Topic: Scuffing new tires

[Steve F]

New tires, and I don't want to ride until they have been "roughed-up" a bit.  What do you guys do (I'm not talking about taking them out back and beating the crap out of them  )?

[Gordon]

I use hot, soapy water and a green scouring pad, and then I take it easy for the first 50-ish miles. 

[andy750]

+1 on taking it easy for the first 50+ miles. And rolling bike side to side (easily) to get edges worn. Not too severe an angle so as not to slip.

Nothing more than this really.

cheers
Andy

[cb650]

I always take it easy anyway to be sure I put all the parts back on right

[DJ_AX]

I use rough sandpaper ('bout 80 grit) and go around the whole tire a few times.
And then do the same as mentioned above.

New tires feels so good! 

[Geeto67]

I ride it very carefully until broken in. You know - they way it was always done since bikes were invented.

My folks used to live by a traffic circle (roundabout to you UK types) and when I was younger I used to scrub my tyres to the edges by going out and doing laps around it, each 10 laps I would lean the bike a little farther until parts dragged, Then I would turn around and do it the other way (it was a very quiet street in a suburban neighborhood and a very small traffic circle) until parts dragged. Sure I was dizzy afterward but I could ride with impunity.

The modern day equivalent would be to go find a highway cloverleaf and juse keep going around and around - at leas you will scrub the right side of the tire well.


As new and slick and greasy as they are, new tires are still tires and still have some traction. As long as you are smooth and not making sudden jerking movements or trying to test out the limits of traction they should be fine.

[hopterfixer]

I used 220 grit wet/dry sandpaper and simple green/water.  I scrubbed them until all of the slick and shiny was gone. 

[tsflstb]

My folks used to live by a traffic circle (roundabout to you UK types) and when I was younger I used to scrub my tyres to the edges by going out and doing laps around it, each 10 laps I would lean the bike a little farther until parts dragged, Then I would turn around and do it the other way (it was a very quiet street in a suburban neighborhood and a very small traffic circle) until parts dragged. Sure I was dizzy afterward but I could ride with impunity.

I agree.  A new trend in my part of the world is the "mega church".  These are huge places with thousands of members that take up dozens of acres of real estate.  Whatever your stand on that, the plus side is mega parking lots that are empty most of the time. 

I'll do figure 8's (you won't get dizzy that way) until stuff drags or find some rocks or water bottles to mark off a little 1/4 mile road course and go nuts.  I'm pretty sure my tires are scuffed in, but I still do it because it's so much fun.

[goon 1492]

I use rough sandpaper ('bout 80 grit) and go around the whole tire a few times.
And then do the same as mentioned above.

New tires feels so good! 

They smell good too! Like my cheap saddle bags.
I'm still saving pennies so i can get my tires put on and balanced...

[.RJ]

You dont need sandpaper on your new tires... Just ride them and the mold release will wear off in ~50 miles or so.

[turboguzzi]

I head to the nearest mountain road, starting easy and increasing the lean angle every few turns.

The one I like the most is about 15 miles long of non stopping curves, straights are 100 yds. long max and by the end of it tires get fully scrubbed, edge to edge.


TG

[Gordon]

You dont need sandpaper on your new tires... Just ride them and the mold release will wear off in ~50 miles or so.

Agreed.  You don't NEED to do anything other than ride on the new tires to remove the mold release, but what if on that inaugural ride you're rounding a curve, hit a patch of road that's wet for whatever reason, and a dog runs out in front of you?  Sure, situations like this don't happen all the time, but they happen often enough that I'll take the extra five minutes to scrub off at least some of the slippery residue from the tires before riding on them.

[hopterfixer]

I didn't want any part of "riding off" the mold release.  I will stick with scuffing them. 

[.RJ]

I've never attacked my tires with sandpaper - will it really get all the mold release off, Or are you just grinding abrasives into your tires?

If you're afraid of a wet patch, dog, car, etc, ride sensibly and leave an extra margin while your tires are still new - they really arent that bad.

[Gordon]

I've never attacked my tires with sandpaper - will it really get all the mold release off, Or are you just grinding abrasives into your tires?

If you're afraid of a wet patch, dog, car, etc, ride sensibly and leave an extra margin while your tires are still new - they really arent that bad.

I don't use sandpaper.

Just how much of a margin should I leave for the unexpected?

[hopterfixer]

I've never attacked my tires with sandpaper - will it really get all the mold release off, Or are you just grinding abrasives into your tires?

If you're afraid of a wet patch, dog, car, etc, ride sensibly and leave an extra margin while your tires are still new - they really arent that bad.

I would not describe scuffing the tires as "attacking" them.  I just went around the tire a few times until the slick stuff was gone from the tread.  To each his own.   

[DJ_AX]

I like to use sandpaper because...
 
I then know for a fact that there will be no surprise slickness at all anywhere on my tires.
But even more importantly... I get to give the tire and it's installation a full final inspection on all degrees before trusting it completely. (I've found it's more fun to ride when you know it's not going to fail) I'm sure that there's some great guys inspecting and testing them at the factory, and I'm sure they take good care of them in shipping and handling and stocking at the shops. But with all of that I'm still considerably more sure in seeing closely first hand every angle of the tire on the rim before I ride. No surprises. Now don't get me wrong I'm not an anal personality at all. But it only takes me about 15 minutes per tire... and the feel good factor for me personally is a relatively huge payback!

...........
After getting the wheel mounted up right... I only go over the tire about two times around getting a nice even roughness from edge to edge. That takes about 5 minutes.  Then I look it over. Rub my hand over it. Maybe hit a spot here or there that may not be consistant. And then I go one more round with longer strokes to finish it up. Again looking it over. Never have I found any abrasives left in the rubber from the sandpaper. But than I don't use the sandpaper from the Dollar Store. Besides... the abrasiveness of most riding surfaces are more likely to get stuff embedded into the rubber.


and then...

I got my new tires on.. every bolt is tight.. all the rubber is sticky... No more questions... just ride! 



Edit:

Oh.. and I also take it easy for the first 25 miles or so...

[dpen]

Look in the FAQ and all will be explained