At 09:21 AM 9/3/06 -0700, Bob Freitas wrote:
>Light tires with
>light tubes seem to produce a good feel. What I do know is that in a
>fast down hill curve a good tire feels solidly connected while a not so
>good one feels "Greasy"
Somebody mentioned one brand of tires (Barum?) that used a hard compound in the centre for long wear and a softer one on either side for better cornering. From what I've heard and read, bicycle tire compounds have never been developed to the same degree as those used in motorsports. Race car tires will develop over 1G in side force and drag slicks develop multiple Gs for accelleration. A skilled motorcycle racer can pull a wheelie while cranked way over and sliding. Watching the last TdF on TV, I didn't see such heroic cornering, only riders tippitoeing around corners and doing endos over guardrails when they couldn't make it. My conclusion is that in cycling the "motor" is so much more important than the tires that cornering force is not a big enough factor. I'd really like to know more about this, at least with respect to the on-topic period.
John Betmanis
Woodstock, ON
Canada