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The last time I took my bike out on full slicks (Schwalbe Cityjets) I tried to hop up onto a kerb in the wet and ended up with a very painful face full of tarmac. Didnt have a helmet on either since it was only a quick 2 mile blast. A few lessons were learned.
I want to do some commuting this spring/summer though. So, any recommendations for something with decent wet performance but low rolling resistance?
Hutchinson Top Slicks? I've used them to commute on a Cannondale Bad Boy - very fast and ok in the wet.
I bought some extremely light and semi slick Kendal tires a few years ago which I've not had the nerve to use off road recently - I think the front tire was 295g or something silly.
@ Footflaps - They look a bit too slick. Ive got slickaphobia now. Obviously I didnt treat the Schwalbes with the proper respect but I want something with a bit more tread just for peace of mind.
soething slick with 'sipes' in it will bizarrely be grippier on wet tarmac/kerbs than a knobbly or indeed the side knobs on a semi slick. Something to do with squeegy-ing the water through the tread and maintaining the maximum tread-to-tarmac contact once most of the water is out of the way.
Specialized nimbus and continental city contact here, though anything with a good rubber compound with grooves cut into the slick bit will be ace.
Thats true of cars, but the contact patch of a bike tyre is so small that any siping has sod all effect! Compound etc has more effect. Easily the worst road tyres I've used were Hutchinson Intensives, no grip in the wet, despite siping.
To be honest, if you crashed hopping up a kerb learning to hop better would be a better bet than blaming the tyres. IMO of course.
If you want to do this then Furious Freds are good. Won't last though.
Kenda Small Block 8 ... they are good on 29'' haven't tried them on 26'' but would definitely give them a go personally. Not for this time of year though 🙂
Bontrager FR3?