Do tires get faster

[Lifelover]

I'm running some 28 mm Michelin Dynamics on my new bike. My initial impression was that they were "slow". However, I've put a few hundred miles on them and they are starting to feel "faster".

Is there a short "break in" period in which tires become faster?


I don't have computer on this bike so I fully acknowledge that I have ZERO empirical data to support any claim. It could very well just be getting used to them (and the bike for that matter).

[rpm]

Jan Heine's Bicycle Quarterly tests showed that somewhat worn tires are faster than brand new ones. He deliberately put on used tires for his Paris Brest Paris ride this past year. He had a couple of flats, but his calculations were that he saved time.

[Fixed]

maybe bro you got fitter and faster :beer:
cheers

[Tobias]

Shaved tires are often considered faster. Less tread requires less flexing, hence less resistance to roll. On the other hand, tires are a small part of the total, so maybe you are getting stronger.

[Steve in SLO]

As tires repetitively heat cycle, the rubber gets harder/less grippy. It also dries and hardens with time. This, along with less rubber between the casing and road as the rubber wears away would lead to less deformation/contact of the tire over irregularities in the road. The end result should be a tire that 'releases' the road more readily, thus making it faster.
Of course, I'm not a materials engineer, so the above may just be hooey.
Steve

[dookie]

do bike tires heat cycle in a significant manner? my SCCA time tells me that auto tires absolutely do (they harden, lose grip, and get slower), but the temp swings are so much greater...

just curious.

[Steve in SLO]

do bike tires heat cycle in a significant manner? my SCCA time tells me that auto tires absolutely do (they harden, lose grip, and get slower), but the temp swings are so much greater...

just curious.
Dookie,
Since all tires have an optimal operating temp, bike tires should be no exception, although the relatively small difference between cold and optimal temps may make the worry about heat cycling a minor consideration. I would think training tires would be less prone to performance degradation than race tires, much like our street auto/motorcycles are less prone than their track-specific counterparts. With that in mind, perhaps this is one reason for adding silica compounds into bicycle tires--elongating traction life thru heat cycles.

BTW: What do you race in SCCA? I'm an ex 911 and 914-6 GT guy, myself.

Steve