Scrubbing In Tyres

[klavdy]

You can find so many conflicting methods and advice when it comes to scrubbing in tyres, everything from just ride 'em to the "scrub 'em with scotch brite and acetone then do 100 cautious miles route" .

You'll notice the schools bikes seem to just get a new set whacked on, couple laps at pretty close to full (albeit easy) lean angles and they're good to go.

Some folks like to find a gravel road and ride on that so the gravel scrubs any mould release etc off them,some remain overly cautious until they, well, just forget they have new tyres on.

I kind of just take it easy for a few miles, increase lean until they feel good.

What's the go?

How do you suggest they best be broken in?

[Jasonzilla]

From what I understand, they don't use the non-stick compound they used to and you just need to do a few easy laps. That's what I've done, and haven't had any problems with the last few sets of tires since CSS in '09 when I started doing this after they put new tires on the school bike.

[fossilfuel]

Street tires might be a harder compound but most racers I know scrub new racing tires in on the warm up lap. If you are breaking in street tires try going through twisties at a progressively greater lean angle like Klavdy says. You should have them scrubbed in fairly quickly.

[ktk_ace]

I have a friend who does figure of 8's in a carpark near his house.

 

Me? I just ride "slowly" for the first half tank or so (Good way to know the bands of traction ??)

 

 

[khp]

Until this Wednesday, I would have said that scrubbing in and being overly cautious the first X hundred miles was all voodoo and superstition. 15+ years of riding and I-don't-know-how-many tire changes supported me.

 

Tuesday evening, I put on a new set of SportSmarts' on my R1 roadbike. Wednesday morning, I took it out of the garage, turned left down the road, rode maybe 30 meters (100ft) while doing very easy slalom/scrubbing and BLAM! the rear disappeared underneath me. My lean must have been less than 10-15 degrees, 'cause I wasn't trying to push any limits (besides, I was going maybe 30kph/20mph at the time of the event)

Me? I barely traveled 1-2 feet on the tarmac - in my ATGATT. The bike, on the other hand, came to a halt 30 meters further down the road. Luckily, it didn't hit anything, just stopped on the asphalt. I rushed to pick up first my tankbag and then the bike, still wondering about WTF just happened. The bike got very minor scuffs on the bobbin, the footpeg, the mushroom (carefully mounted 7 years ago for just such a situation like this ) the engine casing cover and the front blinker - all on the left side. I had expected that the engine cover would have given up the ghost, but not much more than the paint was touched, so I picked up the bike and continued to work (slightly stirred AND shaken).

 

I went back and had a look at the road when I returned from work. The local road department had had a road-cleaning vehicle and sweep the streets just the day before, and somehow that particular vehicle had left a darkened trail on the tarmac for almost 1000meters(!) - the tarmac still felt slightly greasy, so the cleaning vehicle must have dumped something slippery on the road. The SportSmarts didn't feel particularly slippery (compared to other new tires), so I guess that whatever was left by the vehicle, was the cause of my first spill on a public road for more than a decade.

 

Kai

[the razor]

You can find so many conflicting methods and advice when it comes to scrubbing in tyres, everything from just ride 'em to the "scrub 'em with scotch brite and acetone then do 100 cautious miles route" .

You'll notice the schools bikes seem to just get a new set whacked on, couple laps at pretty close to full (albeit easy) lean angles and they're good to go.

Some folks like to find a gravel road and ride on that so the gravel scrubs any mould release etc off them,some remain overly cautious until they, well, just forget they have new tyres on.

I kind of just take it easy for a few miles, increase lean until they feel good.

What's the go?

How do you suggest they best be broken in?

 

Most of the tire manufacturers recommend to ride the tires for about 100 miles so they can settle.

I usually take the highway and run it for about 50 miles at the speed limit. Around here is 65 miles/hr.

(right)) then I start doing sigsag increasing the leaning angle gradually, then I go into the road (twist)

to finish breaking them in. My main concern is to get the tires warm first.

Regards,. the razor.

[warregl]

Until this Wednesday, I would have said that scrubbing in and being overly cautious the first X hundred miles was all voodoo and superstition. 15+ years of riding and I-don't-know-how-many tire changes supported me.

 

Tuesday evening, I put on a new set of SportSmarts' on my R1 roadbike. Wednesday morning, I took it out of the garage, turned left down the road, rode maybe 30 meters (100ft) while doing very easy slalom/scrubbing and BLAM! the rear disappeared underneath me. My lean must have been less than 10-15 degrees, 'cause I wasn't trying to push any limits (besides, I was going maybe 30kph/20mph at the time of the event)

Me? I barely traveled 1-2 feet on the tarmac - in my ATGATT. The bike, on the other hand, came to a halt 30 meters further down the road. Luckily, it didn't hit anything, just stopped on the asphalt. I rushed to pick up first my tankbag and then the bike, still wondering about WTF just happened. The bike got very minor scuffs on the bobbin, the footpeg, the mushroom (carefully mounted 7 years ago for just such a situation like this ) the engine casing cover and the front blinker - all on the left side. I had expected that the engine cover would have given up the ghost, but not much more than the paint was touched, so I picked up the bike and continued to work (slightly stirred AND shaken).

 

I went back and had a look at the road when I returned from work. The local road department had had a road-cleaning vehicle and sweep the streets just the day before, and somehow that particular vehicle had left a darkened trail on the tarmac for almost 1000meters(!) - the tarmac still felt slightly greasy, so the cleaning vehicle must have dumped something slippery on the road. The SportSmarts didn't feel particularly slippery (compared to other new tires), so I guess that whatever was left by the vehicle, was the cause of my first spill on a public road for more than a decade.

 

Kai

 

Kai,

 

I'm glad to hear that your spill wasn't more serious (it pays to being prepared). I had a similar, but not as serious, experience just weeks after completing my level two class last year. I was turning left onto a road I know well and as I approach the traffic light it turned green so I only had to slow down to my entry speed but about halfway through the turn (at a conservative street speed and lean) I felt the back end step out abruptly. Thanks to CSS I didn't panic and let the bike work through it and I kept it upright. I went back and found a wide swath of the payment had something soaked in to it that made it noticeably slippery. I was lucky that whatever it was was mostly soaked and I got some traction with the front end or I would have been toast (and it wasn't 1000 meters long either!). I wasn't on new tires which had to help as well.

 

You just never know what's going to be on a public road. Again, I'm glad you are ok.

 

Best,

Carey

[faffi]

I've had several little front end slides on the XT lately that were unexpected. I just automatically lean a bit in and raise the bike a bit, but that's because neither episode were dramatic. If you are at full lean when hitting a bick slick, you'll be down instantly. As mentioned, this is a risk with public roads, unfortunately.