Originally Posted by
KerryIrons
Do you have any actual data to support your claims? I've taken measurements of wear and rubber loss on dozens of tires. And besides, we're talking about what affects wear "all else equal." If you ride on rough roads, you'll get more mileage if you have a larger contact patch and if you put out less power. Simple as that.
You want actual data to support the assertion that bad roads are bad and good roads are good?
Here is a link that comes close, but discussing car tires:
https://neotires.com/best-tires-for-...rability-guide
The author there asserts that driving on gravel roads cuts tire life by 50% compared to driving on good roads, and that this has been known since 1926.
If you accept that as actual data, then the question becomes how does this translate to bikes? I don't know the answer, but I think that a 50% tire wear penalty for bad vs. good roads is a good ballpark approximation.
I don't disagree with your other points. I'm just saying that the surface you ride on can affect tire wear more than some other factors.