Originally Posted by
LesterOfPuppets
Siping or tread will have no appreciable effect on grip for a typical road bike tire on a typical road surface whether wet or dry.
+1. The tread on a tire is there to help disperse water and prevent hydroplaning... something I have yet to experience on a bike, even on fast downhill runs. Granted, mud or sand is a different matter but for mostly street riding, I'm fine with bald tires.
As for the side argument of what repair/maintenance skills an individual is expected to have... that is a completely personal matter. If someone uses a bike as a primary means of transportation yet doesn't even possess even the simplest skills to fix a flat, then who cares? That person is the one who has to walk the bike somewhere and pay to get it fixed. However if they choose to complain about having to do so and expects sympathy for their own self-imposed handicap... then dream on.