Originally Posted by
SurlyLaika
what size were your tires? Mine are 700x32. That probably makes a difference. I never go that fast, but that's the feeling I get when make turns at intersections. It feels like it might lose traction, so I try to ease into it and not turn jerkily. But you say that effect is exaggerated at higher speeds, huh?...
by the way, a 46 mile round trip commute is really respectable. I do 18 miles one way in about an hour and a half, but the way back stretches out to two hours. I guess I'm tired after.
The tires I was using were 700x35. I admit that they were pretty aggressive. They were more of a sloppy conditions race tire than a high speed mixed surface tire, but I learned from the experiment. The issue of tread flex from center to side tread is not limited to the CX and MTB tires. I tried a pair of Conti City Rides in 700x32 and experienced the same thing. That was a great rolling tire in a straight line, but aggressive cornering is downright dangerous on that tire. I now roll on 700x32 Conti Top Contacts on my commuter and am VERY happy with them. They'll handle a gravel road just fine.
46 miles ended up being my happy place for commuting in 2009 and 2010. 75-85 minutes to the office and 95-125 minutes home (I don't mess around and I have a locker and shower). I found a route with some gravel that the CX tires would have been great on, but it bumped my commute up to 53 miles and close to three hours to get home..... that just seemed excessive. These days, I mostly work from home, so my commute is either 60-90 minutes on the trainer or 35-50 miles on the road bike in the morning. It's nice not to have to carry lunch and work clothes! I still occasionally ride to the office, but I rarely have reason to be there.