Knobby Tire Wearing Out Faster On Pavement
08-13-21, 11:51 AM
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Knobby Tire Wearing Out Faster On Pavement
Strange as it may seem it appears that my touring tires with the pronounced knobs is wearing out faster than when used on regular pavement. I have used Kenda and Continental touring tires on my local bike routes. Half of each route is well paved asphalt with the other half mostly torn up pavement. The torn up pavement is light gravel unless I have to go off road to avoid large pot holes. During inclement weather I stay mostly on the well paved roads. Oddly I have noticed more wear to the knobby areas of my tiers when used on the well paved roads then on the gravel. Any comments?
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08-13-21, 01:44 PM
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you have to think in terms of friction and also the tire composition. there's a lot more friction (heat + surface contact) from pavement than on irregular surfaces. on top of that, the knobs are going to be made of a softer composite that's better for surface conformity/grip on irregularities while the smoother areas of tread are harder. which is better for longevity and maximum surface contact on pavement
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08-13-21, 02:52 PM
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Strange as it may seem it appears that my touring tires with the pronounced knobs is wearing out faster than when used on regular pavement. I have used Kenda and Continental touring tires on my local bike routes. Half of each route is well paved asphalt with the other half mostly torn up pavement. The torn up pavement is light gravel unless I have to go off road to avoid large pot holes. During inclement weather I stay mostly on the well paved roads. Oddly I have noticed more wear to the knobby areas of my tiers when used on the well paved roads then on the gravel. Any comments?
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08-13-21, 02:59 PM
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Aggressive truck tires wear out faster than slicker highway style tires on pavement. I’m guessing that can apply to bicycle tires as well.
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08-14-21, 11:54 AM
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Don't forget to factor in speed and braking differences while computing tread wear between gravel/broken road versus smooth (abrasive) roads.
08-16-21, 03:43 PM
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I ride my MTB to my local trails and have to cover sometimes a mile or two paved to get to the dirt. I've often wondered, is it better for me (for my tires) to ride on asphalt or concrete (i.e. road or sidewalk)? (If sidewalk, I would scrupulously yield to the very few pedestrians I would encounter)
Also, I recently noticed that the Schwalbe Hurricanes on my commuter, the right-side knobs are seriously ground down, but the left-side knobs are pristine. Evidence that my right-turns are always sharper than my left turns. 'murica!
Also, I recently noticed that the Schwalbe Hurricanes on my commuter, the right-side knobs are seriously ground down, but the left-side knobs are pristine. Evidence that my right-turns are always sharper than my left turns. 'murica!
08-16-21, 07:32 PM
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Thread moved from Foo to General Cycling Discussion.
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08-16-21, 07:41 PM
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Yeah pavement wrecks knobbies. Knobbies wear out faster on the rocky trails here in PHX than the softer trails around PDX also.
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08-17-21, 12:47 PM
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Makes sense to me. Knobbies are noisier on pavement, I suppose that noise comes from higher wear. Wear else?
08-17-21, 01:22 PM
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There are some here on the forum who carry a second set of wheels and tires with them.... They strap their knobby tires onto their backpack and then once they arrive at the trail, change out the slick tires and wheels in favor of the knobbies.
08-17-21, 02:18 PM
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This almost deserves a "duh"!
Yes, you people running knobbies on pavement can be heard a long way away. Of course they are creating morefriction bumps to increase your rolling resistance and sapping you of energy you could better use to ride further or stronger. Essentially you are taking your own section of chip-seal road with you for the ride.
Personally I wouldn't use knobbies in anything but dirt, sand or mud. For gravel or broken up pavement I can see where some heavier tread pattern might be desired, but not to the extent of knobbies.
Yes, you people running knobbies on pavement can be heard a long way away. Of course they are creating more
Personally I wouldn't use knobbies in anything but dirt, sand or mud. For gravel or broken up pavement I can see where some heavier tread pattern might be desired, but not to the extent of knobbies.
Last edited by Iride01; 08-17-21 at 04:47 PM. Reason: Friction might be technically incorrect. So I reworded it but might start another controversy in the process <grin>
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08-17-21, 02:22 PM
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^This^ How could it be a surprise that soft, knobby mtb tires don't last as long on pavement? It seems so obvious.
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08-17-21, 02:38 PM
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08-18-21, 07:35 AM
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I like gravel but I don't like knobby tires
Last edited by rumrunn6; 08-18-21 at 08:05 AM.
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08-18-21, 09:36 AM
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Strange as it may seem it appears that my touring tires with the pronounced knobs is wearing out faster than when used on regular pavement. I have used Kenda and Continental touring tires on my local bike routes. Half of each route is well paved asphalt with the other half mostly torn up pavement. The torn up pavement is light gravel unless I have to go off road to avoid large pot holes. During inclement weather I stay mostly on the well paved roads. Oddly I have noticed more wear to the knobby areas of my tiers when used on the well paved roads then on the gravel. Any comments?
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08-21-21, 12:09 PM
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the knobbier it is, the faster it will wear out on pavement. Generally speaking, knobbies will wear down faster than slicks or semi-slicks regardless of terrain.
08-21-21, 12:20 PM
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Any thoughts on asphalt vs concrete, which will grind down knobbies quicker?
08-22-21, 09:18 AM
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This almost deserves a "duh"!
Yes, you people running knobbies on pavement can be heard a long way away. Of course they are creating morefriction bumps to increase your rolling resistance and sapping you of energy you could better use to ride further or stronger. Essentially you are taking your own section of chip-seal road with you for the ride.
Personally I wouldn't use knobbies in anything but dirt, sand or mud. For gravel or broken up pavement I can see where some heavier tread pattern might be desired, but not to the extent of knobbies.
Yes, you people running knobbies on pavement can be heard a long way away. Of course they are creating more
Personally I wouldn't use knobbies in anything but dirt, sand or mud. For gravel or broken up pavement I can see where some heavier tread pattern might be desired, but not to the extent of knobbies.
https://www.renehersecycles.com/bq-tire-test-results/
