Joined: Jan 2014
Posts: 177
Likes: 1
From: US
Bikes: 50's-60's Ross Deluxe, 68 Schwinn, 83 Peugeot P8, 84 Jamis Durango, 85 Peugeot PH501, 86 Raleigh Grand Prix, 91 Maruishi RX-7, 92 Marin Bear Valley, 92 Trek 950
Riding further away from car doors is not always an option, and we don't really know his daily riding environment/scenarios, so we are making an assumption that he has this option on a normal basis.
Bicycle tires for road use have a round profile with an apex at the top/bottom (whichever your perspective is at the moment), which means there is only a tiny patch of material actually making contact with the pavement. Combining this with high inflation pressure and force makes it extremely difficult to impossible for the tires to hydroplane. However if you are leaning on the sidewall this can change, either from the sidewall providing a larger patch of material that makes hydroplaning possible, or from the center of balance being shifted in such a manner that the tires can't keep solid contact with the ground because too much of the weight is shifting to the top of the bike making it too top-heavy while the bike is leaning.
Regarding road use, tread really only has the ability to make an impact when turning which would limit it's functionality to the sidewalls. Even then I'm sure that it's usually cosmetic.
The tread compound is your best friend when looking solely at the tires. A softer compound will definitely help you out with grip, but it will wear faster than a harder compound.
With that said, aging rubber can sometimes get too hard and essentially form a non-flexible glaze which resembles hard plastic that wouldn't allow any traction whatsoever. It's the same thing that can happen with your car's belt(s), but I haven't seen any bicycle tire compounds do this yet.
I really like the Continental GP's myself, and I can't say anything bad about them.
However I think that the most important thing here is not necessarily the tires, but taking better safety precautions while riding in the rain. Especially riding slower to allow yourself the opportunity for better situational awareness and reaction time. Combining safer riding practices with a softer high-quality road tire will certainly help keep you on your bike and out of the hospital.