Mountain bike, one road bike tire. Front or back?

Asked by: Sharon Hansen

For efficiency I would put the road tire on the back, as the rear carries more weight. However, front would be best if cornering traction was important. If the MTB tires have an aggressive MTB tread pattern the mismatch would be best addressed by matching tires and getting another road tire.

Are mountain bike tires different front and rear?

Nothing will change the ride on your existing bike quite like a fresh set of rubber. The correct choice for you is going to depend on your local trail conditions, your riding style, and your skill level. It’s okay to mix and match brands for front and rear tires to get the perfect combination.

Which way do you install road bike tires?

The tire should move in the direction of the arrow. Many tire sets also designate a specific tire for the front and the other for the rear. In this case, it matters that you have the front tire on the front of the bike and the rear tire on the back. The tires will say “front” and “rear” on them.

Can you use a back bike tire in front?

A rear motorcycle tire should not be used on the front if it says “rear use only,” even if it is close to the right size the front needs. Motorcycle tires are something that shouldn’t be switched around or changed on a whim.

Are front and rear bike tires the same?

Plenty of people run the same width tires front and rear. Plenty of people put a wider tire in the front. Both options have their pros and cons, but really, some bikes and riding styles tend to work better with matched tires, and some work better with a wider tire in the front.

Should front and back bike tires be the same size?

It’s perfectly okay to run different sizes, brands, and types of tires on the front and rear. As you note, rears will wear faster due to carrying more of the load. The grip threshold is largely irrelevant, since the front and rear will be exposed to different forces and grip requirements.

Can I put road tires on a mountain bike?

The short answer is yes, you can put road wheels on a mountain bike, but due to the very different design of a mountain bike when compared to a road bike, you also need to make some other adjustments and take the design of the bike into consideration to make this transition work out.

Does tire direction matter on a bike?

Bike Tire With No Arrows



Else the tire is multi-directional and it doesn’t matter which way you mounted it. When there are no arrows on the sidewalls of the tire it’s down to you to face it. You can figure out the tire direction by looking and analyzing the tire tread.

What happens if a tire is put on backwards?

On directional tires, there’s an arrow on the sidewall of the tires — when correctly mounted, the arrow points toward the front of the vehicle. If directional tires get mounted backward, you won’t get the hydroplaning resistance and other performance driving benefits the tread is designed for.

Which way should my bike tire face?

Quote from video: So most bicycle tires have a rotation arrow. If you're running slick tires. And it doesn't matter which way they rotate. But you should follow the arrow.

Do front or back bike tires wear faster?

Swapping front and rear tyres



Your rear tyre will invariably wear quicker than your front tyre. Some people will swap over the front and rear tyres after some use to make sure they wear out at roughly the same time, but Shelley Childs doesn’t think this is good practice.

Why are MTB front tires wider?

You want more traction on the front. If you lose the rear you can usually recover, if you lose the front you’re going down. Additionally when braking all your weight moves to the front wheel, more weight means better traction if your tyre and the ground can handle it. A wide tyre helps with that.

Do rear bike tires wear faster?

This is an important question because there are several other reasons why a rear tyre wears more quickly than the front. Although the rear tyre bears more weight than the front, the frictional force is not as high, and it’s the torque transfer that wears the rear tyres faster.

Should I put wider tires in the front or back?

A wider front tyre makes sense in many applications, however, when handling and ride comfort are considered. A wider tyre will generally provide better cornering traction than a narrower one, assuming appropriate inflation pressure.

Is it better to use a smaller tire at the front and bigger on the back on a front wheel drive?

While it’s fine to put narrower tyres on the front and wider on the back, it’s pointless to put wider tyres on just one side of the car. This would change the weight balance and would mean one side of the vehicle would grip differently to the road when braking. It would change the cornering dynamic, too.

Can I have different front and rear tires?

Is It OK to Mix Tires on Your Vehicle? The short answer is that, in general, manufacturers do not recommend tire mixing at all. For optimal safety and performance, it is recommended that vehicles are fitted with the same tires to every wheel position on your car.

Can you put any width tires on same rim bike?

Bicycle wheels can handle a range of different widths, so it’s not absolutely necessary to replace your tires with one with the exact same width. In fact, there are often advantages to using a tire that is a little wider, as long as your bicycle has adequate clearance to handle the larger size.

How wide of a tire can I fit on my mountain bike?

Mountain Bike Tire Size and Width



A cross-country bike will have tires in the 1.9″ to 2.25″ width range. Trail and all-mountain bikes will have tires in the 2.25″ to 2.4″ width range. Downhill bikes, which are meant to withstand the abuse of drops and rock gardens, are typically equipped with tires up to 2.5″ wide.

How do I choose a mountain bike tire?

Generally speaking, wider tires should provide more traction and control on the trail. Narrower tires may roll a little faster on smooth trails. For XC racing, most riders will use 1.6-2.2 inch tires, while trail, enduro, and downhill riders opt for 2.3 inches wide and above! Comfort also plays a factor.

What is the standard mountain bike tire size?

Most mountain bikes today are offered in one of two wheel sizes: 27.5˝ (also know as 650b) or 29˝ (called 29ers), with traditional 26˝ wheels reserved for dirt jump, freeride, and kids’ bikes.

What does 700c mean?

The term “700c” is the tire size according to the French system. The “700” is stating the diameter of the bicycle tire and “c” is the width size of the tire.

What size is a 700c tire in inches?

27.5 inches

The most straightforward answer to “700c to Inches” is that 700c equals 27.5 inches. But unfortunately, as you’ll see in the table below, it’s not as straightforward as that. If you simply bought a random set of 27.5″ tires, they probably wouldn’t fit your bike as wider tires require more clearance.