Fluke/Rider Error or Tire

[Epicus07]

Hey guys,

Went down on a wet corner this morning. Even asphalt, no debris like gravel or wet leaves. clear skies but ground was still damp from evening rain. This corner is part of my regular commute and i've hit it at speed hundreds of times (17 mph). I had my outside leg down and as i was rounding the corner, I dropped the bike and went down on my right side.

Running 35mm Clement X'plor MSO tires. I normally ride a full slick but had these on from gravel grinding the previous weekend. Tire is adequately inflated and did not pinch flat.

I assume that this was just a fluke and totally my fault but I'm curious what you guys think. The tires have a slick center and knobbie corners. If I was hiked over onto the knobbies, would this have contributed to the crash? I'm wondering if they have a little less contact due to the knobbies which may have contributed to the forces exceeding my grip.

I should be able to take that corner at that speed, I'm just bruised and grumping and trying to understand an unexpected accident.

Cheers

[David Kirk]

If the tire has the raised center rib you are one of the countless victims of this design. The design as common years ago (but less so no with good reason) and it put a lot of people on the floor.

As you roll off the center of the tire to the side there is an angle where there is VERY little rubber on the ground (just the thin edge of that center ridge) and the side knobs aren't on the floor yet....but suddenly you are!

Don't ask me how I know this.

dave

[Lewis Moon]

No center rib on the MSOs. My thoughts:

How smooth was the pavement? There's a reason why even rain tires look nothing like off road tires. Off road lugs mean less rubber on the road.

It could be anything. Oil, slick center stripe/paint, mud, organics....riding in the wet is always a crap shoot.

[jtakeda]

Possibly residual mud from the tire made slick from the damp roads?

More than likely slick road though

[DavidC]

This same thing happened to me a while back with Ritchey Speedmax tires. They're slick-ish in the center, then have cornering knobs on the edges. They're not horrible on fast cx courses, but on pavement on one fateful day I went down just like you described. On a paved surface those knobs just don't have anything to dig into. So therefore you have little traction.

The downside for me is now, years later, I am always overly cautious when cornering with cx tires on pavement.

[Mark McM]

The knobs don't just decrease the contact area. The knobs have much less (lateral) stiffness than smooth tread, so they can flex sideways when cornering, literally making the tire track diagonally. That diagonal tracking is essentially the same as the tire sliding laterally. And, as Dave says, this can easily put a rider on the ground.

[Epicus07]

Thanks for the input guys. Will go back to my Schwalbe Marathon Supremes and be more cautious on wet corners.

[msl819]

If the tire has the raised center rib you are one of the countless victims of this design. The design as common years ago (but less so no with good reason) and it put a lot of people on the floor.

As you roll off the center of the tire to the side there is an angle where there is VERY little rubber on the ground (just the thin edge of that center ridge) and the side knobs aren't on the floor yet....but suddenly you are!

Don't ask me how I know this.

dave

I am with Dave here. Same thing happened to me except it wasn't even wet. But I still hit the deck.

[cderalow]

i equate this to cleats on concrete or asphalt.

soccer/football/baseball/whatever cleats are great on grass, mud and soft dirt...

but ever watch a bunch of first time clear wearers hit concrete and fall on their asses while running?

[tiretrax]

I attribute it to greasy roads. Nearly all the road rash I have earned are a result of it.

[Epicus07]

This was on a lightly traveled MUP. I doubt there was any grease involved, also no painted lines or the usual instigators.

I'll choose to believe that it was the tires and not me :) easier on the ego. Will just have to "tread" lightly around that corner when its wet until I get my confidence back up.

p.s. ibuprofen and ice packs really are miracle workers.

[msl819]

Heal quickly.