Slick tires vs. others

[S. Segal]

What are the pros and cons of slick tires? What kind of traction do they
provide? Can you ride on wet roads?

[Dave Larrington]

S. Segal wrote:

> What are the pros and cons of slick tires? What kind of traction do
> they provide? Can you ride on wet roads?

Tread is entirely superfluous on a road-going bicycle. As always, Sheldon
Brown has chapter and verse: http://www.sheldonbrown.com/tyres.html#tread

Dave Larrington - http://www.legslarry.beerdrinkers.co.uk/
================================================== =========
Editor - British Human Power Club Newsletter
http://www.bhpc.org.uk/
================================================== =========

[Dave Larrington]

S. Segal wrote:

> What are the pros and cons of slick tires? What kind of traction do
> they provide? Can you ride on wet roads?

Tread is entirely superfluous on a road-going bicycle. As always, Sheldon
Brown has chapter and verse: http://www.sheldonbrown.com/tyres.html#tread

Dave Larrington - http://www.legslarry.beerdrinkers.co.uk/
================================================== =========
Editor - British Human Power Club Newsletter
http://www.bhpc.org.uk/
================================================== =========

[bentcruiser]

S. Segal wrote:
> What are the pros and cons of slick tires? What kind of traction do they
> provide? Can you ride on wet roads?



No real traction on smooth roads, as the other poster alluded to in
their Sheldon Brown post.

But I have found tread to be nice on the more imperfect roads I travel.
Not a lot of tread but tread like a Schwalbe Marathon or Avocet Cross II
that i currently run.

I have tested this on the same bombed out roads. I used Primo Comets,
some other slicks and the tires mentioned above. The tires with slight
tread handles the imperfections in the road a bit better. Though both
styles do well on wet roads.



--
- - - -
Derek
Burley Canto, modified

- - - -
Derek
Burley Canto, modified

>--------------------------<
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[bentcruiser]

S. Segal wrote:
> What are the pros and cons of slick tires? What kind of traction do they
> provide? Can you ride on wet roads?



No real traction on smooth roads, as the other poster alluded to in
their Sheldon Brown post.

But I have found tread to be nice on the more imperfect roads I travel.
Not a lot of tread but tread like a Schwalbe Marathon or Avocet Cross II
that i currently run.

I have tested this on the same bombed out roads. I used Primo Comets,
some other slicks and the tires mentioned above. The tires with slight
tread handles the imperfections in the road a bit better. Though both
styles do well on wet roads.



--
- - - -
Derek
Burley Canto, modified

- - - -
Derek
Burley Canto, modified

>--------------------------<
Posted via cyclingforums.com
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[The Shinefelds]

IMHO the more important issue is width vs. tread. Skinnier and higher
pressure are usually faster. But, the Tioga Comp Pool is fat, slick and 90
psi and rolls great! You'll find as many opinions about tires as anything
in the recumbent world ... there is very little real study of this topic, as
conditions, usage and personal bias ultimately determine tire selection.
Oh, and of course the deals that bike manufacturers cut with tire
manufacturers.
Jon Shinefeld
Philadelphia, PA
"S. Segal" > wrote in message
t...
> What are the pros and cons of slick tires? What kind of traction do they
> provide? Can you ride on wet roads?
>
>

[The Shinefelds]

IMHO the more important issue is width vs. tread. Skinnier and higher
pressure are usually faster. But, the Tioga Comp Pool is fat, slick and 90
psi and rolls great! You'll find as many opinions about tires as anything
in the recumbent world ... there is very little real study of this topic, as
conditions, usage and personal bias ultimately determine tire selection.
Oh, and of course the deals that bike manufacturers cut with tire
manufacturers.
Jon Shinefeld
Philadelphia, PA
"S. Segal" > wrote in message
t...
> What are the pros and cons of slick tires? What kind of traction do they
> provide? Can you ride on wet roads?
>
>

[John Riley]

Two things:

1) On tours and sometimes on day rides, I find myself on a variety of
surfaces, including coarse gravel in campgrounds, plus some stretches
on the road, fine gravel on rail trails, rough pavement, pavement
with small amounts of dirt on it, etc. Sometimes I ride on grass at
campgrounds as well.

2) Seems to me a tire with some tread might be able put more distance
between the tube and the road than a slick tire. Or if the slick
tire has the same tread thickness, it would be heavier than the
treaded tire.

So for my purposes, I would look for a tire with a smooth center,
some tread beside it, and relatively flexible sidewalls, maybe a
Schwalbe Marathon.

Just before a recent tour, I switched from some treaded Haro BMX tires,
which have never gone flat in urban riding, to some Comp Pools. I didn't
notice a huge jump in speed, but I don't ride very consistently, speed
wise. I _did_ notice a tendency for the tires to pick up glass and wire
bits, such that on a week long tour, I did flat from a piece of wire and
removed a deeply imbeded piece of glass that would have eventually
worked its way to the tube.



--
>--------------------------<
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http://www.cyclingforums.com

[John Riley]

Two things:

1) On tours and sometimes on day rides, I find myself on a variety of
surfaces, including coarse gravel in campgrounds, plus some stretches
on the road, fine gravel on rail trails, rough pavement, pavement
with small amounts of dirt on it, etc. Sometimes I ride on grass at
campgrounds as well.

2) Seems to me a tire with some tread might be able put more distance
between the tube and the road than a slick tire. Or if the slick
tire has the same tread thickness, it would be heavier than the
treaded tire.

So for my purposes, I would look for a tire with a smooth center,
some tread beside it, and relatively flexible sidewalls, maybe a
Schwalbe Marathon.

Just before a recent tour, I switched from some treaded Haro BMX tires,
which have never gone flat in urban riding, to some Comp Pools. I didn't
notice a huge jump in speed, but I don't ride very consistently, speed
wise. I _did_ notice a tendency for the tires to pick up glass and wire
bits, such that on a week long tour, I did flat from a piece of wire and
removed a deeply imbeded piece of glass that would have eventually
worked its way to the tube.



--
>--------------------------<
Posted via cyclingforums.com
http://www.cyclingforums.com