Cujo2811

Im in the market for some new tires. got about 1500 on my stock tires and they are squred off and have a gash in the rear. they have some tread, but nothing substantial. I live in florida and the roads are wet alot of the times when i ride. Is there a huge differance on bike tires with tread vs slick? any input would be greatfully appreciated!

tagaproject6

Read:
https://www.sheldonbrown.com/brandt/slicks.html

Others have a different views. Choose your side

bikekid87

I always use slicks

kbro1986

slicks are no doubt faster. use slicks for racing. For training/recreational (non racing use), use treads. GP4000's kthx.

urbanknight

Hogwash. There are just as many pros on fish-bone and file treads as there are on slicks. If slicks were that undisputedly faster, nobody would be competing on Vittoria Corsas, Continental Sprinters, or a bunch of other tires seen in the pro and amateur pelotons.

merlinextraligh

I think the reason that people use tires like that is more maketing than science.

A tire with a bit of tread gives the impression it may have better grip, and the tiny amount of tread is not going to have a meaningful effect on rolling resistence. Thus tire with a bit of tread may be easier sells.

I don't think there is any evidence that the herringbone pattern you see on a Vittoria Corsa increases either rolling resistance or grip in any significant manner.

To the OP, the basic point here is that Car tires need tread for wet weather grip to dispurse water. However the reasons that you need tread on a car tire don't apply to bike tires, and typical bike operating speeds. So, don't worry about treadless bicycle tires in the rain.

getaklug

Agreed. At 23(20,25 whatever) cm wide, any water dispersion wont effect the traction enough to even matter.

Perhaps we should be asking if slicks wear more/ need to be replaced more often.

urbanknight

Merlin: Precisely my point. If one pattern was measureably better than another, the major brands would all have jumped on it together. Since they are varied, it's obvious that there is little to no performance difference, and the rest is just marketing hype... which obviously works.

urbanknight

It wouldn't surprise me if there was marketing for that as well, but wear comes down to the rubber compound and how thick it is.

esldude

Well the tread is of no use in rain or otherwise at bike speeds and bike tire pressures. They do serve one purpose though. Makes it easier to gauge how much rubber is left by how much tread is left.

adclark

The short answer would be to pick whatever tire you want that is within your price range and give it a try. Tread or no tread doesn't seem to matter.

ColinL

I have used slicks a lot on motorcycles & cars, and a little on bicycles (2 sets is all). I won't bother talking motor vehicles because I don't find it very relevant.

Bicycles on smooth pavement don't need tread. I 100% agree with the Sheldon Brown article.

Where they do need tread, however, is in the dirt. Despite reasonable efforts, I find myself on dirt paths or groomed gravel roads from anywhere between 50 yards and 2 miles per week on my road bike. 23-25mm road tires are not great in gravel no matter what, but slicks take it to another level of sketchy. Conversely, lightly treaded tires like my current Conti GP4Season do fairly well as long as you don't take corners too fast or do any serious climbs or descents.

A slick should have the least rolling resistance, but I've noticed that they often make more rolling noise than lightly-treaded road tires. (A lot less noise than a 32-35mm hybrid/cross tire though.)

Slick vs tread is irrelevant in the rain, that's for sure. Traction is ALL about tread compound and what you're riding over. Oil, painted stripes and other road debris can put you down even on tires that work well in the rain.

Slick vs tread also is irrelevant with respect to flats; that's all about the puncture belts (or lack thereof) and carcass thickness. There are very durable slicks and very fragile treaded tires, and vice versa.

mvnsnd

Simply; no there is not a huge difference as has been pointed out. Read some tire reviews and buy a tire you like.

ilovecycling

This is definitely an interesting discussion.

Rolling resistance should be a non issue either way because a lot of treaded tires only have a treaded pattern along the sides and not along the center, like the Conti GP4k for example. I agree that tread does nothing for slick/wet roads, but I do wonder if it helps for cornering on dry roads. Does a herringbone or other pattern help the tire "bite" into the road when cornering at speed? If roads were as smooth as glass then I'd say no, but since roads have grooves and cracks between each pebble it does make me wonder.

merlinextraligh

No tread pattern = more rubber on road = better grip (all else being equal)

Hence, dry weather race car tires are slicks.

ColinL

No, that tread is irrelevant on any road whether smooth as glass, bumpy or even cobblestones.

What the tread does is pretty big in the dirt though. Assuming the tires are inflated properly, they should be deflecting/deforming at the contact patch due to the rider's weight. This puts the sidewall tread fully in contact with the dirt/gravel road where it can do some good.

This is a much bigger deal for MTBs, but it has some effect on road tires too. Try a slick on a gravel road then try a GP4S. I've done it!

Terex

Yes, there is a huge difference. See: https://www.engadget.com/2007/11/27/b...d-wonders-why/

sci_femme

I live in Florida and I commute on my noble steed 2008 Tricross Comp dressed in Conti 4 seasons, 700x28. Nice ride, good puncture protection and astounding wet grip.

Good Luck

SF

crazy canuck's

slick for me ....

shokhead

Those are slicks. Those little slits are just for looks and do zero. It's about tire compound.

tagaproject6

I would rock Hello Kitty tread patterns

bonz50

Icagara whether there are slicks or treads on mine, i just don't GAF... I get what I can afford at that time... even if its mismatched front and rear, its just tires and I have no aspirations of racing, just having fun and exercising...

rowz1

Well believe it or not slicks actually give you more road contact, and have less riding resistance. So it's slicks for me!

urbanknight

What the hell is riding resistance? Assuming you mean rolling resistance, somebody should tell the engineers at Vittoria that their pros are losing races because of their designs.