Login required to started new threads
Login required to post replies
I see that there is a chance on rain at wildflower. I can haddle it (maybe) but as a southern calif triathlete i ahve only riden once in the rain and it was only for a couple of miles at the end of a ride. I ride a conti podium up front on a zip, The conti is a treadless design. Should i plan to put on a tire with some tread on it? Are slicks on a bike like slicks on a car...hydroplane? And if it is stormy, should I just ride withmy road wheels and leave the aero in the car?
see ya there....no rain!
Don't sweat your slick tires. On a bicycle a slick is preferable to tread patterns in wet conditions. The contact patch of a bike tire is not analogous to a wide, flat car tire which can trap puddles of water under between tire and road and reduce adhesion. A bike tire forces the water out of the contact patch and isn't wide enough to trap water in the contact patch. Slicks maximize tire contact patch area. However, by introducing tread on a bike tire, you have just reintroduced water between the tire and the road, giving you essentially the same problem as a slick car tire. The only reason you might consider road wheels at all is if you are a very unskilled bike handler and are worried about wrecking and trashing your expensive race wheels.