Ever heard of tyre cupping/scalloping?

didn't think you'd get it on a bike ... you'd need to always ride upright, so maybe some American riders could do it riding on highways all the time.

I think you get it on a rear wheel drive car, on the rear wheels when you use a lot of power and generally on straight roads, and the centre tread wears away so that it actually dips in the middle of the tread.

 

Well my back tyre is what I would call "cupped" but it doesn't fit the description above.

It came about when I fitted new rear suspension and the improvement was soooooo great that I went for a really hoooning ride on my favourite set of bends.

When I stopped at a café for a drink, my pal said your back tyre looks a bit 'funny'. Upon examination the leading edges of the sipes on the outer edges (right and left 30%) of the tyre had risen above the rest of the tyre. No problem at all in the middle of the tyre.

When you run your hand over them it almost feels like a series of cutting edges you get with an electric plane.

They've pretty-much stayed like that for the last 3 months with no bad handling or problems, they just look weird.

Apparently this can be caused by the tyre being under-inflated (not any more, keeping a very close eye on pressure now).

Dave

PS New back tyre being fitted next week.

 

Looking on the internet - most of the references to tyre cupping seems to be spelt "tire" - is it just an American problem? Appears to be caused by a number of factors working together, weak suspension system such as bad struts and loose ball joints, wheel bearings, shock absorbers, springs or bushings. Additional factors include under-inflated or out-of-balance tyres or improper wheel alignment. More of a car than a bike thing perhaps?

 

I've never heard of it but I'll throw this in, as it doesn't seem to happen here IN UK could iit be related to tyre pressures and hot Tarmac?

 

I've never seen it here either, but I read about it on American forums. It's possible it's also caused by their tyres or even tires being harder, some of my friends out there get over 70000 out of a set of car tyres or are they tires ?
Perhaps that's it only tires cup.

 

like everone else on here haven't come across the cupping the Americans are talking about. Obv. I got it wrong about centre tread wearing so there's a dip going round the middle, anyone know what that's called? ... apart from wearing in the middle!

 

Most peeps around here call that 'flatting' - yes flatting, not farting.