eduskator

Over the last few years, I've constantly been getting 2500kms out of my rear tires. So far, I've tried 3 different brands and they all ended up squaring around 2000kms (1250mi) and wires showing after 2500kms (1550mi). The most distance I managed to get out of one (Schwalbe Pro One TLE) was 3000kms (1860mi) and it ended with a flat due to being shot, which is still less than its claimed lifespan.

*2018: Giant Gavia
*2019: Cadex Race
*2020-2022: Schwalbe Pro One TLE
*2023: Cadex Race

I am a medium heavy rider (170lbs / 77kg) that rides on fairly clean tarmac the majority of the time. Pressure is checked and adjusted before each ride (currently running 70PSI on 28mm - tubeless setup on hookless rims. Ran 80PSI on tubeless 25mm prior to that and 100PSI on tubed 25mm before).

My conclusion is that getting 2500kms out of a rear tire is normal. I am wondering if there are any riders here (similar weight, setup and tarmac condition) who are getting more mileage out of their rear ones?

Broctoon

I am very similar to you. 165 lbs, ride on mostly good pavement. I recently replaced a Schwalbe Pro 1 tubeless, which I ran at around 60 PSI but didn’t check religiously. I used it until cords just started to show, and I got something like 4000 miles out of it. Not sure what’s going on with yours. Do you skid your rear wheel?

deacon mark

I ride on decent pavement and use Conti GP 5000. I ride them about 1800 mile ( 169 pounds me) miles then rotate the rear to front as long as the rear has no issues. Then I just ride them till they wear out. I easily get 4-5200 miles not km on them. I think because I don't live in the mountains a generally try to ride smoother roads. Sheldon said not to rotate tires but frankly I do because then I wear a set out even or close. Then if the front still has a bit of life, I keep it for a spare and eventually use it on the trainer. Believe me you can get flat on the trainer too by going too long..

big john

I'm 200 pounds and I get similar mileage to the OP. GP 5000 @ 100psi.
I think tire wear has a lot to do with climbing and hard cornering, in addition to rider weight.

The first time I did a long tour I was surprised when the rear tire wore through @1000 miles. My total load was 275ish pounds. I didn't pack a spare tire and had to boot it until we got to a town where I could buy a tire. The casing distorted and it had a weird "S" shape section in it.

SpedFast

I got flats on the trainer last winter from getting cabin fever and riding the bike out on the road and then only wiping the rear tire down before throwing it back on the trainer. Doesn't take long for the trainer to grind in a piece of rock or glass haha.

Back to mileage though, barring anything weird happening to the tire like broken threads, I average around 5000 miles on the rear. I used to run strictly Vittorio's but am trying out a couple of Corsa Flex this year that were take offs from a new bike at an LBS and very cheap. I can tell already that I'm going to see fewer miles on them from the amount of wear and I barely have 3000 miles on them (rear). The front still looks good, but you can see some wear there too. I ride up and down hills but mostly flat land and smooth pavement. 20# bike and 150# rider. HTH

bblair

Maybe we have different replacement criteria. I usually wait until the wear dimples are almost, but not quite gone. That said, Conti 4000 or 5000 last me well over 5000 miles.

The specs: mostly good roads, 90psi, I weigh 142 lbs.

I typically change tires early in the Spring, worn or not, as a yearly refresh.

datlas 

Same here.

Obviously YMMV.

roadcrankr

I used to rotate 'em like you, but determined that we actually get more overall tire mileage by simply swapping out the rear for a new one.
And we avoid riding around with a slightly squared-off front!
My tire of choice, these days, is the Michelin Pro Endurance. Always less than 2,000 rear miles, unless I space and ride until the cords show.
Sometimes I find out with a mid-ride puncture. From my experience, softer rubber stops and corners better.

big john

I wait until the cords are starting to show.

stevel610 

Yup. Just ordered a new rear in anticipation of needing to replace. Tread depth dots near gone.

rm -rf

When my rear is worn out, I always move the front tire to the rear, then replace the front with a new tire. Otherwise, the front lasts for years and years, accumulating cuts and cracking.

My rear GP5000 still had very shallow wear indicator pits, so there was a slight bit of tread left. But in slanting light, I could see the thread weave for the tire carcass under the minimal remaining tread. I don't track miles, but it's usually 3500-4000 miles. I do about 45-60 feet per mile of climbing on rides, but I don't need to stand on many of the climbs. That's easier on the tires.

