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Best ways to prolong life of indoor trainer tires

7K views 18 replies 8 participants last post by  Jwiffle 
#1 ·
Hi all

I have a computrainer that gets alot of use - especially this time of year

I like to ride in the AM before heading to work and on the weekends

I can log base miles and read (work or the internet) or sufferfest, ergvideo etc

I have used old road tires and trainer-specific indoor tires (continental, schwalbe)

They seem to last a couple of months and then become warped and eventually the inner tube will blow if the tire is not changed

Typically with the indoor-specific trainer tires there is not alot of obvious tread wear - just a warped tire

I know that there are alot of threads about this issue but I wanted to get some feedback on best practices to prolong tire life on the indoor trainer

Some things I have read that may help and I am planning to try but would like some feedback

1. Place fan near rear tire/drum to minimize heat buildup

2. Pump up tube/tire to maximum pressure (not sure why this would help)

3. Use a larger tube (25-28c vs 18-23c)

4. Use a less expensive but wider tire (28c)

5. Apply very light pressure between the drum and the tire (not sure why this would help)

Anyway - any suggestions are much appreciated

Seems like most of these threads are focused on what brand of tire to use, or whether using old road tires or trainer-specific tires is best

I tend to like the trainer-specific tires as I think they get longer life - but as it stands I seem to be wearing out the indoor trainer tires more quickly than the road tires

Thanks in advance!!!!!

If I learn anything I will try to update the post
 
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#3 ·
What the hell is a "warped" tire?

Do you mean the tread appears to have wiggles in it? If that's the case, the tire carcass itself has failed, which may be caused by running it with either too little pressure or too much preload on the trainer's adjustment knob.
 
#4 ·
I have been through several continentals ans one schwalbe

The problem with the continentals is they form little blisters and then warp

This is a known issue as others have reported it on forums etc

Used a fan tonight directed at the rear wheel and it didn't heat up as much
 
#5 ·
Yes a warped tire is one where the outer tread delaminates from the inner casing

Maybe too little pressure - normally I will inflate to 120 psi but then might not inflate for a week or two - so it may drift down to 80 psi

Usually I try to adjust the preload to computrainer recommended spin down numbers
 
#10 ·
@simonaway427: Not sure either why I am having this problem

I probably log 200+ hours/yr on the computrainer

I think I will go with another continental or schwalbe and use a fan - must be related to heat buildup

Some have recommended a bigger tube so will try that also
 
#11 ·
@MerlinAma: What gear ratio do you run on the Computrainer?

I usually like to be in the 50-17

With a cadence of 100 that puts me at a speed of 25 MPH

That gives me the most realistic road feel - but I wonder if that contributes to killing the tires?
 
#12 ·
That's exactly where I am 95% of the time.

I still think over inflating the Continental Hometrainer tire causes the outer rubber to get just a little too tight on the casing (stretched) which in turn causes it so split, usually lengthwise.

Re: tube failures, many of mine have been at the valve stem and some because the rim strip finally deformed enough to allow the tube to fail.

By the way, have you ever used the ErgVideos? They are really great for many reasons.
 
#16 ·
Great suggestions

Unfortunately, the weak link seems to be the tire not the tube

The tire will become warped and then ultimately the tube will flat

The continental and schwalbe tires that have failed are trainer-specific - they have never been used outdoors
 
#17 ·
To be clear wear does not seem to be the issue - rather I think that the rubber heats up and the layers of casing become separated leading to warping of the tire

I have been using a fan and this seems to help

I have a new tire on order so I don't ruin the tires I use outside
 
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