Originally Posted by
wens
I recall reading someplace that the only reason continental tires have a "correct" direction is because people kept calling customer service and asking when they didn't indicate it, so they just put it on there so those people are happy and they spend less time answering phones. I can't for the life of me remember where I saw that though.
Ive heard this too (and believe it). Even the tread is just for show anyway, to make people think they work better in the rain, but it has nothing to do with that. Tread on a car tire channels water away so it doesn't hydroplane (ride on top of the water). On a bike tire, the contact patch is too small and curved that its impossible to hydroplane, so those tiny designs are purely cosmetic.
*Edit* to add, even car tires don't have direction except for channeling water. I used to race cars and we would often mount tires BACKWARDS if it was going to be a dry day, because certain tires were actually faster that way. And race slicks generally had no direction, people would often remount them to even the wear.