Tyre direction

[kingoffootball]

I've just bought a set of WTB All Terrain Comp tyres (26 x 1.95) as a cheap all-round tyre for a bike for someone else and I'm looking for opinions on whether I should follow WTB's tyre direction front and rear, or switch one for better grip. The tyre tread looks like this:

and the rotation arrows have the "arrow" of the tread pointing forward, as you would expect.

One nice bonus is I'd seen claimed weights of 610g online, while the WTB website says 635g, but they are weighing in at 550 and 530g.

 

[CassidyAce]

I think it depends on how it's going to be ridden and in what conditions. If it will be ridden in fair weather conditions and in a civilised and genteel fashion, then I'd just follow WTB's directions. If it's going to be ridden in mud by a good, old fashioned hooligan, then I would consider reversing one of the tyres.

 

[kingoffootball]

Thank you. I wondered whether something like that might be the case, but I wasn't at all sure.

Given the bike and who it is for, I think I'll follow the tyre directions suggested by WTB then.

 

[Chopper the ex Copper]

I follow the manufacturers recommendation on the basis that I have spent £00.00 on tyre development and testing, so even the cheapest tyres from the most hick manufacturer will be made by people that know more than I do.

Ditto with my cars. The boots go on the way they tell me too and I resist the urge to reverse them for extra grip, or to prevent accidentally going back in time, or whatever.

 

[Imlach]

I will admit something to you all, I am usually half drunk when I install tyres and I never think about direction and 8 out of 10 times I'll get it wrong. I don't know if it has any impact on performance as I'm fat and slow.

 

[Nevilleblaze]

There’s only one way and that’s the right way

 

[Chopper the ex Copper]

Related to this, who aligns their tyres correctly, ie with rhe 3 or 4 dots (where the tyre has them) adjacent to the valve? Supposedly it's there as a balance thing.

Or who ignores this and simply lines up any sidewall logos with the valve because that is the fashion?

 

[kingoffootball]

Related to this, who aligns their tyres correctly, ie with rhe 3 or 4 dots (where the tyre has them) adjacent to the valve? Supposedly it's there as a balance thing.

Or who ignores this and simply lines up any sidewall logos with the valve because that is the fashion?

I am going to admit to never having seen or noticed the dots ... I'll check whether any of my tyres have them.

 

[eric_james]

Or who ignores this and simply lines up any sidewall logos with the valve because that is the fashion?

I have fitted tyres like that since I first started fitting a bike tyre.
Although it's the sticker on the rim lined up with the logo on the tyre

 

[robfinger]

Bit late to this party, but based on tread patterns alone I've noticed that a lot of tires when set up for driving traction on the rear wheel end up having lousy grip during braking. Given the front wheel dies most of the braking already, I don't really care much for helping the rear get even less grip on the ground and provide even less braking while more prone to locking up and sliding around. I'll run a dedicated rear tire line the Minion DHR on the rear wheel sure, but that's a whole different situation. So for universal tires I personally go for lowest resistance going forward and max grip while braking, if that means the rear is more likely to spin out if pushing hard on the pedals then so be it.