Back or front tyre?

Kathy and Steve

unread,

Jan 20, 2010, 2:26:26 AM1/20/10

to

Hi I have Maxis Crossmark tyres at present front and back. They have been
rotated and have done about 3000kms of off road and touring on dirt roads. I
am going off on another adventure this weekend and have bought a new Maxis
Larsen TT. Would you put it on the front or the back? It is still a cross
tyre but has a little more tread than the Crossmarks. The ride I am goiing
on is with loaded bags front and back, all on gravel roads, some sand and
some mud. (great wet season ride as a Cyclone approaches the FNQ area!! )
Does the front or the back need more traction? I read somewhere that you
need more aggressive tyres on the front - who knows?
Ta Kathy

Fred

unread,

Jan 20, 2010, 2:42:31 AM1/20/10

to

"Kathy and Steve" <kathyandst...@bigpond.com.au> wrote in message
news:Cey5n.2296$pv....@news-server.bigpond.net.au...

Traction is necessary only on the back wheel, and that's the one that wears
quickest. Put your new tyre on rear.

Claude

unread,

Jan 20, 2010, 3:40:25 AM1/20/10

to

"Kathy and Steve" <kathyandst...@bigpond.com.au> wrote in message
news:Cey5n.2296$pv....@news-server.bigpond.net.au...

I recall that Sheldon Brown argued that you should always put the best tyre
on the front because that has to do the steering and hence you can least
afford a puncture or loss of traction (turning) on the front wheel

Dave H

unread,

Jan 20, 2010, 11:40:38 PM1/20/10

to

Dave reckons rear as it takes much more load/weight . . . .

Have a good trip. . . :-)

"Kathy and Steve" <kathyandst...@bigpond.com.au> wrote in message
news:Cey5n.2296$pv....@news-server.bigpond.net.au...

Claude

unread,

Jan 20, 2010, 5:30:37 AM1/20/10

to

"Kathy and Steve" <kathyandst...@bigpond.com.au> wrote in message
news:Cey5n.2296$pv....@news-server.bigpond.net.au...

Here's the ultimate advice on this issue from the late and great Sheldon
Brown, the Master and Authority on all things to do with cycling. Ignore
his advice at your peril:

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/tire-rotation.html

Fred

unread,

Jan 20, 2010, 3:49:00 PM1/20/10

to

"Claude" <Cla...@invalid.com> wrote in message
news:hXA5n.2324$pv....@news-server.bigpond.net.au...

There would be plenty who disagree with that article. Many hybrid and
mountain bike riders riders I know run light slicks on the front and
crossover - gruntier tyres on the back. Blowouts or even punctures are
relatively rear on the front. If you're going to have tyre problems you can
bet your bottom dollar it wil be on the back. That takes the drive, the
weight and the wear. That said, any tyre should be inspected frequently to
make sure it looks alright.

Claude

unread,

Jan 20, 2010, 5:28:29 PM1/20/10

to

"Fred" <r...@parachute.net.nz> wrote in message
news:hj7q7o$3nj$1...@news.eternal-september.org...

> There would be plenty who disagree with that article. Many hybrid and
> mountain bike riders riders I know run light slicks on the front and
> crossover - gruntier tyres on the back. Blowouts or even punctures are
> relatively rear on the front. If you're going to have tyre problems you
> can bet your bottom dollar it wil be on the back. That takes the drive,
> the weight and the wear. That said, any tyre should be inspected
> frequently to make sure it looks alright.

I'm not at all surprised that many people do the opposite of what Sheldon
Brown advises, because it seems intuitively the obvious thing to do - as he
points out, many well-meaning cyclists and even mechanics make the mistake
of putting the best tyre on the back. Having said that, for mountain bikers
who ride in mud and slush, especially competitive ones, it's probably worth
the risk in order to get better traction in adverse conditions. However for
most of us it's a simple risk management analysis - lower liklihood of a
puncture on the front (than the back wheel) but potentially much harsher
consequences. I agree that punctures are more common on the back but in my
experience they are certainly not rare on the front. The point is that
front tyres are more important for controlling the bike in the event of a
rapid deflation.

What seems intuitively obvious isn't always the case - for example, many
people don't appreciate that tyre tread is completely unnecessary on a
bicycle used on roads and bitumen trails.

thefathippy

unread,

Jan 20, 2010, 7:11:56 PM1/20/10

to

I want my front tyre to grip. It does my steering and most of my
braking. The rear can slide around as much as it likes, as long as it
follows the front. I'm with the late Sheldon - my philosophy is new
tyre on the front, always.

Even with a nearly bald rear tyre I still have plenty of rear traction
in most off road conditions.

Tony F

theo

unread,

Jan 20, 2010, 7:21:13 PM1/20/10

to

You two appear to have missed Kathy's question. She is going away on a
weekend trip on gravel, sand and mud "The ride I am going on is with

loaded bags front and back, all on gravel roads, some sand and some

mud." She should put the new tyre with deeper and more agressive tread
on the rear.

Theo

Fred

unread,

Jan 20, 2010, 8:57:19 PM1/20/10

to

"theo" <theo...@bigpond.com.au> wrote in message
news:6946e70c-2964-4aab...@p8g2000yqb.googlegroups.com...

Agreed. If Kathy has any trouble at all, it will almost certainly be a
simple puncture and it will be on the rear; so Kathy - here's hoping you
post back after your trip and tell us how you got on. Best wishes.