I worked for Avocet. I remember the ads and remember the extensive testing that was conducted on their tires. I don't remember any test they failed when it came to grip (angle/speed/pressure). Whether it was conducted by them or a 3rd party testing facility.
On Mon, Mar 31, 2008 at 7:56 PM, ternst <ternst1@cox.net> wrote:
> How many of you remember the Avocet tires of varying widths that were
> smooth?
> Remember all the ads they had and proof of how no tread was actually safer
> when wet because the smooth tire squeezed the wet out/away when riding and
> cornering, making them less prone to slide/skid?
> Just a little trip back down the wet brick road.
> Ted Ernst
> Palos Verdes Estates
> Califonia, USA
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Harvey Sachs" <hmsachs@verizon.net>
> To: "Classic Rendezvous" <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>
> Sent: Monday, March 31, 2008 7:08 PM
> Subject: [CR]tire tread patterns...
>
>
> > The conversation has veered from tread directionality, and is beginning
> to
> > lose contact with Vintage bikes...
> >
> > May I offer a closing observation or two?
> >
> > First, I don't remember seeing (many, if any) treadless tires Back Then.
> I
> > wasn't in the Biz, and not often in the hotbeds of activity, but to me a
> > vintage bike looks more normal with some tread. But, that's aesthetics,
> > not performance.
> >
> > Second, on the road (leaving out dirt, etc) there is a common sense
> > argument about smooth v. tread, on bike v. car, that I haven't seen
> here:
> > If you get down to the road level and look hard at the "texture" or
> > average protrusion size on the tread and the road surface, whether
> > concrete or asphalt, I think you'll agree that by far the bigger
> > protrusions, holes, and channels are in the road itself, much larger
> than
> > those on a bike tire. Bike tire typically has pattern with scale of 1
> mm;
> > car tire and road surface much larger. So, bike tire surface doesn't
> seem
> > to have much dynamic opportunity to shed water except to the sides.
> Ergo,
> > it doesn't seem that tread would matter on road surfaces.
> >
> > But, wait! The most recent wipe-out I had was with a slick tire on wet
> > leaves. I'm not sure that the same arguments apply in this situation.
> >
> > We return you now to our regularly scheduled programming; that slick
> tire
> > has moved from wheel to shelf, unlikely to see service again.
> >
> > harvey sachs
> > mcLean va usa
> > _______________________________________________
>
> _______________________________________________
>
--
Mike Scammon
Menlo Park, Ca.