Originally Posted by
terrymorse
The effect of the tread pattern on a road tire is not to redirect water from under the tire.
The pattern is there to "hook up" with the irregularities in the road surface.
What is your point, you've backed me up into a hole for something I never meant to be thought of at this deep a level. GP 5000's are directional. I thought I remembered reading that Continental claimed that the pattern would channel water more effectively when mounted for the direction of the arrows. Whether that's all they do I've no idea. And frankly I really don't care. This wasn't the thread to get deep into discussion about such.
The OP just wanted someone to suggest a tire for them. Later we learned they didn't like the rocks being thrown up on them from the tire. It was my suggestion that they get a GP 5000 with no tread pattern, which to me is a slick as is your Vittoria Corsa Speed. Sure it has grooves. But I hardly call that enough to consider it anything but a slick.
Instead of trying to pick an argument with others for things they didn't even get into, you really should answer the OP's question. Never in my mind did I imagine the word slick would provoke someone to think that I was claiming tread patterns are bad in and of themselves. My only reason for the use of the term slick was for the shock value to the OP since they seem to be riding pavement, but their current tire and the first two replacement choices are little more on the aggressive side of tread pattern than I feel suitable for pavement.
Nor am I going to assume that the OP rides bad conditions on their roads until they believe it necessary to inform us of that.