When's a tyre had its day?

[Sbudge]

A fairly 'newbie' question but I'd appreciate a few opinions.

I've a sportive on Sunday I've just noticed that the front tyre (Panaracer Evo 2 D) has a small cut about 5mm long down to the PT belt. Tread is otherwise fine and it's only got about 250 miles on it. Change or not? (I've got a spare so it's easy enough)

Cheers

Budge

 

[TissoT]

Best to change IMO .. The Evo 2 would be good for the turbo (if use one) with a boot on .

 

[HLaB]

If you've got a spare change it and depending on the condition (can it be super glued/ the belt is undamaged) perhaps make it a spare for the rear but I definitely wouldn't use it again on the front on the road.

 

[mrandmrspoves]

If you didn't have a spare and absolutely had to use the tyre I would swap it to the rear. A front blow out is far more serious than a rear one. Verdict is out on superglue I prefer a product called stormsure,it takes about 24 hours to cure - but sets more like rubber than superglue. A small tyre boot glued onto the inner of the tyre and a dollop of Stormsure on the tread surface should keep the tyre serviceable.

 

[swee'pea99]

Hate to muddle things, but if I chucked tyres every time they got slits like that it would cost me an absolute fortune. London roads are covered with crap, and tyres pick up those kinds of nicks all the time.

What's going to happen? Tube forcing through? Nope. A shard hitting that precise spot that will go through that wouldn't have gone through if it weren't for the cut? I suppose it's possible, but it seems a bit of a longshot, to say the least. Both my current tyres have slits like that - and more than one - and have done for several hundred miles, and I don't plan on junking them anytime soon. That's my two bob's worth.

 

[slowmotion]

I'd be a bit pragmatic. You don't want a tyre that could possibly be a bit dodgy on a ride that's important to you, but the existing tyre might still have a fair bit of legs. Get a new tyre for the Sportive, and put othe old one on again afterwards and flog it to death. You have nothing at all to lose.

 

[swee'pea99]

I'd be a bit pragmatic. You don't want a tyre that could possibly be a bit dodgy on a ride that's important to you, but the existing tyre might still have a fair bit of legs. Get a new tyre for the Sportive, and put othe old one on again afterwards and flog it to death. You have nothing at all to lose.

Good point. Thinking about it, that's probably what I'd do too.

 

[slowmotion]

Good point. Thinking about it, that's probably what I'd do too.

^^^^^^^ Fellow skinflint.....

 

[mrandmrspoves]

You really don't want a tyre that could be dodgy to be your front tyre.

 

[Gravity Aided]

You really don't want a dodgy tire on a sportive. Worry is a bad companion on a ride like that.

 

[swee'pea99]

^^^^^^^ Fellow skinflint.....

Guilty m'lud.

 

[Sbudge]

Thanks everyone, my instinct was to just change it but I thought it sensible to check to make sure I'm not being silly...holding it as a (repaired) spare is a nice touch, I'd probably have binned it so thanks!

Budge

 

[Smurfy]

A 5mm cut is usually fine as long as it is not too deep, in which case the inner tube can protrude through in a little bubble and go bang. If the cut has gone past the threads then you should scrap, as the threads are what gives the tyre strength and ability to withstand internal pressure. My commuter has lots of little cuts on both tyres. If I replaced every time I got a small, not very deep cut, I'd be buying new tyres at least once a month, which would be very expensive and a terrible waste.