When to replace rear tire...WHEN DO YOU REPLACE YOURS?

When do you replace your rear tire?

When you have no traction?

How far worn down are the knobbies?

This question would predominantly be for bike used in the desert.

Other place and opinions welcome?

AURORA wrote:When do you replace your rear tire?When do you replace your rear tire?

As soon as I can afford a new one, or someone can climb the dune further than me.

Lack of traction is the motivation for tire change but I find it interesting that I've run side by side with a friend with a new tire and when I complained about spinning up my very worn out Dunlop 606 he said he was spinning with a new tire. So to answer the question about when, I run the rear tire until the knobs are flat to get the most for the money as I ride at least 2K miles per year. In that condition when you lean the bike over the not as worn knobs are digging in. Even though it seems to take more effort to tip the bike it's doesn't seem to create problems. The front tire doesn't wear as fast so I change it with every other rear.

Mileage I've seem on my XR. I ride very fast and have to think about conserving the rear and ride dualsport in the mountains of Colorado and Moab and every other year take a trip to Baja. Of course it depends on the abuse I've given it. And I've seen 1700 miles riding Baja on Maxxis Deserts and ran a set of Michelin AC10s to 1500 miles but didn't like the front as it has a lower profile and actually split the sidewall but ran it another 500 or so miles. I've also burned off a rear the first time I went to Baja in 400 miles. Found a race take off in San Ignacio to finish the trip.

I run them till I feel there is not enough knob left to make me smile anymore. I tend to let them get really low, and I do a ton of miles a year (10K or so). I get around 2,500 miles from a rear. Maybe more maybe less sometimes.

I change it when riding in the sand takes too much effort. although, low knobs are more fun on the street and hangin the rear end out on fire roads.