Tyres question

[craste]

So my the tyres have arrived for my sons Islabike , they are 24" continental explorers.

On the sidewall it has an arrow pointing to the right and it says front tyre, and also an arrow pointing to the left and it says back tyre, on the same tyre!

This has confused me as does that mean it's the direction of travel and the back tyre is fitted on the opposite way to the front or does it mean that that's the way you put it on the bike?

so that as the put the tyres next to each other on the floor (like a bike) you make sure that you can see the above text and that's the way it goes on the bike as I think it only says it on the one side of the tyre.

Can't imagine you would not have the tread direction going a different way, Shirley not!

Help!

[lufbramatt]

yep they go on rotating in opposite directions in relation to the tread pattern front vs rear.

The idea is that the back wheel needs traction for driving the bike forward, but the front wheel needs traction for slowing the bike down. The shape of the tread blocks and the way they deform may affect the way the tyre works when force is applied in different directions . . . supposedly.

[dienamic]

On the rear the tread will assist the drive, on the front it will assist braking, so yes, opposite way around

[nammynake]

I've never come across a tyre with tread designed to run in opposite directions. I know some people choose to do this but never heard a company specifying that.

[gazza285]

nammynake said:

I've never come across a tyre with tread designed to run in opposite directions. I know some people choose to do this but never heard a company specifying that.

Not so much with road tyres, but many MTB and cyclocross tyres are designed to fit this way.

[Bobley]

I think all my Schwalbe MTB tyres are marked up for front and rear applications.

I cant remember who makes them but there is at least one road tyre that has specific versions for front and rear.

[matt-ITR]

Schwalbe used to be direction specific, but the new models are single direction front and rear.

[craste]

Well you learn something new every day eh!

Thanks fo the replies.

[yellowjack]

Bobley said:

I think all my Schwalbe MTB tyres are marked up for front and rear applications.

I cant remember who makes them but there is at least one road tyre that has specific versions for front and rear.

Continental make them. Called "Grand Prix Attack & Force" and they are different tyre widths, narrower at the front (22mm) and wider at the rear (24mm)