Smooth treadless tyre to maximise roller contact

mifletz · #1 09-06-2009, 08:45 AM

I have 26x2.00 knobbly mountain tyres.

Is it OK to change just the rear tyre to a totally smooth treadless 26x1.25 to maximise the contact of the roller on a Subaru Robin engine? Would there be a balance problem?

Or does the front tyre have to be changed as well?

What is the grip of a treadless tyre like on a normal lightly rain-wetted road?

restapukin · #2 09-06-2009, 09:19 AM

in theory, as i recall, given a 'good' tyre and an 'average' tyre, the 'good' tyre goes on the front...

my bike has a slightly 'better' tyre on the front currently, not much in it though.

Give it a try but use more caution when conditions leave the front tyre wanting vs rear tyre.

Other guys mileage may vary on this one, i don't know....

GearNut · #3 09-06-2009, 02:24 PM

Tread not only gives the tire "bite" to grip the surface of the road (think cornering), it also gives exit paths for water to escape out of the tire's contact patch to the road.
A slick tire will get virtually no traction in wet weather, especially when cornering.

roxrcool · #4 09-06-2009, 02:41 PM

get a set of these retrorunners by electra bikes. 26x2.125. They'll be a lot better than the knobby for a friction bike. the tires also have a contour kinda like motorcycles, so they handle awesome.

bandito · #5 09-06-2009, 03:23 PM

Try niagra cycle they have a semi slick with a few treads in the center so you can tell the wear, also their $9 a tire. Cheng shin is the name I think and they work great, 26x2.125.

xlite · #6 09-08-2009, 07:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bandito

Try niagra cycle they have a semi slick with a few treads in the center so you can tell the wear, also their $9 a tire. Cheng shin is the name I think and they work great, 26x2.125.

Actually their C1218 is even better for friction because it has a "mushroom" cross section for extra contact with the roller. They also last about twice as long as any of the other tires I tried due to the extra rubber. Cheaper than most too at $8.48.

**BarelyAWake** · #7 09-08-2009, 07:41 AM

Not really applicable here - but DO NOT buy 'Cheng shin' tires for a motorcycle, they're a horrid brand - the knobby ones for dirt bikes are particularly bad. I remember very clearly being pelted with torn-off knobbies in the midst of a turn o_O

I suppose for a bicycle they'd be fine, especially the street versions... but still, ya get what you pay for. Remember - your tires are the only thing making contact with the road, as some of us are going 30mph or so (about the same speed I ripped my dirtbike's tires apart) they're somewhat important lol

bandito · #8 09-08-2009, 08:58 AM

The original kenda tire I had on the bike Im guesstimating had 500 miles on it before I took it off with its 3rd flat on it, With the friction roller wearing against it still has some life in it. Im saving it as a spare for the front or rear with money being tight. When I decided to get some flat protection using the thorn proof tubes with a nomore flats tire liner and using the cheng shin semi slick its improved the friction drives performance as far as slippage due to increased contact with the tire. So far Im happy with the cheng shin tire but well see how long it lasts. But when driving the bike you can tell the difference in the weight from just using a reg tube and reg tire, its not as fast and the rear transfers the bumps more to the bike with the extra weight and stiffness. Xlite Ill check out those tires and see whats up. Another thing is the extra width on the semi slick helps too, going from a 26x1.95 to the 26x2.125.........I wouldnt use a slick tire with no grooves at all due to not being able to keep up with the wear on the tire, as said above safety is important.

bandito · #9 09-08-2009, 09:04 AM

Xlite lol, thats the tire I bought! 2 of them. I call it a semi slick even though the description doesnt.

xlite · #10 09-08-2009, 09:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bandito

Xlite lol, thats the tire I bought! 2 of them. I call it a semi slick even though the description doesnt.

Yeah, they refer to it as a "road tire". I've picked up several dozen over the years for myself and others. They works great even on non-friction because they last so long. 3-4x longer than the stock tires on my Magna Glacier Points.

Cheng Shin brand are also used in my aircraft because of exceptional MTBF and low wear.