Tyres. Any tyres. We all know they give less grip in the wet, yes? So that must mean there’s less friction…?

Sooooo, if a tyre will last 20,000 miles in the dry under “lab conditions” will it last longer if it, and the road, are kept constantly wet?

Water = Lubrication = Less friction = Less wear?

(Yes, I am bored)

You mean you’re bored with fixing that Scoot of yours you mean..

I’d agree that “Less Friction = Less Wear”

BUT… if it loses friction completely and skids then that could create a lot of wear in a short time.

Tyres on my old golf wore out faster in summer than winter.

Where does all the worn rubber go eh? Are our roads getting taller?

Dunno, its a tricky one. One of thhe main things that wears out tyres is wheelspin or slip, and this is more likley in the wet than in the dry. However if you manage to spin your wheels in the dry you will no doubt be causing more wear than doing the same in the dry.

You mean you’re bored with fixing that Scoot of yours you mean..

This is what I think about as I’m taking it to bits for the 57th time, and as I’m driving to work in the pi$$ing rain day after day! 8)

Where does all the worn rubber go eh? Are our roads getting taller?

Ohhh DON’T!!! I know, I know…. Tyres wear, roads wear…. Where does it all go…!?!?!?!?

Where does all the worn rubber go eh? Are our roads getting taller?

Tremendous. Award yourself five Cougar Points.

i would say yes, they will last longer in the wet, IF you avoid wheelspin/skidding etc.
think about F1 cars, wet tyres last, say, 22 laps in the wet, but 2 or 3 if the track dries out.
so, on that basis, your argument stands up.

F1 tyres aren’t a good comparison – wet tyres wear too fast in the dry because the movement of the blocks causes heating and they then wear excessively because they’re too hot.

The answer to the OP is that it depends. If you assume that the tyres don’t skid more because it’s wet then yes, they’ll last longer.

i would say yes, they will last longer in the wet, IF you avoid wheelspin/skidding etc.
think about F1 cars, wet tyres last, say, 22 laps in the wet, but 2 or 3 if the track dries out.
so, on that basis, your argument stands up.

Eh, in F1 (and other racing) wets run at a lower temperature – and consequential run higher temps than specced in the dry, therefore ‘fail’.

I think Harry’s on to something. I mean, there’s definitely been a lot more snow on the roads compared to 6 months ago. That would suggest a significant increase in altitude.

…yeah. And all of this “tall rubber” would explain why I bounced when I fell off my bike last weekend.

The fact they slip in the wet is because water reduces the contact between Tyre and road-therefore they must wear slower in wet conditions…

I’ve always wondered if ‘low rolling resistance’Tyre offer less grip?

DrP

Harry it’s gone to a better place, it’ll be happy there. Mr Twinkles and Joey the Goldfish will be there waiting for it.

There is a rubber heaven?

All the rubber runs into the sea, where it is eventually eaten by squid.

That figures. They taste rubbery.

I’ve always wondered if ‘low rolling resistance’Tyre offer less grip?

Of course they do, but whether that makes a difference in the real world is debateable… how often do you drive on the limit?

I’ve always wondered if ‘low rolling resistance’Tyre offer less grip?

Well not really. If you simply selected a harder compound then yes there would be less grip. However low RR tyres include scilica which gives amongst other things different properties at different frequencies. So you get similar amounts of grip but less energy loss due to vibration. It works too, you get about 3-5% better fuel economy. However for me by far the greatest money saving factor and probably environmental factor too is the fact that they last twice as long.

They use scilica in bike tyres too. That’s the expensive ‘more grip and better wearing’ compounds.

If the tyres didnt have friction you wouldnt go anywhere.

PeterPoddy – Member
That figures. They taste rubbery.

I didn’t know you were Chinese

Oops. Racism! 😉

my tyres wear a lot less in winter because I simply refuse to ride in the wet…

However your tyres must be able to apply the same overall amount of motive/braking force assuming you’re doing the same speeds so wear won’t really be reduced. If you lower your pressures to get better grip (compensating for the wet trails) they may even wear more.

The cooler air temps and constant dousing with cold water will probably save you a little bit of rubber loss I suppose.

But if a tyre has ‘perfect’ grip, it will shed less rubber than if it skids. Sooo… what does the curve of grip to wear look like? At zero grip, no wear(?) but then what?

Flashy, I’ll line ’em up, you knock ’em in! 😆