I've just bought a pair of Continental Ultra Gator Duraskins (700 x 23). Every other set of tyres I've bought usually has a indicator showing which way to fit for the correct direction of travel, these don't! Does anyone have any ideas or suggestions? The tread is very similar to the Specialized Nimbus I've got on my off road bike, so I think it may be almost arrow head shape of the tread pointing forward. On a separate note, in says in very small writing "WARNING: Mount only on hooked type rim" I've no idea what the heck a hooked or unhooked rim is! The rims I've got are Alexrims, Ace 18.
I've just bought a pair of Continental Ultra Gator Duraskins (700 x 23). Every other set of tyres I've bought usually has a indicator showing which way to fit for the correct direction of travel, these don't! Does anyone have any ideas or suggestions?
I've just fitted a pair of them to Mrs Larrington's velocipede and had the same thought, but concluded that since the grooves are so small, it didn't matter. Whichever looks best.
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On a separate note, in says in very small writing "WARNING: Mount only on hooked type rim" I've no idea what the heck a hooked or unhooked rim is! The rims I've got are Alexrims, Ace 18.
Picture a section through the rim. The top of the sidewall is curls over towards the centre to help retain the bead of the tyre. Back in the mists of time, some rims didn't have this feature and consequently the use of high pressures could be somewhat fraught. But AFAIK all modern rims are hooked, and the note is just Conti covering their collective [censored].
I've just bought a pair of Continental Ultra Gator Duraskins (700 x 23). Every other set of tyres I've bought usually has a indicator showing which way to fit for the correct direction of travel, these don't! Does anyone have any ideas or suggestions?
Tread direction doesn't matter on-road. I don't know that tyre but generally the tyre label goes on the right - so that might be a clue if it's got one prominent label.
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The tread is very similar to the Specialized Nimbus I've got on my off road bike, so I think it may be almost arrow head shape of the tread pointing forward.
That's the usual way for most tyres.
Quoted message said:
On a separate note, in says in very small writing "WARNING: Mount only on hooked type rim" I've no idea what the heck a hooked or unhooked rim is! The rims I've got are Alexrims, Ace 18.
Just means it's for modern rims only (yours will be).
I've just bought a pair of Continental Ultra Gator Duraskins (700 x 23). Every other set of tyres I've bought usually has a indicator showing which way to fit for the correct direction of travel, these don't! Does anyone have any ideas or suggestions?
Tread direction doesn't matter on-road. I don't know that tyre but generally the tyre label goes on the right - so that might be a clue if it's got one prominent label.
Quoted message said:
The tread is very similar to the Specialized Nimbus I've got on my off road bike, so I think it may be almost arrow head shape of the tread pointing forward.
That's the usual way for most tyres.
Quoted message said:
On a separate note, in says in very small writing "WARNING: Mount only on hooked type rim" I've no idea what the heck a hooked or unhooked rim is! The rims I've got are Alexrims, Ace 18.
Just means it's for modern rims only (yours will be).
~PB
On the conti's I use they orientate differently depending on which wheel they go on, the "V" tread points to the front from the top of the wheel for front fittment and to the rear for rear fittment. Probably wise to check with the manufacturer if the tread looks directional to you.
"Bob" <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...
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I've just bought a pair of Continental Ultra Gator Duraskins (700 x 23). Every other set of tyres I've bought usually has a indicator showing which way to fit for the correct direction of travel, these don't! Does anyone have any ideas or suggestions? The tread is very similar to the Specialized Nimbus I've got on my off
road
Quoted message said:
bike, so I think it may be almost arrow head shape of the tread pointing forward. On a separate note, in says in very small writing "WARNING: Mount only on hooked type rim" I've no idea what the heck a hooked or unhooked rim is! The rims I've got are Alexrims, Ace 18.
I've just bought a pair of Continental Ultra Gator Duraskins (700 x 23). Every other set of tyres I've bought usually has a indicator showing which way to fit for the correct direction of travel, these don't! Does anyone have any ideas or suggestions?
<de-lurk> With the tread on the outside </de-lurk>
"Pete Biggs" <[email hidden]> wrote: ( Bob wrote: ) > The tread is very similar to the Specialized Nimbus I've got on my ( > off road bike, so I think it may be almost arrow head shape of the ) > tread pointing forward. ( That's the usual way for most tyres.
Do you mean underneath the wheel, or at the top of the wheel?
I almost resisted the temptation to mention the leading edge of the brake blocks, so I did.
Tread direction doesn't matter on-road. I don't know that tyre but generally the tyre label goes on the right - so that might be a clue if it's got one prominent label.
