Tire wear bar

[Firefighter]

I have run mostly Avon tires. Usually get about 9 to 10 thousand miles on front tires. My current tire has over 11,000 miles but the tread is still not to the wear bar . Want to do some thousand to fifteen hundred mile rides soon but can't decide when to change this tire. Wondering if you fellows run the tire to the limits or how you decide when to renew?

[The emperor has no clothes]

Sometimes you've just got to bite the bullet on those last thousand miles. It would suck to be on a ride needing a tire that was not in stock.

[Valkorado]

Lots of chip seal around here, but from my experience when I'm close to the bars the tires wear mighty fast.  Running your tread to the limits on a thousand miler is not advisable, especially with travel loads and potential rain.

[Hook#3287]

You're already good by a thousand, time to change it if you're going for a thousand mile ride.  JMHO

[Jess from VA]

Lots of chip seal around here, but from my experience when I'm close to the bars the tires wear mighty fast.  Running your tread to the limits on a thousand miler is not advisable, especially with travel loads and potential rain.

This!    The fastest wear on all these (bike) tires is the last 500-1000 miles.  Faster if you are putting in long distance travel days.

I just replaced my front Metz with another a few days ago (not to the bars).  It had maybe 4-600 OK miles left, and then a few hundred more not OK miles before it was completely shot. 

I've slipped badly on hot (nearly shot) tires and pavement and it sucks.  Rain would be worse.

What I started doing is always having a new front on hand.  With two bikes, it's never going to get old (by mfgrs date) sitting in my shed.  Then when most of the tread is gone on either bike, it gets replaced (no waiting for delivery).  Which reminds me; it's time to order another.  (I always run Metz, and 8-9K good miles is all I ever get.  I went to 11K once... never again.)

Keeping a log on all bike maintenance, including tire change mileage and dates, I go by miles as well as how the tire looks.  Every time I hit 8K on my ME880s, it's about time for a new tire. 

I've tried a couple abnormal front tires (bias rear on front reversed, smaller steel belt front) and not been happy enough with the results to do that anymore.   

[indybobm]

I keep new tires on hand also along with a set of spare wheels to make the change faster.

[..]

The last perceived 1,000 miles can vanish in 250. 

[JimC]

$200 divided by 11,000 miles by my math comes to about 2 cents a mile?

You are going to risk being stranded, or a puncture through thin rubber, or a loss of traction on a slick road for what, to save another half cent per mile?

Jim

[Gryphon Rider]

What I did for one trip was schedule having my front tire replaced at a dealer near my destination, 1200 miles from home.  I don't remember how worn my tire was that time (11 years ago) relative to the wear bars, but I rarely replace tires before reaching the wear bars.  I really have to watch my $, so I tend to use things up before replacing them.

[sandy]

It's OK to run down to the wear bars if you're close to home. If you're leaving, get a new tire before you go.

[Firefighter]

Thanks for all the responses, I will change the tire before I ride any distance. I don't know how long to the wear bar so I will just replace the tire, don't want problems. 

Many years ago I owned a 750 Honda and was riding with wife aboard and had a rear tire blow out, during a rain storm, and miles from anywhere. No cell phones in those days either. Since I have owned the Valk. I have arrived home two different times and had the rear tire go flat. First time was cupping problem as I was following the factory recommended air pressure, second time I think I just wore the tire out, felt lucky that the bike was in the driveway.  Dark sided now a days, 14,000 miles and that Yokohama tire looks new to me. Thanks