Scrubbing in tyres?

[Fallout]

Got meself some new boots! Great, but I have been advised to take it easy for a few hundred miles while they get 'scrubbed in'. Nothing new there, but it got me thinking ... that only makes sense on car tyres, right? They're always fully in contact with the road, so you can scrub them in at low speeds, but how the hell can you scrub in the outside of a bike tyre without taking a corner fast?

Due to my impatience, and unwillingness to do my next pleasure ride at 12 mph, I thought I'd 'scrub them in' on the way home, weaving left and right like some sort of drunk, leaning the bike over as much as possible at low speeds, to get some scrubbage towards the outside of the tyre. I might add, I respectfully refrained from doing this when a car was coming the other way, so I didn't scare them into thinking I was going to fly out of my lane and hit them.

But really, what is "scrubbing them in" all about, and if I road out of the garage at light speed and took the first corner getting my head down, what would happen?

If I've got my head down the normal thing that would happen next is getting up and going to look for where my bike has ended up.

I got a new front put on Friday and it was seriously raining so I took it pretty easy on the way home. I have heard of people lean or throttle too hard and lose it on new tyres so they do need care. However as for a couple of hundred miles i dont think so, I am sure scrubbing in is basically wearing off the thin layer of slippery release agent, once thats off I use them as normal really...

Or change rear first and wait a week or two for the front so youre not scrubbing in two new tyres.
A few hundred miles is excessive imo, i had a new rear on 2 weeks ago, right before going to wales on a biking /camping long weekend.
It was wet and i still leant it over a fair bit, but that said im not a quick rider so i was probably well within its grip range.

I wiped mine over with white spirits btw on a rag, it removed the oily residue which i presume is the dodgy bit to help lose you traction.

[jambo]

Firstly:
A number of factors affect the grip a tyre gives.

1) As far as I'm aware, the majority of modern radial tyres do not use a release agent anymore.
2) The surface of the tyre is very smooth having been molded to the inside of the tyre mold. As you ride, this becomes rougher, which increases the surface grip of the tyre significantly.
3) The wheels have been off, people have used greases and tyre soap. Best take it easy to be sure that's gone.
4) These tyres are different to the ones that came off, in all likelihood, the profiles are nice and round, rather than being all kinds of funny shapes. Again, familiarity should be reestablished.

Being sensible and working the lean up, it's possible to have the surface scrubbed in more like 10-30 miles, but several people have spun their tyres up leaving a tyre fitting centre, and that looks cool up until you're sliding on your bum.

Jambo

[Nobbylad]

I think generally around 100 miles of fair use will see them 'scrubbed in'. You basically need to put a few heat cycles through the tyres to scrub them in. I wouldn't ride differently except for carrying less speed than you normally would and leaving more braking distance. This should avoid any issues from leaning over too far or locking up.

[Fallout]

Thanks chaps. All your comments make sense. Still don't know how you'd scrub in the outside of the tyre without the big lean, but I suppose from general use any residue or smoothness will be reduced by general road dirt and weather.

So pleased to have new rubber though! It's good for confidence.

[Paul the 6th]

It's just a case of taking corners reasonably steady for the first few miles, then steadily add a little bit more speed and lean as you go. I had new Pilot Road 2's fitted the day before a trackday so went for an 80 mile thrash to make sure they were fully rubbed up and ready for action. Only had about an inch of chicken strip left by the time I got to the track day and then that was dealt with on track.

And yes it was the black/silver srad

[Nobbylad]

Originally Posted by Fallout

Thanks chaps. All your comments make sense. Still don't know how you'd scrub in the outside of the tyre without the big lean, but I suppose from general use any residue or smoothness will be reduced by general road dirt and weather.

So pleased to have new rubber though! It's good for confidence.

Do 100 miles or so general commute/riding, followed by a track day.

Job jobbed

[Paul the 6th]

Might as well make up some story as to how this is relevant to simon with his nu shoos, he skived a day off work to get his new tyres... he's self employed.

My boss called me today and said, "Where the hell are you?"

I said, "I'm relaxing in the garden with my mate Dave. I'm already on my fourth can of lager."

"I don't f**king believe you!" he shouted.

"Hang on," I said, holding the phone away from me. "Dave, isn't this my fourth can?"