Tread direction may not matter on a dry road but on a wet road a tyre fitted the wrong way round will not get hardly any traction. You need the vees facing the front of the bike when at the top. This allows water from the middle of the tyre to escape out of the side. If you fit the tyre the wrong way round it actually pushes water under the tyre and can cause you to aquaplane and possibly slide off.
Had the same problem with mine, a quick email to Conti's UK supplier soon sorted it.
The 'almost arrow head' shape points forwards for the front tyre and back for the rear.
I think I've still got the pic they sent, let me know if u need it.
Regards
Bob/Bob.
"Bob" <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...
Quoted message said:
I've just bought a pair of Continental Ultra Gator Duraskins (700 x 23). Every other set of tyres I've bought usually has a indicator showing which way to fit for the correct direction of travel, these don't! Does anyone have any ideas or suggestions? The tread is very similar to the Specialized Nimbus I've got on my off
road
Quoted message said:
bike, so I think it may be almost arrow head shape of the tread pointing forward. On a separate note, in says in very small writing "WARNING: Mount only on hooked type rim" I've no idea what the heck a hooked or unhooked rim is! The rims I've got are Alexrims, Ace 18.
Tread direction doesn't matter on-road. I don't know that tyre but generally the tyre label goes on the right - so that might be a clue if it's got one prominent label.
If you fit the tyre the wrong way round it actually pushes water under the tyre and can cause you to aquaplane and possibly slide off.
True, once you get to about 120mph. Otherwise, not an issue.
Tread direction may not matter on a dry road but on a wet road a tyre fitted the wrong way round will not get hardly any traction. You need the vees facing the front of the bike when at the top. This allows water from the middle of the tyre to escape out of the side. If you fit the tyre the wrong way round it actually pushes water under the tyre and can cause you to aquaplane and possibly slide off.
"Oliver N Durrabridge" <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...
Quoted message said:
Pete Biggs said:
Tread direction doesn't matter on-road. I don't know that tyre but generally the tyre label goes on the right - so that might be a clue if it's got one prominent label.
Tread direction may not matter on a dry road but on a wet road a tyre
fitted
Quoted message said:
the wrong way round will not get hardly any traction. You need the vees facing the front of the bike when at the top. This allows water from the middle of the tyre to escape out of the side. If you fit the tyre the wrong way round it actually pushes water under the
tyre and
Quoted message said:
can cause you to aquaplane and possibly slide off.
Ivor Cave
Thank you for your contribution, backed up by a convincing example.
I now see the error of my ways in just having got a bike with slicks, and will promptly phone all those of my friends who I poo-pooed when they told me I couldn't grip, and apologise humbly, even though the evidence so far is to the contrary, even going through muddy puddles (but I wouldn't take it further offroad than a towpath)
"Ivor Cave" <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...
Quoted message said:
Pete Biggs said:
Tread direction doesn't matter on-road. I don't know that tyre but generally the tyre label goes on the right - so that might be a clue if it's got one prominent label.
Tread direction may not matter on a dry road but on a wet road a tyre
fitted
Quoted message said:
the wrong way round will not get hardly any traction. You need the vees facing the front of the bike when at the top. This allows water from the middle of the tyre to escape out of the side. If you fit the tyre the wrong way round it actually pushes water under the
tyre and
Quoted message said:
can cause you to aquaplane and possibly slide off.
Ivor Cave
Ivor, you're full of [censored].
Tim.
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Do any of us still believe that directional patterned tread has any significance wrt bicycle tyres?
Might be significant off road.
My wet weather / serious mud off-road front knobblies have large triangular centre knobs. If you run it backwards, the mud traction is unchanged. But on tarmac it vibrates considerably when rolling straight, is unstable for tracking straight on its own (it tends to "fall" into a slight turn) and it leaps sideways on braking ! Right way round it's fine (except for the sheer lack of rubber area making it lethal on wet tarmac).
What about minimal contact area mud knobblies ? They're lethal on wet tarmac - is this aquaplaning, or something else ? [/B]
It's something else - we experts call it "slipping" or "skidding".
I think aquaplaning happens when surface water can't escape from beneath the tyre fast enough, so the tyre is riding on the surface of the water. I would guess that the causes of skidding are at the molecular scale, those of aquaplaning at a larger scale, but then I'm an ignoramus.
What about minimal contact area mud knobblies ? They're lethal on wet tarmac - is this aquaplaning, or something else ?
Something else. Less rubber to grip the road and the knobs squirm about. Despite the road being slippery, the tyre doesn't skim along on top of a layer of water in the way that car tyres do when aquaplaning.