I ride with a few riders that can crank out high wattage. I can hear the tires when they take off from a stop. That's got to wear out tires and chains too.

Spinning high cadence, rarely sprinting to catch other riders: high mileage.
Sprinting with big watts, grinding a very low cadence, lots of steep hills, very rough roads, or leaning into fast turns: low mileage.

mschwett 

i get 2,000-2,500 miles on a rear 28-32mm GP5000 S TR. 200lb total load including bike, lots of climbing, approx 200w average power over the full set of miles. mix of urban and rural roads.

front lasts around twice as long.

msalvetti

I'm doing better than I thought compared to you all. I'm at about 3000 miles on 32mm Conti GP 4 Seasons. Rear tread is worn pretty good, but no cord yet. Hoping to get another 400-500 miles, then my plan is to replace them both when I have the wheels off to install the winter fenders around late September. All pretty smooth pavement, and I weigh about 250 lbs.

Mark

LarrySellerz

I get similar lifespans as you OP. Live in the mountains, 250 lbs

eduskator

That's a lot.

No skidding. Barely no braking at all in fact. I ride in a national park with very clean roads, but there is a lot of hills (800m (2500ish ft) of total elevation in 50kms (30mi)). Not sure what's going on, but mileage has been consistent through a few different brands so it's either normal or I am the problem. lol

I wait until I see wires, which is well after the wear dimples are gone. This said, yours are less used than mine when we replace them.

That's what I usually do. I buy 3 tires and change the rear one mid season. Then, I keep the front one as a spare and buy 3 new tires next year. Never thought of swapping the rear tire with the front one before it squares off though. May give it a try and see if I get more overall mileage.

I want to try the GP5K S TR at some point, but everyone keeps telling me that they're a PITA to mount on tires which is something I genuinely hate to fight with. The Schwalbe Pro One can be mounted with fingers only and they can be seated on rims with a regular floor pump, and this why I stick with them!

eduskator

I consider myself an aggressive rider for sure; I ride out of the saddle and sprint often, and I can hear my tires gripping. I think I may have found the culprit!

Bob Ross

I too am ~170lbs and ride 99.9% paved roads -- most adequately paved, some surprisingly nicely-paved, a few lumpy messes -- and 1550 miles is generally the lowest usage I will typically get before having to change a rear (or front) tire.

Over the past 16 or 17 years I have regularly & routinely gotten between 1,500 and 3,000 miles out of a tire. I think best case that I can recall over all those years was somewhere over 4,000 miles, and worst case was around 1,200 miles. But most sets fall comfortably into that 1,500-3,000 range, and so long as I get at least 2,000 I'm generally satisfied that I got my money's worth.

delbiker1 

I have not accurately kept track, but the rear usually lasts a bit less than half as long. I ride mostly good to very good pavement, it is straight and flat, I do not do much braking on most rides, and I am about 150 pounds. Definitely not often that I do more than short stretches of really aggressive riding. The Panaracer GK slicks, 28mm, on my Airborne Zeppelin have at least 2500 miles, with the rear having maybe 1000 miles left on it., but likely to be replaced before that. The front is good to go for a while. This is set up as my 1 X, it is getting a lot of miles. I have a set of Hutchinson Fusion 5 Performance, also 28, that have less than 1500, the rear shows a lot of center wear, both look more worn than the above GK's, including the side wall and bead appearance. I used to really like the Fusion 5, but they had a big jump in price since the pandemic. I found a new pair on Ebay for low dollars, but am disappointed in the apparent low mileage, I had one flat with the rear. They do have a very nice ride, because of that, I would likely try them again if I found them with a decent price reduction. I've been a user of GK's for a number of years. I have one that has what I believe is an issue with the weld being a bit off. It is a slight irritation, only at times.

bblair

Just for the heck of it, I decided to try Schwalbe Pro One tires on my new wheels. Only 500 miles or so to date. But, and this sounds weird, they seem sticky and little pebbles seem to easily adhere, like chip and seal roads. Brushing off a tire is kind of old school, but they are noisy otherwise and I have minimal clearance.

