Originally Posted by
SuperDave
As an LCF/commuter, I don't always get to decide when I ride, and sometimes it rains. To date, I'm perfectly happy with the Kenda Kwests I use - they have sufficient grip for how I alter my riding style when it's raining - but I'm considering alternatives. The Kendas are pretty much slicks until I'm at a lean angle I wouldn't use in the wet. Given the vanishingly-small contact patch of a bicycle tire, does tread really matter in wet/dirty (I don't ride off-pavement at all) conditions? Is it more about the tire compound?
Well, I've used the Kwest and I can say that the compound makes a huge difference. Tread matters in mud, not on streets in rain.
Ditch the Kwest and get Schwalbe Marathon Supreme tires. I get three times the stopping traction in the rain on those.