[sambroom]

I have known my rear tire tread was getting low for a while now, but that didn't stop me from taking on a 400 mile trip last weekend. Instead of honestly inspecting my tire before the trip, I didn't even check. I took off blindly, excited for a good time and just hoping for the best. Darwinism might have won.

After reaching our destination, a remote area 200 miles away from home, I had the presence of mind to stick my head down there and check. To my horror, 200 miles from home, I had threads just starting to show right in the middle of my rear tire! In hot weather, with my bike loaded to capacity with me, my wife and our camping gear, I was very worried.

Luckily, my tire did not fail. However, the ride home was not much fun. My knuckles were white just about the whole way as I kept imagining a blowout and crash at 65 mph.

I'm not a big worrier by nature, and chances are my tire could have held out for 200 more miles, or 600, or even 1,000. But there was also that possibly that its time could have run out on that trip... With my wife on the back, and my daughter waiting at home. Because of that possibility, I'm ashamed that I wasn't more careful.

Just throwing a plug out there for staying on top of maintenance and practicing safe riding habits!

Ride safe!

 

[Vinish]

If you look at a cross-section of the tire you will find that there is still a ton of rubber between the inside surface of the tire and the first "threads" to show. I'm not saying that anyone should ride a tire with the threads showing but, rather, that on dry pavement without other factors making it slippery (e.g. gravel, sand, oil, blood), you are not really risking a flat tire by riding with the threads showing. In the least bit of water (or blood), having threads showing or, more importantly, having no tread in the contact zone is a recipe for disaster.

G'day,

Vinish

 

[PaXman11]

View attachment 107594

I have known my rear tire tread was getting low for a while now, but that didn't stop me from taking on a 400 mile trip last weekend. Instead of honestly inspecting my tire before the trip, I didn't even check. I took off blindly, excited for a good time and just hoping for the best. Darwinism might have won.

After reaching our destination, a remote area 200 miles away from home, I had the presence of mind to stick my head down there and check. To my horror, 200 miles from home, I had threads just starting to show right in the middle of my rear tire! In hot weather, with my bike loaded to capacity with me, my wife and our camping gear, I was very worried.

Luckily, my tire did not fail. However, the ride home was not much fun. My knuckles were white just about the whole way as I kept imagining a blowout and crash at 65 mph.

I'm not a big worrier by nature, and chances are my tire could have held out for 200 more miles, or 600, or even 1,000. But there was also that possibly that its time could have run out on that trip... With my wife on the back, and my daughter waiting at home. Because of that possibility, I'm ashamed that I wasn't more careful.

Just throwing a plug out there for staying on top of maintenance and practicing safe riding habits!

Ride safe!

I think Mark Twain said it best: Go Darkside, young man!"

 

[mooneydriver]

Thanks for the prompt and you take good care. atriot: