Originally Posted by
rekmeyata
Great answer, but what about the skid mark width differences I noticed when I locked up the rear wheels on two bikes with different size tires? I definitely see a contact patch size difference between a 23 and a 32 from viewing the skid marks.
The contact patch on a wide tire, inflated to an equivalent pressure to a skinny tire is wider but thinner front-to-back. Take that wide-but-thin contact patch and smudge it forward in a skid, and it'll be bigger than the one left by the 23. (If you've ever played with calligraphy markers -- making thick and thin lines with the same point -- it's another way to visualize what's happening.)
