"Don DeMair" wrote ...

I would prefer a slick tire (without a tread pattern) because I think the
inverted tread actually catches debris and may lead to more flats. I also
don't believe that tread pattern does anything to improve wet or dry grip
on the road. And I don't use my touring bike off-road.

Richard Amirault wrote:

While a slick tire would certain improve traction on dry roads ... I don't
see why you think a tread won't improve wet road traction ... unless your
tire "contact point" is so small and your speed is so slow that you would
not hydroplane in puddles. In the automotive (and motorcycle) world the
main (if not the only) reason for tread in a street tire is for wet weather
use.

Hydroplaning is an issue for cars and motorcycles (though a rare one: in
my 44 years of driving, I've only experienced hydroplaning once.)

However, hydroplaning is impossible for bicycles, so this is a non-issue.

See: http://sheldonbrown.com/gloss_h.html#hydroplaning for a detailed
explanation of this.

Sheldon "Baldy" Brown
+--------------------------------------------------+
| Cynic: A blackguard whose faulty vision sees |
| things as they are, not as they ought to be. |
| --Ambrose Bierce |
+--------------------------------------------------+
Harris Cyclery, West Newton, Massachusetts
Phone 617-244-9772 FAX 617-244-1041
http://harriscyclery.com
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