Rolling resistance: higher in the wet or lower?

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Sat 6 Sep 2008 12:11
Rolling resistance: higher in the wet or lower? - craig-pd130

As per the subject title, really: is the rolling resistance to a car on a wet road higher (because the tyres have to squeeze away) or lower than in the dry?
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Sat 6 Sep 2008 12:15
Rolling resistance: higher in the wet or lower? - Andrew-T
What would be a reason for it being lower in the wet? I suppose a very marginal factor might be that running temp would be lower when wet, which would also increase resistance?
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Sat 6 Sep 2008 12:25
Rolling resistance: higher in the wet or lower? - 659FBE
Rolling resistance is quite appreciably higher in the wet. You don't shift all of the water which comes out from under the tyres for a zero additional input of energy.

659.
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Sat 6 Sep 2008 12:27
Rolling resistance: higher in the wet or lower? - b308
Yep, would agree, I do the same 9 mile run every day and check the computer to see how close to 70mpg I can get - in the wet I'm lucky to get near 60!
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Sat 6 Sep 2008 12:28
Rolling resistance: higher in the wet or lower? - bathtub tom
I'd guess the water would lubricate the tyre to road surface contact area, reducing friction. However, the tread would be doing work displacing water, which would need energy. The more water displaced, the greater the energy required.

Perhaps the next question is: How wet is the road?
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