How to assess tyre wear/fresh tyres

[Loheswaran]

I do 1/12th - and TC - though I have had a 1yr lay off.

Now I have a really stupid question, so please don't laugh at me. How do off road racers asses tyre wear - is it to do with how far the spikes wear down, or is it to do with the fact that they dry out?

I only ask this coz with TC the tyres come off the rims, and they're just rubbish. with 1/12th - its a combination of size change, chunking, coming off the rim, and drying out.

[Col]

When my tyres are worn enough not to grip sufficiently, I replace them - simple as that!

[Danny Harrison]

Originally Posted by Loheswaran

I do 1/12th - and TC - though I have had a 1yr lay off.

Now I have a really stupid question, so please don't laugh at me. How do off road racers asses tyre wear - is it to do with how far the spikes wear down, or is it to do with the fact that they dry out?

I only ask this coz with TC the tyres come off the rims, and they're just rubbish. with 1/12th - its a combination of size change, chunking, coming off the rim, and drying out.

Indoors I use mine till they just dont work anymore.

Outdoors I get a bit anal and change em at about 50% wear, then use em indoors

[Loheswaran]

it's not a case of the spikes wearing short? it's to do with grip levels then?

[Benh]

Sometimes you get more/better grip when tyres wear. The wear pattern on the spikes are a good indication of set up, but it's mostly feel that will tell you when they are on their way out.

With the right glue, your tyres should be well beyond useable before the tyres come off the rims. (Z-Blue is my preference)

[TARTMAN]

generally when the spikes get low and are rounded, there not great and need replacing. mini pins indoors work great when worn at some tracks like maritime.
Generally outdoors its when the spikes are low we replace them....

different tracks and surfaces require different tyres so its a hard one to answer really.

[jsw123]

I'm glad this question was asked. I've just started out (again) and had no idea what to look for as far as tyre wear goes.

Everyone at my club, Eden Park, seems to favor Schumacher mini spike yellows in dry conditions. If I buy myself a brand new set of these what kind of life span should I look for? Bearing in mind I'm rubbish so I won't be too sensitive to wear yet.

Also, and this will be my last question, when you buy the tryes as pre-glued sets do they have foam inserts?