New treads

My roadster went in for its 50,000-kilometre service early in the week, and the Mazda man said it needed some new tyres. Most tyres last for about 40,000 kilometres, so I am pleased to get good wear from the existing set of tyres. However, it's time to get some new treads.

The roadster has a 17-inch by 7-inch rim with a low profile tyre. I find it interesting that Australia uses metric for almost everything they measure yet still refer to the diameter and width of the car wheels in inches. The general rule when buying tyres is that the lower the profile, the more expensive the tyre is. So, a new set of tyres on the roadster will set me back about $1,000. The tyres on the car are Bridgestone Potenzas, and I quite like those tyres, not too noisy, and they grip really well. 

The rims of the wheels rub on the gutters easily with the current tyres. I hate the grinding sound when the wheel hits the concrete gutter. You know that you have just put a scratch on your wheel, such a frustrating feeling. So, I plan to go up one size in the tyres, so the tyre and not the wheel is more likely to scrape on the gutter.


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