Bicycle Tires - Facts, knowledge, technology, tips.

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Heltor Chasca

Out-riding the Black Dog
I'm really enjoying this PDF booklet by Schwalbe. Recommended. Well rounded.

https://www.schwalbe.com/en/catalog...upload/PDF/Kataloge/2015/TechInfo-2015_GB.pdf

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Rooster1

I was right about that saddle
Well rounded - very funny
 
Location
Loch side.
I like it when companies provide good, generic documentation on a product category. Some can be really biased and stupid. This one isn't too bad.

But, it is full of gems too:

"The surface is slightly bigger which makes for a significantly better tire grip" Nonsense.
"Carcass casing materials". What the hell is that?
"A tyre with a slick tread actually provides better grip than a tire with a tread, because the contact area is bigger." Nonsense.

There are some overdue claims too: " ...the rolling direction is mainly important for aesthetic considerations. Tires market with arrows look more dynamic". At last someone admits the truth but then, in the next sentence: "off-road the tread direction is far more important." Nonsense.

There's a nice graph on page 21 that puts tyre rolling resistance into perspective but, the picture would have been very, very different if the sample tyre was a Marathon.

There's a prize bit where the company suggests that replacing the frame or fork on your bike can help to prevent shimmy. Ill remember that next time any of you complain of shimmy.
 

Rooster1

I was right about that saddle
I like it when companies provide good, generic documentation on a product category. Some can be really biased and stupid. This one isn't too bad.

But, it is full of gems too:

"The surface is slightly bigger which makes for a significantly better tire grip" Nonsense.
"Carcass casing materials". What the hell is that?
"A tyre with a slick tread actually provides better grip than a tire with a tread, because the contact area is bigger." Nonsense.

There are some overdue claims too: " ...the rolling direction is mainly important for aesthetic considerations. Tires market with arrows look more dynamic". At last someone admits the truth but then, in the next sentence: "off-road the tread direction is far more important." Nonsense.

There's a nice graph on page 21 that puts tyre rolling resistance into perspective but, the picture would have been very, very different if the sample tyre was a Marathon.

There's a prize bit where the company suggests that replacing the frame or fork on your bike can help to prevent shimmy. Ill remember that next time any of you complain of shimmy.

Good luck with this one....
"A tyre with a slick tread actually provides better grip than a tire with a tread, because the contact area is bigger." Nonsense.
 

Rooster1

I was right about that saddle
Good luck with what? I'm not sure if you think it is true or not.

I think it was earlier in the year, from my own experience after skidding off the road, a thread that was in discussion argued that slicks are better than tredded tyres (we are talking cycling road tyres), and that it was just a load of marketing BS. After the minor excursion from the road I was of the belief that I should get some winter tyres with a tred, to which the consensus was that slicks are better.

So is the statement in the article completely wrong, and if so why (please)

thank you
 
Location
Loch side.
I think it was earlier in the year, from my own experience after skidding off the road, a thread that was in discussion argued that slicks are better than tredded tyres (we are talking cycling road tyres), and that it was just a load of marketing BS. After the minor excursion from the road I was of the belief that I should get some winter tyres with a tred, to which the consensus was that slicks are better.

So is the statement in the article completely wrong, and if so why (please)

thank you
Oh I see. No, the statement is correct for certain cases but the reason they give is wrong.

There are a couple of scenarios here all refer to road bike tyres for now.

1) Bicycle tyres don't require tread because they cannot aquaplane, therefore slicks are better in that they will last longer.
2) Bicycle tyres with shallow tread compared to tyres with no tread will have exactly the same grip since surface area is irrelevant to traction. However, once the tread depth increases, the tyre starts to squirm and therefore "walk" (Understeer) when cornering and braking. This scenario is for large, deformable knobbly tread.
3) Surface area is directly proportional to wear, therefore slick tyres will last longer, yet offer the same grip.
4) Tread on most lightweight road tyres are just slicks in disguise because the "tread" is just a bogus hash pattern or some pointy arrow designs to pretend that they are treads.

These are the sort of spin variations I can put on the slick tyre question, but none of them equates to the mixed up scenario that Schwalbe proposes, hence my snort of derision.
 

Ajax Bay

Guru
Location
East Devon
"Off road, the rolling direction is far more important, as the tread ensures optimum
connection between the tire and the ground. The rear wheel transmits the driving
force and the front wheel transmits the braking and steering forces. Driving and
braking forces operate in different directions. That is why certain tires are fitted in
opposite rotating directions when used as front and rear tires."
How do they manage to tell riders which way round the tyre should go, if it's the opposite way round for front and rear tyres?
 
Location
Loch side.
"Off road, the rolling direction is far more important, as the tread ensures optimum
connection between the tire and the ground. The rear wheel transmits the driving
force and the front wheel transmits the braking and steering forces. Driving and
braking forces operate in different directions. That is why certain tires are fitted in
opposite rotating directions when used as front and rear tires."
How do they manage to tell riders which way round the tyre should go, if it's the opposite way round for front and rear tyres?

Believe it or not, but some tyres have two arrows, sometimes market rear and front, or traction and steering, or something like that.
 

Ajax Bay

Guru
Location
East Devon
Mavic do this, powerlink is their rear, griplink their front
Mavic Yksion Pro PowerLink and GripLink Clincher Tireset
But this is not quite the scenario. Mavic have chosen different compounds for the different demands (rear/front). But there'll only be one arrow or none indicating suggested direction. By the way I note that the Mavic video says (in a asphalt/tarmac road context) that the tyres' (mild?) tread "helps displaces water and further traction in wet conditions" . . . !
 
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