Would you buy used gravel tyres?

Equipment
1

I’ve got an opportunity to buy a used pair of gravel tyres (Schwalbe G-One Bite 45mm) for £40 (as in £20 each). They look in good condition but the seller says they’ve done approx 800+ miles. I’ve never bought second hand tyres before. Is it a bad idea? Thanks.

2

800 miles, pass. You can get a set of new ones for about £60, if you look for a bit.

If there were off a new bike, or, “used once” or whatever, then maybe yes.

With 800 miles on them, they might look good if you don’t compare them to new ones, but the tread will be worn down, the rubber has aged, and you don’t know about any sealed punctures or damage. Plus if they are tubeless, there’ll be lots of old sealant that makes them sticky and hard to seat (and heavy).

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3

People rarely use bike parts close to the end of their life. I’ve gotten killer deals on used cranks and chain rings, wheels, etc. if the price is right, then that tire is a good deal. I’d pay 50% of MSRP if they have 800 miles. I’d guess s their lifetime is no more than 2000

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4

My first reaction was “800 miles? Hard pass”….but upon further reflection, I guess it isn’t too many miles.

I dunno…buying used tires just kinda seems odd to me. You have no idea if they have had punctures, etc.

I’d probably pass regardless.

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5

Would you buy used tires for your car? For me it’s a hard “no.” It’s the only part of the bike in contact with the ground (remember, rubber side goes down) and you have no idea how they were treated, stored, etc.

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6

You’ll get a few thousand miles out of new ones, so see it as you still got at least a couple of thousand miles use for £40.

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7

This is an easy pass.

  1. the center tread on those is going to be worn down.
  2. Not for $40. Those are $40 new on ebay. g-one bite 45 for sale | eBay
  3. That iteration of those tires are SLOW. Look for the prior version on ebay Schwalbe G-One Bite Evolution TL-Easy OneStar Tyre in Black All Sizes | eBay
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8

I’ve bought MTB wheels with tyres still on. They looked ok to the eye, no obvious punctures etc. The grip wasn’t great though, and when I replaced them, it was very noticable better. Looking at the old tyres vs the new ones, the knobs were a lot more rounded on the old ones, but you only saw it in direct comparison.

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9

not 800 miles

10

I’d look FIRST them over. If they have solid tread and casing, and no tubeless buildup, I would totally pick them up for the discounted price.

If there is a lot of tubeless sealant build up…just get warm water, soap and start scrubbing. It wont take long and the sealant WILL break down. I have a lot of tubeless tires that look brand new after installing with sealant.

Save your money and the landfill space. RECYCLE and ride it until it is truly dead.

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