[lawrence]

Last fall I bought a new bike and started riding, layoff in the cold winter months, and started again riding now. I don't know how much I'll ride, now I'm doing 25 mile rides and I want to get it up to 40-50 miles at least once per week. I want to try to ride 2-4 days per week if not more. New bike, new tires. Should I have 2 extra tires in my garage as either backup if a tire is ruined or when I wear out these tires? I'm posting this because Performancebike.com has Continental Ultra Gatorskins on sale for $25 and I didn't know if this is such a good price I need to buy 2 and put them away until I need the.

 

[Juanmoretime]

Lawrence, having spare tires mean that if you waste a tire on a Sunday morning you can still ride even though your LBS is closed. Or noticing a damaged tire when you inspect your bike before you ride, you do this correct, and being able to change it and ride without worrying is your tire going to leave you stranded somehere. When you can afford it spare wheels are a very good thing too. You break a spoke on a Saturday ride and a spare wheel means you ride on Sunday.

I have two bikes, eight sets of wheels, 4 extra chains, each set of wheels has it's own cassette and about 10 spare tires and extra everything else. I want to ride when I want to ride and I won't let a mechanical or some type of failure stop me.

 

[PaulCL]

Extra tires

Last fall I bought a new bike and started riding, layoff in the cold winter months, and started again riding now. I don't know how much I'll ride, now I'm doing 25 mile rides and I want to get it up to 40-50 miles at least once per week. I want to try to ride 2-4 days per week if not more. New bike, new tires. Should I have 2 extra tires in my garage as either backup if a tire is ruined or when I wear out these tires? I'm posting this because Performancebike.com has Continental Ultra Gatorskins on sale for $25 and I didn't know if this is such a good price I need to buy 2 and put them away until I need the.

I have lots of extra tires. Two of my wheelsets use Michelin ProRace so I have four extra tires hanging in the shop - all new 'cause I got a deal at Probikekit.com. My Campy wheels (darn tight things won't fit Michelins) take Vittoria tires. I just bought three of them last week. Like Juanmoretime....I have two road bikes, three wheelsets, bunches of tires, oodles of tubes, two sets of shoes, duplicates of almost everything. Get the tires, you'll use them eventually. Then keep your eye out for a good deal on another wheelset.

 

[Argentius]

Yeah, you'll use 'em. Riding your distances, you don't need a shop worth, but a spare pair means you can't be without 'em.

If your garage always has a spair set of tyres (or, even better, a spare set of wheels ready to go), an extra chain, and tubes, you won't be stuck not riding for lacking something, and that's a nice bonus IMHO.

 

[rruff]

Should I have 2 extra tires in my garage as either backup if a tire is ruined or when I wear out these tires?

Just a thought... my front tires last 3-4 times longer than the rears. I also don't get flats on the front, so for general riding I like to use a high performance front tire and a cheaper more durable rear... just change each one whenever it needs it.

 

[Dragoon91]

spare tires

I usually keep the front tire and buy a new one for the rear one year and then get two new ones the next year. I save the old front tire which usually has some wear left as a spare.

 

[Juanmoretime]

I usually keep the front tire and buy a new one for the rear one year and then get two new ones the next year. I save the old front tire which usually has some wear left as a spare.

You always want to keep your best tire on the front. If you front tires goes it's hard to control the bike although if your rear tire goes it's very easy to control. Plus the front tire does wear and square off, effecting steering, so when your back tire is worn your best to take the front tire and rotate it to the rear and put your new tire on the front.