View Full Version : The enduring mystery . . . of tread direction!
BumbleBeeDave
02-02-2008, 07:45 PM
The Vittoria Open Corsa Evo CX tires I love have a chevron shaped tread on them. So do most of the other tires I've seen. I would think that the tire should be mounted so that as the tire rotates, the point of the chevron should be facing forward at the point where the tire contacts the pavement so that the tread pattern directs water away from the contact patch and to the outside of the tire. This would mean that when you look at the top of the wheel, the point of the chevron on the tire would be facing toward the rear of the bike.
But NO! Seems every bike I see, whether on a showroom floor or on the road, has the tires mounted so that the tread faces the other direction. This would mean the tread as it contacts the pavement is oriented so that the open end of the chevron is toward the front, and in the rain it would direct the water right into the contact patch with the pavement. It seems to me this would not be a good idea as it would increase the chances of hydroplaning.
Which list should I add this to . . . the list of enduring mysteries of the world, along with the Loch Ness Monster, Bigfoot, and where you lap really goes when you stand up? Or should I add it to the already VERY long list of things BBD doesn't know Jack-S**t about? :confused:
BBD
WadePatton
02-02-2008, 08:17 PM
Find a farm. Find a tractor on the farm. Lookit drive tires.
chebron point northmo.
And it's done likewise on high-preformance, directional automotive tyres. Monkey see, monkey do?! Or does forward motion complicate your analysis? :confused:
e-RICHIE
02-02-2008, 08:21 PM
points go forwardmo atmo.
BumbleBeeDave
02-02-2008, 08:27 PM
points go forwardmo atmo.
. . . or on the bottom?
BBD
Grant McLean
02-02-2008, 08:28 PM
It seems to me this would not be a good idea as it would increase the chances of hydroplaning.
hydroplaning won't happen.
Contact patch is too small, speed is too low,
water can't force the tire off the ground on a bicycle.
-g
Steve Hampsten
02-02-2008, 08:49 PM
the voices in my head tell me it makes no difference
the label goes on the drive side
e-RICHIE
02-02-2008, 09:03 PM
the label goes on the drive side
unless it's a challenge grifo atmo.
Steve Hampsten
02-02-2008, 09:10 PM
or a michelin mud/jet rear
so let's say "the label goes on the drive side, except when it don't"
bringing the lovely deb to p'land?
bronk
02-02-2008, 09:11 PM
...from Sheldon Brown fwiw...
Tread Directionality
Some tires have an asymmetrical tread, for instance "V" shaped tread blocks that could be oriented with the point of the "V" facing forward > or backward <. The question then arises, which way should they face?
Road Applications
With tires for road use, it really doesn't matter, since tire tread patterns serve no function on hard surfaces. Tires with "V" patterns are common for motorcycles, and are generally installed so that the point of the "V" hits the road first. This is to help "squirt" the water out ahead of and to the side of the tire contact patch, as a protection against hydroplaning . Since hydroplaning is impossible on a bicycle, there's no need to observe this custom.
e-RICHIE
02-02-2008, 09:13 PM
bringing the lovely deb to p'land?
yesmo she is my forever arm candy atmo.
3chordwonder
02-02-2008, 09:34 PM
the voices in my head tell me it makes no difference
the label goes on the drive side
Don't mean to complicate things even more but... the Vittoria CX tyres on my bike have the labels applied to opposing sides... is that unusual? QC slip?
Ended up installed them with labels on different side, figured that would look less weird than opposing tread directions for front and back wheel.
Chose the 'bikeshop direction' because it looked more 'right', reasoning that the contact patch is so small that it wouldn't matter anyway. Which then made me think that maybe my next road tyre should be a slick, why bother with tread on a 23mm tyre at all?
pdxmech13
02-03-2008, 12:35 PM
Not only on drive side but the valve stem slightly off-center.
Joellogicman
02-03-2008, 12:53 PM
Road Applications
With tires for road use, it really doesn't matter, since tire tread patterns serve no function on hard surfaces. Tires with "V" patterns are common for motorcycles, and are generally installed so that the point of the "V" hits the road first. This is to help "squirt" the water out ahead of and to the side of the tire contact patch, as a protection against hydroplaning . Since hydroplaning is impossible on a bicycle, there's no need to observe this custom.
Bingo.
If you ride primarily on the road, put your tread concerns to rest by getting a nice treadless tire like the Schwalbe Ultremo or Kojak if you are not a racer. Good treadless tires ride incredibly smooth and fast.
Ken Robb
02-03-2008, 01:12 PM
Bingo.
If you ride primarily on the road, put your tread concerns to rest by getting a nice treadless tire like the Schwalbe Ultremo or Kojak if you are not a racer. Good treadless tires ride incredibly smooth and fast.
well when I'm doing the pedalling they may be smooth but never fast. :beer:
A.L.Breguet
02-03-2008, 01:35 PM
The tread pattern on road tires is irrelevant, atmo.
BumbleBeeDave
02-03-2008, 01:58 PM
. . . do they put it on there?
BBD
WadePatton
02-03-2008, 02:04 PM
marketingmo
A.L.Breguet
02-03-2008, 02:04 PM
marketingmo
You beat me to it.
A.L.Breguet
02-03-2008, 02:06 PM
Oh yeah, also to get you to buy a new tire when the tread is worn off the "old" one.
markie
02-03-2008, 02:13 PM
by having a tread it make make the overall depth of the tyre greater, which may help in puncture resistance.
Grant McLean
02-03-2008, 02:19 PM
then why. . . do they put it on there?
BBD
Don't forget, not all tires have a tread pattern.
There are lots of slick tire designs.
Grip is a combination of compound and contact patch.
-g
bronk
02-03-2008, 03:05 PM
...back to prof sheldon...
Tread for on-road use
Bicycle tires for on-road use have no need of any sort of tread features; in fact, the best road tires are perfectly smooth, with no tread at all!
Unfortunately, most people assume that a smooth tire will be slippery, so this type of tire is difficult to sell to unsophisticated cyclists. Most tire makers cater to this by putting a very fine pattern on their tires, mainly for cosmetic and marketing reasons. If you examine a section of asphalt or concrete, you'll see that the texture of the road itself is much "knobbier" than the tread features of a good quality road tire. Since the tire is flexible, even a slick tire deforms as it comes into contact with the pavement, acquiring the shape of the pavement texture, only while incontact with the road.
People ask, "But don't slick tires get slippery on wet roads, or worse yet, wet metal features such as expansion joints, paint stripes, or railroad tracks?" The answer is, yes, they do. So do tires with tread. All tires are slippery in these conditions. Tread features make no improvement in this.
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