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Nov 15, 2005 19:40:32 GMT
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how does it work?
my directional tread on my bike was the wrong way round and was the cause of understeer - why?
is it best to have bigger or smaller side walls of tyres?
Also, you pay more for a branded tyre, are you paying for the name or is the rubber actually better quality?
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Nov 15, 2005 22:12:06 GMT
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I'm not a tyre expert but the tread blocks on a directional are designed provide the most grip in the direction they are running, and are set up to push water/mud out in the direction they run. Smaller side wall can give better grip and less body roll. as there is less tyre squirm, but there is normally a point you go past when you start to sacrifice ride and handling e.g. Corsa running 18`s with 45 profile tyres that handle like wibblepoo.
Branded tyres have more money spent on the design and choice of rubber compound and also quality control of the tyre. Most people wouldnt know the difference between a cheap budget tyre and an expensive tyre. Cheap tyres can last as long as expensive tyres they can also provide as much grip as expensive tyres but if you want the best handling/ride/comfort/noise or out and out grip on a race car you are better paying more for them.
Thast if you are talking about cars, with bikes you need to choose the kind of tyre you want for the conditions you use it on. If you do all you miles on the road by a thin semi slick or road bias tyre 1.7-1.9" wide, they are faster (less friction) more rubber in contact with the road (knobblies only have the big blocks touching so slide easy particularly when leaning into corners and its actually much easier to pedal. If you do a few trails then a 1.9-2.1" semi slick or cross country tyre is what you want. If all your riding is offroad and on mud then get a 1.9-2.3" knobbly tyre. If you are a downhiller with a dislike for gravity then a 3" wide tyre would be your weapon of choice.
Cheap MTB tyres normally seem fairly hard and plasticky and grip is poor. A decent make tyre (Like IRC) with a steel bead is fine for normal use kevlar bead if you are a weight freak or want a tyre you can fold up to put in your bag
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thanks Phoenix. I was just wondering really, so if i put lower profile tyres on the rapid it is likely to handle better?
btw - did you get the avenger manual?
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lower profile tyres mean less 'roll' as you have less sidewall height to compress. they do however soak up less of the surface imperfections so if you also have hard suspension you may find yourself skipping and bouncing around bumpy corners with the appropriate loss of traction - good old understeer. it's one of the 'good things to a certain degree' - go from 65 to 60 or 55 series tyres and that'll improve matters, go too far say down to 45-series and you'll lose any advantage.
directional tyres as stated are designed to push water from the centre of the tyre to the outside edge, if you look directly at the front of your car (or bike) they should form a V so the groove in the centre of the tyre hits the road before the the outside. if you were to put them on backwards they'd helpfully suck as much water as possible into the centre of the tyre, meaning you aquaplane wherever possible. this is not a Good Thing[TM].
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Never trust a man Who names himself Trevor. Or one day you might find He's not a real drug dealer.
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Yet you have done an excellent explanation, credit to you. The bit about going to far i.e. 18inch on a Corsa is a very good point. The amount of loonies who have done this round where I live is unbelievable.
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