so, you wanna test tyres?

**bugjuice** · 1st September 2005, 15:33

Found this, ironically from Avon

I guess most other tyre companies have something similar in place. thought this was fairly interesting, so here it is.. Wouldn't mind a go myself..

A Day in the Life of a Tyre Tester

All new Avon tyres are meticulously designed using the very latest computer equipment and software, backed by the vast bank of knowledge we’ve accumulated since making our first bike tyre in 1911.

After a tyre is designed, prototypes are made ready for a punishing testing regime. They start off on test rigs where they have to meet various international standards; once that’s done, they have to meet Avon standards, which is why we push each and every tyre to destruction in incredibly severe conditions.

But test rigs and computers can tell you only so much. What a tyre is like to ride can only be truly assessed by a highly skilled test rider and a team of designers and technicians; it’s the all-important ‘human touch’. But what exactly is involved in tyre testing?

IF YOU DON’T LIKE EARLY starts, bike tyre testing isn’t for you. Days can begin at 4.30am if a testing venue is within ‘comfortable’ distance of Avon’s Melksham factory. Depending on what type of testing needs to be done, rider, bike, tyres, team and support truck will show up either at a race circuit where things can be pushed to the limit, or a specially selected road route designed to expose new tyres to every type of road surface and riding style.

Our senior testers tend to come from racing backgrounds – as well as their sheer speed in the saddle, which is essential for pushing our tyres to absolute extremes, these riders know how to be consistent. Consistency is critical when testing a new tyre in varied conditions such as in the dry and wet, with the bike one-up and with a full load, with the tyre brand new and with the central part of the tread heavily scrubbed in; it’s also important when we compare our tyres against those of rivals, to make sure we’re maintaining our advantage.

At a track our test team can get through as many as 50 tyres in a session. Test bikes are equipped with the very latest computer measuring gear, including datalogging, gyroscopic monitors and accelerometers. A great deal of attention is paid to tyre temperatures, which can even be measured on the move. There’s an optimum temperature for every tyre – too hot or too cold and it won’t perform to the high standards Avon expects of all its tyres.

Then there’s the pure ‘feel’ of the tyre, the subjective element of our testing programme, where our riders’ experience and gut instinct take over from hard data. It’s a vital test for any new tyre, because it’s only when the testers feel confident in it that the final seal of approval is granted.

Testing involves long hours and plenty of hard work but we believe it’s worth every second and every bead of sweat; it’s the only way we know how to ensure you’re riding one of the best bike tyres in the world.