the forces of friction, which causes them to wear out more quickly. Today’s tyre manufacturers employ “wear bars” to show tread wear. You’ll notice wear bars, which are rubber strips moulded into the tread, when it’s time to replace your tyres. Three or more wear bars mean it’s time to replace your tyres.
Mileage
Most current tyres need to be replaced after 25,000 to 80,000 miles. For the most part, performance-oriented tyres have a shorter life duration compared to those that are less so. If you’re looking to get the most out of your tyres, you’ll want to choose for touring-style tyres rather than performance tyres.
Age
Goodyear, Michelin, and Bridgestone recommend a new set of tyres every six years, even if you haven’t exceeded the mileage limit. The degradation of tyres is accelerated by sunlight, air pollution, and other substances. You should replace your tyres as soon as possible, no matter how little driving you do each year.
Why do tires need to be replaced?
Because no mechanical component can survive indefinitely, tyres are not an exception. Rotation, alignment, and air pressure are all things that could lead to a flat or blowout if they aren’t taken care of. When it comes to tyres, it doesn’t matter why they need to be replaced; eventually they will, and failing to do so could put you in harm’s way behind the wheel.
Decreased traction
Slightly larger than an index finger, there is an asphalt strip between your car and the ground. There is no requirement for any kind of tread to work well on dry roads. Tires without tread can still be driven on the road, however the cooling effect of the treads causes some heat buildup.
Having slippery tyres will make it impossible to control your vehicle in adverse weather conditions, such as rain, snow, or ice. In Formula 1, you’ll notice that when it rains, the drivers immediately change to tyres with grooves for wet conditions. Water can only be removed from the path by pumping it out of the way. When the road is wet, the water channels away from the tire’s surface, making it simpler for the rubber to stick to it. Tread depth is vital at this point, and a deeper tread means a higher overall performance.
Poor braking and steering
A more precise and immediate steering reaction is one of the many benefits of new tyres, as you’ve already experienced. Fresh tyres also provide a sense of confidence in the corners because of their smoothness and stability. Tires lose some of their heat dissipation capacity when their rubber degrades. Tread wear will diminish the tyre’s ability to cool. If your tyres have hot, slick surfaces, you may have difficulty stopping quickly or taking corners at high speeds if you have these tyres.
More susceptible to puncture
When the tread on a tyre wears out, it no longer provides protection. The rubber between the road and the air in a slick or worn tyre is extremely thin. It’s possible for a tyre to be punctured by road debris or even tiny nails.
How to tell when your tires are worn out
While I keep track of my rides using a Garmin and Strava to monitor my progress, I have no idea how far my tyres have gone. So, I’ll have to rely on the more visible evidence that it’s time to change my tyres: the tread on my tyres.
Tread
The tread of a road bicycle tyre has a distinct pattern of groove cutouts. A beautiful look isn’t all that these people have going for them. The depth of the tread is another way to tell if the tyres have been damaged.
Grooves in the tyres will gradually diminish until they are entirely flat as they wear. It’s possible to know exactly how much tread is left on a tyre thanks to circular perforations in its tread.
Tyres that have less tread will have less traction on the road and are more susceptible to flats.
More frequent punctures
You may want to consider purchasing a new set of tyres if you see a rise in the number of punctures you experience on your rides. As a result, there is a lesser distance between the inner tube and any sharp objects.
It’s still a good idea to look around for thorns or other trash. Why throw away a perfectly good tyre that merely requires a sharp object to be removed? That’s a nonsense idea.
Dry-rot
To increase your chances of this happening, be sure to get new tyres. On the side walls, cracks are more likely to form. The rubber is showing signs of deterioration.
The sooner you replace your tyres, the better. Continuing to utilise them will result in rapid degradation.
What to do with your tires
When the tread on your tyres is so low that you can no longer drive on them, what do you do with them? I’m hoping you or someone you know can help me replace the tyres on your wheels. However, I’m considering writing a tutorial on how to do so in the future.
A spare tyre is essential if you want to get back on the road quickly after a flat.
Rotate
Your car’s front and rear tyres degrade at different rates, just like a car. The rear tyre usually degrades first, then the front tyre. Just like on an automobile, you can change the way your tyres wear.
This method demands that both tyres be acquired at once in order to maximise the time between tyre replacements.
Move it back (now y’all)
While swapping front and back tyres is an option, you can buy a new front tyre and move your old front tyre to the back wheel. Tyres will need to be replaced more frequently, but just once every few months.
While most people rotate their tyres and some simply move backwards, I believe they are roughly equal in number. Other options include buying a second rear wheel and placing the old tyres on it to use as a training wheel.
Whichever
A flat tyre can be quickly and easily repaired by swapping out the next one that has to be replaced. However, I prefer a more thorough approach to tyre positioning, and this is a terrific way to do that.
Clean slate
If you’re ready to put up with the hassle or simply enjoy working on your bike, you can replace both tyres at the same time.
In spite of my reservations, it appears to function. New tyres are almost always present when you’re driving. If you buy regularly and spend a lot of money, this is the most expensive option.
In Bulk
Purchasing a large number of tyres at once is perfectly acceptable if you have the necessary storage space. For the price of one spare tyre, why not six? Technically, this is true for all of the approaches, too. Having a spare tyre on hand is essential.
You won’t have to worry about running out of gas now that you know when to replace your tyres, I hope.
