Originally Posted by
ThermionicScott
A tire doesn't have to be wildly skidding to generate the abrasion we're talking about here. Simply working the bike up to speed from a stop, over and over again, causes wear that the front tire doesn't ever see. If you think weight distribution is the major factor, how would you explain tandems like Carbonfiberboy's (and many others) which wear out the rear tire much faster than the front despite equal loading? I can't believe we're even discussing this.
Oh wait, I can. This is the 41.
A factor that this argument is ignoring is the way the front and rear wheels interact with the road. I've never seen the front tire wear flat like the rear always does, because the constant steering distributes wear more.
I also agree with wphamilton that weight vs wear is unlikely to be a linear relationship. It is probably a lot more like wind resistance, and wear increases geometrically to weight.