[tydale]

How many miles should I put on my tires (riding road) before I need to replace them? And what should I look for on the tire itself to see if it is wearing? Also, can you recommend a good replacement tire?

[tajcrews]

Michelin makes a really good tire. There are several others as well but Michelin is probably on the top of my list though. Mileage can vary depending on the brand the tire itself, also the rider. Heavier riders do tend to wear out tires a little faster than lighter guys.

[riderman14]

you should replace them when the wear out! ride on

[thoffman]

Tire life depends on the tire and how it's made. Keep an eye on the tire tread. Once it's gone it may be time to replace it. Another sure sign is when you start getting punctures more often. The back tire will wear much quicker than the front. I try to rotate my tires every 1000 (+/-) miles or so.

As for replacement tires, so much depends on how you ride and where you ride. I commute to work and ride on some pretty rough KS roads so I choose a puncture resistant tire. I am currently running Specialized Armadillos and think they're great. They were not cheap, though. There are much cheaper quality tires out there as well.

Hope this helps...TRH

[cbman]

I ride my tires down right to the fibers-- I guess that's not a good idea

[47Steve]

Yep, when I see fabric, I put on a new one.

[chh55]

The rear will get squared off, a flat instead of round profile. Time to change both. Toss the rear and save the front for a spare.

[djcyberlegend]

I've been using Bontrager Select-K's for a while now, no punctures - yet...

The K refers to Kevlar reinforcement for puncture resistance, on the same idea as the Armadillos mentioned earlier in this thread. The Select-K's can be had for around $25 each. I just replaced mine because the back one had a couple of deep gashes in it, and I also wanted to change sizes.

[Xela]

Originally Posted by chh55

The rear will get squared off, a flat instead of round profile. Time to change both. Toss the rear and save the front for a spare.

Yep. I know it's been debated over and over with some saying you shouldn't, but I've had much better luck and gotten much longer life out of my road tires if I rotate them every 200 or so miles. Definitely increases the time before the tire gets squared off.

[Xela]

Also, some tires now (specifically I am referring to the GP4000s) have wear indicators. On those, they are two round circular divets in the tire. When they go away, it is time to change.