Should I replace the rear tire before a long ride if it's squared off?

[Logan3]

I’m trying to decide if I should get a new set of tires before a long ride next month, or if my current ones still have enough life left. The rear is squared off a bit from commuting, and I’m not sure if that’s just a cosmetic wear thing or if it’ll really affect my grip on the twisties.

[NicholasTM]

I did that last spring. The rear got squared from steady commuting and on a long twisty ride it felt vague at the edge. I swapped in a new set and the grip came back, especially when the road wasn’t perfectly clean.

[Justin.G]

I’d actually run a quick check first: measure the tread depth, look for uneven wear, and compare to any wear bars. If it’s flush, it might be time to pull the trigger.

[Edward_J]

Not sure the problem is only the rubber. It could be pressure, weight balance, or the line you’re taking through the bend. I’ve tried tweaking pressures first and that helped more than I expected.

[Olivia86]

One ride I did chase grip by changing stance and steering input, then learned the road had a lot of gravel. Still, the squared rear kept nagging me and I circled back to recheck things later.