What do the different compounds mean, e.g. 60a 70a super tacky etc?
what difference does single and double ply make?
What is tyre drag?
What is a fast rolling tyre?
Sorry for the dumb questions 🙄
Right then-
60a and 70a is the "hardness" of a tyre. A softer tyre such as a super tacky will grip better, but wear faster and drag more.
Single ply is lighter, but weaker and easier to puncture and/or rip. Double plys are much heavier but much tougher. For most riding short of DH single ply is fine.
Drag is how much friction there is between a tyre and a surface. A draggy tyre will be slower on the road and up hill. This relates to tread pattern and rubber hardness.
A fast rolling tyre rolls with less effort over a surface.
I have super tackys on my bike. Only had them two months and this dry weather is wearing them out fast 😀
Lots of people put a super tacky tyre on the front, and a 60a on the back. This combination works well - the harder 60a doesn't wear out as quickly as a super tacky would on the back... And you need the tackiness most on the front to stop the front wheel washing out (you might not need this though...)
Thats a good idea.
some more expensive tyres have double or even triple compounds too, so for example the rubber on the tread in the middle might be more hard wearing than that on the side knobbles, thus aiding longevity and grip.
What is tyre drag?
What is a fast rolling tyre?
Generally:
* big knobs (oo err missus) - good grip
* wide spacing between knobs - good mud clearance
... and slow. Fast tyres for dry conditions usually have a lower, smoother profile. (Think of the difference between a 4x4 tyre and a race car...)
* Squarer tyres grip better in corners, but when the grip goes it does so very fast. Rounder tyres grip less, but let go in a smoother more easily controllable manner.
What is a fast rolling tyre?
one that deforms the least when rolling...
What is a fast rolling tyre?one that deforms the least when rolling...
Unless rolling over a bumpy surface, of course.
Front tyre gets less impact stress than the rear IME so can tolerate a slightly lower pressure without the risk of pinching or rolling.
So if you don't want a tacky compound front tyre, just let 5psi out - it seems to improve grip and slow rebound in a similar way.