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| *Vultures Knob>>>Road Bike |
Direction of tire? |
Which way should the tire be on a road bike. For example, should the label on the tire be on the right or left? or does it even matter? thanks Tread direction doesn't matter, neither does front/ rear specific. Marketing hype will tell you that it does, and superpropellerheadtechnoweenie... will say it does, but the differences are so minor that you need computer software to actually measure the difference. As proof, look at what the pros ride. If front/back and tread direction made a difference, you wouldn't see the pros riding slicks (no tread), even if they got them for free (which they do, BTW). If anything, a tread pattern on a road bike _hurts_ performance because it increases rolling resistance. But again, on a high end tire you would need special equipment to measure the difference. We're talking about coefficients of .005 and smaller. There's even a lot of anecdotal evidence that MTB treads don't make a whole lot of difference, except that you want big knobs with lots of clearance for mud, and a smooth center for flat fast conditions. Front/rear and rotational specific MTB tires _can_ make a difference depending on the course, but only for pros looking for that extra .01 second on a downhill course or racing in the mud and hills at Mt. Snow. For most non-competitive riders, any general purpose 2" tire will do just as well as any high-end front/rear and rotational specific tire. I have been riding and racing continental cross country tires for almost 15 years. From the 'cross country' model to the 'twister pro' model. They perform way better than anything I've ever ridden, and everytime I try something new, I go back the Contis'. They _do_ have rotational front/rear spec, but if someone were to sneak into my basement and turn them around, I highly doubt I would notice. That is not important. Look at the tire and see if it directional based on whether it has an arrow on the sidewall. That matters a whole lot more than what side the label is on. P Manufacturers almost always put the label on the right side of the tire. It's a marketing thing.....most bike pics show the drivetrain side of the bike, so that's where they want their brand to show up. On road tires it may not matter so much, but some patterns may not perform as well in cornering or wear if you mount them backwards. There's a world of difference in mountain bike tread designs and you do need to pay attention to it when you mount the tire. Almost all road bikes are unidirectional. There maybe a few I haven't seen or owned that do. Continental has a model that are sold in pairs (front and back specific) but I'm not sure if they have a direction either. Since most road tires have little or no tread it wouldn't matter on them. Tires that have a direction, common with mountain bike tires, may have an arrow on the sidewall pointing in the rolling direction. there are a few high end tires that need to be mounted a given rotational direction, but they are very expensive ones and i think you would know if you were buying them. for all the other tires it doesnt matter. i mount mine so the labels are on the drivetrain side, just because someone once told me that was how they were supposed to be, but i think that is just for appearance. I just bought some new tires from Performance Bike (their housebrand Forte) for my old mountain bike, and was surprised to see that they do indeed have a directional arrow on them, even though there is no obvious "grain" when looking at the tread pattern. I didn't even notice the arrows until after I put the tires and wheels back on the bike, but was lucky to have them both going the right way. |
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