Bike Tyres

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Wed 10 Sep 2003 13:59
Bike Tyres - Rudedog
I have just gone from drivig a car to riding a bike and I have a question which involves tyres. I have started riding with treaded tyres (not knobbly) thinking that they would be best for wet weather on roads. But I have been told that bikes don't go fast enough for the tread to have any effect, therefore slick tyres would be best as more rubber would be in contact with the road,even in the wet. This is opposite what I was used to in a car, does anyone know if this sounds right?
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Wed 10 Sep 2003 14:04
Bike Tyres - Mark (RLBS)
Bicycle or motorbike ?
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Wed 10 Sep 2003 14:17
Bike Tyres - M.M
I'm guessing cycle.

Many years ago I was a youth club cyclist and we often had several sets of wheels/tyres for each bike.

The lightest sets for serious high speed work had little or no tread...these were lethal in the wet.

Going to the other extreme I have ultra knobbly on my current mountain bike...and these can be dicey in the wet on road.

There are some excellent in-between tyres made for road use.

Look through the stock at a large cycle shop and you'll see what I mean.

They seem pretty cheap to me so swapping about if you get it a bit wrong isn't a disaster.

M.M
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Wed 10 Sep 2003 17:12
Bike Tyres - Rudedog
Yes it is for a cycle (MTB), but because I am using tubeless tyres they are about £25 each so the right choice would make things easier. The semi slicks look good but I am told that are a waste of time on cycles because the tread doesn't work at slow speeds.
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Wed 10 Sep 2003 17:47
Bike Tyres - Deryck Tintagel
I have narrow tyres (700x32C) on my bike compared to an MTB so rolling resistance isn't a major issue - I guess that part of your question relates to grip in the wet and also achieving a decent speed on the road with minimal effort.

A colleague has used tyres called Golliath - I can't remember who makes them - but these have a semi-slick centre tread with knobbly outer sections. He rides on the road and canal towpaths using these and said that they were ok. I have been using Hutchinson Globetrotters on my tourer for a while now and always feel secure.

The other thing to look at is the tyre pressure. MTBs tend to use lower pressure for more grip on muddy surfaces but my narrow tyres are inflated at about 60psi for road and track use.

I wouldn't use slicks because of the dangers in wet weather.
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Wed 10 Sep 2003 17:54
Bike Tyres - martint123
The tread isn't there just to push the water out of the way.

The blocks move as they contact the road and warm up - not a huge amount, but enought to make a difference on a cold wet day.

Contact pressure with the road is greater the more tread there is.

When/if the tyre starts slipping, the increased flexibility of the rubber helps grip the surface.

Slicks are evil in the wet - especially if it's been dry for a while and a nice slimey oil film has built up - nevermind tar overbanding in the wet.
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