Tyre direction

[Greenbank]

I cant see how aquaplaning is totally impossible on a bicycle. Ok very difficult to achieve, but cant be impossible. At the very least there would be some loss of traction?

It isn't impossible, you just have to go very fast (for a 100psi tyre you need to do 104mph).

Temporary loss of traction is not aquaplaning. If you've ever driver a car and aquaplaned you'll know what I mean (we used to do it on purpose in the college car park as it always flooded when it rained heavily), when it happens you can spin the steering wheel almost effortlessly (with no power steering) from lock to lock with absolutely no effect on direction.

Having a bicycle front or rear wheel step out slightly when cornering on a bike is not aquaplaning, it's just a temporary loss of traction. If it were a permanent loss then you'd lose the wheel completely, but this still isn't aquaplaning.

 

[Bodhbh]

but aquaplaning is where you are off the road, in effect water skiing. it's not impossible, but you'd need to be going fast. faster than anyone's ever travelled on a bicycle

But this is with narrow road tyres? I wonder how fast it would be with fat, slick balloon tyres like 2" Schawlbe Kojaks (perhaps still very fast, I dunno).

 

[02GF74]

not come across direction arrows on road tyres but common on mtb.

with mtb, I fit the front in reverse as my theory,m wrong it may be, is that I want the grip to be reversed so they are better for braking.

I may have flipped front tyre direction around and cannot say I have notiuced any difference.

Probably just a marketing ploy to increase the price making buyer think they are getting something special.

 

[joebe]

with mtb, I fit the front in reverse as my theory,m wrong it may be, is that I want the grip to be reversed so they are better for braking.

Eh?

 

[grhm]

Not sure I enturely understand but Sheldon agrees with 02GF74.

"Ideally, you would like the front tire to offer maximum traction in the braking direction, while the rear tire would normally be oriented to produce maximum traction for drive forces. Thus, if a particular tread pattern is perceived to have better traction in one direction than the other, it should be facing one way if used on the front wheel, and the opposite way if used on the rear wheel."
from http://www.sheldonbrown.com/tires.html#direction

 

[Mr Pig]

Tires with "V" patterns are installed so that the point of the "V" hits the road first. This is to help "squirt" the water out as a protection against hydroplaning . Since hydroplaning is impossible on a bicycle, there's no need to observe this custom.

I'm afraid it's not that simple. Earth movers, dumper trucks and tractors also have 'V' pattern tyres which are always orientated as described above, despite there being little chance of them aquaplaining!

Don't be lazy, put the things on the right way round ;0)

 

[Olly]

aaawwwwww!
i dont want to!!!!! (pulls sulky face and kicks said tyre)

 

[joebe]

My head hurts now

 

[swee'pea99]

Don't fret chaps, it's easy. Just ignore Mr Pig and all will be well.

 

[Mr Pig]

Well you know what'll happen. If you leave it the tyre will bug you every time you take the bike out ;0)

 

[Olly]

Maybe if I put big ugly mudguards back on I won't notice

 

[andrew-the-tortoise]

I always fit tyres as the manufacturers markings indicate on the tyre walls.

<---- front rear----->

Where the arrow indicates the direction of travel [e.g. some standard marathons I fitted were like this, also some mitchelin hard-terrains and previous knobbly's]


The last set I fitted [marathon+] just had one arrow so front and rear were fitted the same way round.

It's nice to do things correctly - but can't see it making that much difference on a slow-ish commuting cycle.

 

[Gerry Attrick]

Change the tyre round, and if you can tell the difference, Mr Pig will buy you a new pair of tyres. Can't say fairer than that

 

[swee'pea99]

I think Mr Pig should buy you some new tyres anyway, for upsetting you like...

 

[Smoothhound]

Much as I hate to disagree with Sheldon but last year I was having regular handling problems on my commute - with the back wheel slipping out a lot on corners - I actually came off once, it took me about a week to put 2 and 2 together and realise I had put the rear tyre the "wrong" way round after a puncture repair - turning it back round again solved the issue completely.

However, the tyre in question was in fact treaded but not too deeply (reasonably new specialized armadillos 25mm)