When you purchase a new bike and start to assemble it, you might be tempted to put the tire backward. Most companies make directional tires to provide ideal performance. However, some cyclists like to experiment with their bikes, and putting the tires backward is not uncommon.
If you’re using road bike tires, the tire’s direction makes no difference in performance. However, when you’re using mountain bike tires on tricky terrain, putting bike tires backward compromises the tire’s longevity, grip, and speed.
In this article, let us look at the various aspects of bike tires and what might happen if you put them backward.
What Are the Consequences of Putting a Tire Backward and Riding it?
As you know by now, the difference made by the tire’s direction is evident only in mountain or gravel bikes. You will not feel any difference in road bikes or commuter bikes.
The difference made by the tire’s direction in mountain bikes is significant. Therefore, you must be aware of the things that are affected by the tire’s direction. Below, let us have a look at some of the most important of those factors.
Durability
Naturally, when a tire is made, the companies have a certain direction in mind in which then it will be abused. Therefore, the durability statements and guarantees are set according to the expected usage direction. The tires are also strengthened according to directional usage.
When you put the tire in a backward direction, you risk compromising the tire’s durability by abusing it in the backward direction. The knobs are at a higher risk of getting damaged when used in a direction they weren’t meant to be used in.
Therefore, you can risk reducing a tire’s life by at least two years if you use it on tricky terrain all the time.
Resistance
While creating directional knobs on a tire, the company allows the tire to be resistant to a certain direction. However, when you place it backward, the resistance might vary. Resultingly, you will have less resistance while going uphill and better braking while coming downhill.
In most cases, ideal resistance is a subjective topic. Not everyone likes the same level of resistance. So much so that it is possible for some people to not want heavy resistance while others might find the lack of resistance risky.
Grip
Much like the resistance, a tires’ knob directions make a huge impact on the grip provided by the overall tire. While this is not something that will make much of a difference in a general situation, if you are cycling in wet terrain, you will be thankful for some extra grip on the tires.
The entire reason why mountain bike tires are knobby while road bike tires aren’t is to provide extra grip. When you put the tire on backward, you might have to pay the cost with a compromised grip. However, grip preference, too, is very subjective.
Speed and Propulsion Capacity
The speed provided by the tires is heavily dependent on the propulsion the tire can provide due to the traction, grip, and resistance. The maximum achievable propulsion capacity can be enhanced by at least 20% by putting the tire backward.
Speed and propulsion are heavily dependent on the terrain you are on. If you are on snowy terrain, more likely than not, the tires are made to propel you forward in the snow. Therefore, putting them backward will be counter-effective.
Is it safe to put a bike tire backwards?
Whether you like to use your bike with the tires in the backward direction or in the front direction is your personal choice. Since the backward vs. forward debate has been going on for such a long time that there’s no definite answer to this question.
The direction in which your tires are places in a bike makes only a small difference
in the performance. However, if you are a very mindful rider, you will be able to tell the difference for the initial miles, after which you will get used to the changed performance.
There is no doubt that a mountain bike’s performance is greatly influenced by the tire’s quality. However, the direction only makes a slight difference.
The major differences in performance you will feel are in the wear, grip, and resistance offered by the bike’s tire. The other differences are so slightly noticeable that you will forget about them in a while.
If you are riding in a smooth and effortless terrain, your bike tires’ direction will make slight to no difference. However, the real test will be at hand when you are off-roading or riding in rough and wet terrain.
Does it matter to put the tire backwards?
The reason why we walked you through the different bike tire types is that we need you to know the treading differences between them. This makes a significant impact on the way your bike will perform if the tires are flipped in the backward direction.
When tires do not have any tread pattern, the direction in which it is put on the bike makes no difference. Similarly, if you’re riding on plain terrain, you don’t have to worry about the tire’s direction.
Below are the situations when you should and should not care about your bike tire’s direction.
Situations When You Should Consider Your Bike’s Tires’ Direction
- You’re off-roading.
- You’re using gravel or a mountain bike.
- The manufacturer is adamant on a particular tire direction application.
- The warranty is compromised by putting the tire backward.
- You’re in rocky or wet terrain.
- You’ll have to corner and skid a lot.
Situations When You Shouldn’t Consider Your Bike’s Tires’ Direction
- You’re on a smooth and efficient road.
- You’re using road or commute bike tires that are slick with no tread patterns.
- You own bidirectional tires.
- You’re not going to speed.
How do you tell if your bike tires are on backwards?
When companies manufacture gravel bike tires, if mountain bike tires, they generally put directional arrows on them. These arrows help you understand the direction in which you should put your bike tire on.
However, the direction you finally decide to put your tires in is not a dealmaker or breaker.
If you’re relatively new to mountain biking and cannot locate the directional arrows on the tires, it is best to have a look at the tire’s walls. If you still cannot locate the arrows, the tire is either compatible with both directions, or you should contact some nearby expert.
How can you check the right direction for correct installation?
You can also check the right direction by following a simple trick. Just place the tire over the frame and make sure that the tire’s label in orientation with the valve. This should be on the right-hand-side to ensure different directions for the front and back tires.
If the tires have a V-shaped tread pattern, you should have the V pointing forward. This is the direction that will provide you the maximum grip, resistance, and wear.
We recommend that you only worry about the direction your tires are in if you are a heavy cyclist and are using a mountain bike. The tire’s direction doesn’t make any difference while you’re riding a commuter or road bike because of the lack of treads or knobs.
How Are Bidirectional Bike Tires Different?
In some cases, no matter what you do, you will not be able to find the tread direction arrows on the tires’ walls. In such a case, when you consult an expert, they might either locate the arrows for you or tell you that your tire is bidirectional.
Bidirectional tires perform in a similar fashion no matter the direction they are put in. They generally do not have the V-shape tread pattern visible on most mountain bike tires. Instead, they have knobs pointing in almost every direction in a seemingly random way.
Therefore, allowing similar tread, speed, grip, and resistance in every direction.