My tandem has Conti Gatorskins and get probably 1500 miles on those. They show a little wear, but not through the dimples. Tandems are hard on everything.

eduskator

I've always found them to be silent even at the end of their life. The compound is indeed grippy, but I never needed to clean them. It's a very nice race tire. Used them for 3 years in a row and I don't have any complaints aside from their short lifespan. As I said above, I guess my aggressive style of riding is the culprit.

aliasfox

Last replaced a Continental GP4000 SII last year at around ~3,100 mi - plenty of tread left, but had a sidewall tear/cut. Have since put nearly 1k on its replacement (my last GP4kS2), and it still looks brand new, as does my front tire - a Continental Ultra Sport 2 with 4,000 miles.

You must be laying down massive watts on a climb that just happens to have 100 grit sandpaper as a surface.

noimagination

Warning: contrarian post (sorry).

I don't know, and don't really care. The only reason I can think of to measure tire mileage is to choose between tires - I'm assuming that minimizing the cost/mile would be the criterion. This would involve:
1. Putting on a new tire, and noting the tire brand, model, size (i.e. width), price, and mileage appearing on my cycle computer.
2. Recording the mileage when the tire was replaced, calculating the mileage and the price/mile.
3. Putting on a new tire of a different brand/model/width, and repeating steps 1 and 2, above.
4. Repeat for as many times as there are tires that you want to compare.
5. Once you have the data, and need a tire, look for the tire make/models that you've tested.
6. If prices are different, recalculate all of the price/mile values for all of the tires.
7. Select the most cost effective tire at the time you're purchasing the tire.

I suppose you could just want the longest lasting tire you can find, because you don't like changing tires or something, and the price is not the issue. Or you could just be curious. That would be much simpler, but would still involve noting the mileage when a tire was put on and again when it needed replacement and calculating the mileage.

I don't do that. It isn't hard, but I just don't see the reason for taking the, admittedly minimal, trouble. So, I have no idea how long my tires last. I just buy (based mainly on what's on sale, but also what I've liked in the past, what looks interesting, what I've heard is good, etc.), install, ride, buy again (may be the same tire make/model/size, may be different), install again, rinse and repeat.

I have had tires that I've liked more/less (mainly based on perceived ride quality and grip), and I've had days when I want to spend less on tires and days when I want a "good" tire. But, I've never had a tire wear out so quickly that I've noticed, and had to factor that into my tire purchase decision.

eduskator

As much as I would love to answer yes to putting down massive watts, I have a FTP of approximately 300w unfortunately. I do climb hard most of the time though, but it's all on good condition tarmac.

The problem with long lasting tires is that they don't usually perform as well. Lifespan and level of performance have always had an inverse correlation and it is completely logical when you think about it.

I would certainly love to figure out what is the longest lasting high-end race tire available on the market as squeezing more mileage out of a tire is better on your wallet, but at the same time I love the Pro One and swapping the rear one mid-season isn't that complicated.

MoAlpha

Using tubed GP5000s on the dry weather road bike, I get at least a year, which is over 5000 mi. and I tend to trash them with some wear dimple showing. We are talking 25mm, inflated to 80 psi, ridden on a lot of bad pavement in hilly country. I weigh in the low 150s (lbs).

aliasfox

I wish I had an FTP of 300w. A rough and optimistic estimate using Strava segments and bikecalculator.com suggests closer to 200w for me...

Anyway, I noticed that three out of the four tires you've listed are Giant house brand tires, so I would say that your sample set isn't that big. When I was riding on Vittoria Rubinos (and a Zaffiro or two), I would expect my 25mm tires to square off within about 1k miles, maybe 1,500 (~1500-2500 km), and I would change out rears around 2k miles - or more often than not, pop the old front tire on the back and put a new tire on the rear.

I haven't completely bought into the Continental GP4000/GP5000 hype, as my 'feel' from the saddle is that they're not quite as grippy as the Vittorias, but I'm definitely bought into the fact that they seem to last noticeably longer. 1k miles in, the GP4000 SII still has its wear dimples, and the other bike's GP5000 (put on for the last ride of last season) has ~350mi (>500km) on them, and could almost be re-boxed and sold as new.

I know someone who just put new Corsas on his bike last month, and I'll likely be seeing him in a few weeks - I don't think he's put many miles on those tires (most of his Strava feed is Zwift), but I'll report back if there's anything interesting there.