For road tyres, look at the profile from above the bike. If the centre tread has a broad, flat spot all the way around, that means the rubber is mostly worn off and is only thinly covering the casing. It’s time to switch. For mountain tyres, look for centre knobs that are shredded and worn close to the base rubber.

For any tyre, regularly inspect for large cuts in the tread. If a gash is wider than half a centimetre or goes all the way through the casing, use a tyre boot to reinforce the inside and continue to monitor it. You can see worn casings by looking at the sidewalls – if the threads show through, and particularly if you see a telltale crosshatch pattern, the casing is toast and it’s time for new rubber.

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