ktselios

I commute everyday with a Trek 7.5FX 2010 which has Bontrager Race Lite HARDCASE tyres 700x32.
These tyres are slick and when the road is wet due to rain I slip. I feel very uncomfortable and unsafe.

I am thinking of changing these tyres with Continental Grand Prix 4 season 700x28.

My LBS told me that there is no rain tyre
He told me that even if I change, I will still slip!

Could you please help me before buying them, since the tyres are a bit expensive.
I would like to hear from your experiences...

Thanks

tjspiel

Believe it or not the slick tire will be better in the rain than one with some tread. More rubber on the road. Hydroplaning is not something you have to worry about on a bike.

Best thing to do is just slow down when it's wet.

Now, if you're talking about sand, snow, or mud, then some tread will help.

MijnWraak

Maybe try decreasing the PSI a little when its really wet?

LeeG

if the bontrager has harder rubber than another tire it'll slip more, if you're looking for no slipping you're asking for too much.

ktselios

Then why all tyre companies have "All weather" tyres??
Are you guys saying that it is a marketing trick?

My folding bike comes with tread tyres and had never slipped.

You made more complicated the things with your answers.
I thought that I should change my tyres.
Now you confused me....

Grim

hard tires for smooth, fast and dry surfaces,
soft tires for wet.
My Continental Gators (pretty well a slick) feel better in the wet then my Specialized Cross roads and Hemisphere on my commutersized Mountain.
The Top Tours (tread) on my touring bike also feel better then the Specialized as well. Infact I only reall like those tires off road and snow.

gecho

I've learned (sometimes the hard way) that their are certain surfaces you need to be careful on or avoid when its wet. Wood and metal are very slippery so you should take extreme caution when corning or braking. Smooth concrete is probably bad too, but we don't have any of that here.

I don't find I slip at all on wet clean asphalt. Of course if its muddy or sandy that will be a problem.

ktselios

Ok, maybe I wasn't clear. I was talking about mud rather than clear wet road!
So, I understood that a slick tyre is not appropriate for this situation.

I usually slow down when it rains, but I still feel unsafe on these tyres.

Anyway, thanks for your opinion....

jdmitch

for pavement, yes.

However, as you mentioned, if you're more worried about mud... that's different.

Generally speaking wider and softer (lower PSI) is better for wet or muddy...

In dirt tread is good... in mud... depends on how deep the mud is, if your tread doesn't get through the mud then tread doesn't matter... it'll fill up and slip just like a "slick"...

However, wider and softer is, again preferable... Surly Larrys'd be good... but those are HUGE!

exile

Most tires will excel in one area or another. It ranges from puncture resistance to smooth rolling. Slicks are fine for pavement use. When you encounter mud, sand, snow, and ice, some sort of tread will be useful. In the rain it is always better to be careful.

coldfeet

Try Marathon Supremes, they're available in 700x32. They do have a distinctive tread, mostly marketing, but helps if you stray onto the side trails. The big thing is the rubber is pretty sticky, they feel noticeably better in the wet. They also seem fairly puncture resistant. One thing they are not, is cheap.

itsthewoo

As mentioned, on asphalt, tread will not help you prevent slippage, but softer rubber will give you better grip whether it is wet or dry.

In mud, if the tread is too shallow, you may as well be riding slicks.

If it's soft, shallow mud on asphalt, you'll be better off with a skinnier slick or lightly treaded tire, as the tire will have an easier time cutting through the mud and gripping the asphalt.

If it's shallow mud on dirt, you'll want aggressive treads.

If it's deep and/or very thick mud, you'll either want a really wide tire, or to find a new route.

tsl

The stock tires on my primary commuter were also Race Lite Hardcase. I too found them very slippery in the wet, although not as slippery as certain models of Specialized Armadillos.

Based on their reputation as a wet weather tire, I switched to Conti 4-Seasons this past spring. I found all the hype to be true. They are incredibly grippy in the wet. Very confidence inspiring. Naturally they don't cure the problem of surfaces that are inherently slippery. Oil in the road, paint or plastic stripes and pavement markings, and metal surfaces all remain hazards.

The widest size for the 4-Seasons is 28mm. They don't come in 32.

LeeG

oh, that is an important detail. Nope,tire type won't make much difference when it comes to slick mud on pavement. Best thing you can do is relax and enjoy the slide.

let us know what you discover with new tires. My favorite all purpose tire back when I rode a lot was a slick Continental that was great in all conditions. For light touring there was a 700c x28 Conti that I don't see anymore, it had a center ridge with deeper hash marks on the side of the tread. That was a good tire for touring, dirt and road for lighter people, as well as mud. But slick mud is pretty unforgiving and weird. The transition from traction to slip happens slowly. I was riding in a double paceline once near the crown of the shoulder where a bit of mud slip covered the shoulder. Since we couldn't move abruptly I found myself on 1/8" of mud slip and started sliding sideways to the right. Everyone else figured I was a goner as we went past the mud and I drifted to the right not touching the brakes, once I was out of the goop I got back on but it was all very odd. Relax and go with it.

ktselios

In which cases is the conti better from bontrager?
In cornering?
In straight line?
Are they faster in wet road?

LeeG

sticker tires are better cornering, harder tires last longer and are more slippery when wet. You only go faster if you put out more power. If you're putting out a lot of power on wet roads a harder tire will lose grip more easily for example going up a hill or sprinting. Either way things are slippery when wet.

Drew Eckhardt 

Or have lower losses due to drag which is mostly aerodynamic but has a non-negligible rolling resistance component. It takes up to 20W less effort to spin a faster tire 30 kph.

OTOH, you might prefer a more puncture resistant tire to an extra 1 MPH.

https://ddata.over-blog.com/xxxyyy/0/...her-specs.html

Monster Pete

If your tyres are at anywhere near high enough pressure, they will never aquaplane as the contact patch is too small and the speed too low. This contrasts with the wide, flat, low pressure car tyres, which must have grooves to direct water away. With any bicycle road tyre, the road itself has more 'tread' than the tyre anyway. You will slip regardless on a wet road, since a wet road provides less traction than a dry one. If you ride on anything other than hard surfaces, a treaded tyre will help. Semi-slick tyres with a smooth central section and treaded edges, pumped up hard, may be appropriate. On a hard road you'll be riding on the smooth strip, but on a softer surface the tread will start to dig in and help with grip.

mustang1

All of that. Also see sheldonbrown.com for more info.

Someone mentioned reducing the psi. I dont think that's the right thing to do if I recall reading correctly. Again, check sheldon.

mustang1

ps: crap, is there some bug in the software that I cant do multiple replies today? Or is it just firefox getting funky due to not restarting it for some time? In any case, sorry about that.

All seasons tires: I guess they cater for the worst conditions. I've never tried them so I'm merely guessing, but I suppose they're not as good as soft compound tires in summer, and aren't as good as winter tires in, well, winter. A good compromise? I dunno, I never tried them. Good point though.

mustang1

What you say makes sense, only that I would also use soft tires for smooth dry surfaces due to extra grip. In the wet, I'd use a harder compound tires and put up with less grip so I can get better flat resistance (and go a low slower in bends). I also use gatorskins (23mm) and compared to krylions I had before, the grips sucks but I put up with them due to better resistance against punctures.

mustang1

Ah right, mud. In that case, wider tires with some grip are better. Wider tires have lower psi but it's not the lower psi that helps in this situation; lower psi is just a property of larger tires. My CX bike with 32mm treaded-but-still-designed-for-road tires (Burroughs) would be good in these situations but I'd still slow right down.

tsl

Yes to all.