Originally Posted by
Young Version
Please, provide your own scientific results proving that slick tires are better on asphalt in all conditions.
There are an almost uncountable number of motorcycle and car racing series that use slick tires exclusively. The only series that use DOT approved tires with tread patterns do so to keep costs and speeds down. Usually entry level series.
Formula One is the pinnacle of auto racing. As technology advanced year after year, speeds and lap times grew increasingly faster. Due to safety concerns a deliberate effort to slow the cars down
in the corners was made beginning in 1998 (IIRC). In order to slow them down the sanctioning body outlawed the use of slick tires and a grooved tire was introduced.
As I've stated before, the majority of tires in the pro peloton have a patterned tread.
This is simply fashion. No different that the width of your lapels and ties changing from decade to decade. Tire companies need to market their product. They do this with white walls, gum walls, red stripes, blue stripes. They also introduce "New and Improved for 2016" tread patterns. New and sexy tread patterns help sell tires. If a lab and can measure grip, (and I believe they can) we would already have arrived at the best single tread pattern many many years ago. And there would be ONLY one, because, you know, it's the best, scientifically. Tire manufacturers are not all going to use the exact same tread pattern for obvious reasons. Similarly, they won't all sell only slick tires because it does not differentiate them from their competitors.
Wheel Energy states that not all asphalt is equal or consistent. This is very true. In an effort to design a tire that will perform better on one asphalt vs another asphalt, things that will increase performance would be tire SIZE, carcass construction and flexibility, profile, and compound.
On a hard surface, reducing the size of the tire's contact patch can ONLY lead to reduced grip. That can be achieved by running a smaller tire or by introducing vacant areas (tread patterns).
I'm saying that the issue is nowhere near as black-and-white as you claim.
Sure it is. The entire racing world agrees 100%. And has for 60+ years. There is no discussion. No gray area.
Bicycles spend so little time at max lean and high speeds that tread is an accepted feature.
Originally Posted by
Young Version
Why are you more willing to believe that a textured tread doesn't improve group?
Texture equals less surface area. Less surface area means less material for the asphalt to bite. Equals less grip.