tyre grooving -the black art

**FROSTY:Me** · 6th July 2005, 20:13

Some of you guys are running road tyres on your race bikes.all good till it gets wet. Just an idea but a decent bike shop does have tyre groovers to sharpen up the rain grooves in your tyres and also to extend them furthur out to the carcase edge -better water removal.
Might be worth a second or two on a wet race day

**Ixion** · 6th July 2005, 20:16

Originally Posted by FROSTY

Some of you guys are running road tyres on your race bikes.all good till it gets wet. Just an idea but a decent bike shop does have tyre groovers to sharpen up the rain grooves in your tyres and also to extend them furthur out to the carcase edge -better water removal.
Might be worth a second or two on a wet race day

Don't you mean race (slick) tyres on road bikes ? My father used to regroove tyres, but I'm pretty sure it's illegal nowdays . Won't pass a WOF if the testerperson notices ? I think

**WINJA** · 6th July 2005, 20:29

Originally Posted by Ixion

Don't you mean race (slick) tyres on road bikes ? My father used to regroove tyres, but I'm pretty sure it's illegal nowdays . Won't pass a WOF if the testerperson notices ? I think

A COP OR TESTING STATIONCAN EASILY SEE IF THE TYRE HAS A DOT APPROVAL

**FROSTY:Me** · 6th July 2005, 20:32

Originally Posted by Ixion

Don't you mean race (slick) tyres on road bikes ? My father used to regroove tyres, but I'm pretty sure it's illegal nowdays . Won't pass a WOF if the testerperson notices ? I think

Mate this is the RACING forum

dont think theres gonna be much wof testing done.
The idea of regrooving ya tyres is to sharpen up the tread edges and slightly widen the grooves not to deepen the grooves and the idea of extending the grooves is to have the water able to be pumped out better.

**pete376403** · 6th July 2005, 21:09

If you want to buy your own groover they can be obtained. I was looking for one a while ago (#1 son races an Escort at Te Marua and wanted to do his own tyres) The Patch Rubber Co in Petone (47a Victoria St 04-939 7400) is one place that I tried. IIRC it was around $150 or so

**JohnBoy** · 6th July 2005, 22:36

any half decent wof tester should notice the "NOT FOR HIGHWAY USE" written on the side and fail it on that alone!

Cheers for the tip frosty, a mate of mine was looking at this cause of the difficulty of buying wets to suit an 18" rim. i will look into it when i get my new bike.

**gav** · 6th July 2005, 23:24

ya could soon buff out the "NOT" bit if your keen enough!!

**Motu** · 6th July 2005, 23:49

Used to cut my trials tyres for the dirt track with a serated knife or razor blade,but only the left side...that saved some time and sore fingers.

**FROSTY:Me** · 7th July 2005, 08:14

a tyre groover is a heck of a lot quicker and easier to use.
Have a yarn to ya local bike tyre shop ---
VERY important--use someone who knows what hes doing
for example the integrety of the tyres TS is using on his bike rely on there being a 10mm strip of smooth rubber on the tyres edge

**dickytoo** · 7th July 2005, 09:30

Originally Posted by WINJA

A COP OR TESTING STATIONCAN EASILY SEE IF THE TYRE HAS A DOT APPROVAL

not to mention the "not approved for road use" moulded into the sidewall!

**TwoSeven** · 7th July 2005, 11:22

A little trick is to make yourself a template. Then use it to mark the groove lines on the tire will a greasy crayon or stick of chalk. Then (not sure the exact tool people are using) - you set the appropriate height and blade width on the tire groover and cut the grooves.

**750Y** · 7th July 2005, 12:40

bazza(?) at leading edge used to do them...
don't know where they went tho...

**FROSTY:Me** · 7th July 2005, 12:48

cycletreads and haldanes do it no problems
and yea 2/7 -I'd use a pattermaker if I was cutting new groovs but Im talking sharpening and lenthening existing grooves--eg the supercorsers (as I recall) -real sticky in the dry because theyre dual compound and are a slick for the last 40-50mm of tread --so by extending the existing groovs you slightly reduce dry grip but greatly increase wet grip.