Originally Posted by
FBinNY
There is no single tire that is best for everything.
To start with, forget the notion your older tire would have prevented crashing on ice. It woulnnt have made any difference, and the only way To get traction on ice is with studded tires.
Slick tires preform as well as or better than anything on dry and wet pavement. Tires with more tread are better for sand and gravel, because as the tire starts to slip, short contact areas allow the sand or stones to escape, reestablishing traction faster.
In reality you need tread to the sides, but want a continuous center line for low drag on the pavement. So look for a tire which combines a smooth center with a decent tread pattern otherwise.
+1
For years I ran a smooth center, knobbed-shoulder tire, when I had just one bike. It's a good compromise, but doesn't corner well, as you transition from smooth to knobby in the turn.
Simply wet streets shouldn't be slippery, even fo a smooth tire. Rather than water, the problem is motor oil and/or dirt that mixes with the water on the street surface.