Re: Wet weather tire pressure

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"DRS" <drs@removethis.ihug.com.au> wrote in message
news:c5e8ll$q0a$1@lust.ihug.co.nz...
> Harris <aharris@bookworm.suffolk.lib.ny.us> wrote in message
> 2rxec.147$Ho2.4167@dfw-read.news.verio.net
> > DRS <drs@removethis.ihug.com.au> wrote:
> >> Curtis <curtisr@kingston.net> wrote in message
> >> e7b5232.0404120449.79fc0f31@posting.google.com
> >>> O.K., I hate to be so stupid but is there any evidence to suggest
> >>> that a lower tire pressure will help traction in the rain?
> >
> >> No.
> >
> > I say yes as it puts more rubber in contact with the road (larger
> > contact patch).
>
> 1. It allows the tyre to squirm more, thus reducing its handling.
> 2. To the extent that it applies to bicycle tyres, lower pressure allows
> the tread to deform which in turn reduces its effectiveness at displacing
> water. That's why motorcycle racers always run wet weather tyres at full
> pressure.
>

Didn't one of the bike tyre manufacturers do a test, and they found that
insufficient water displacement would only occur if you cycled 200mph.
Having a larger contact patch through a little underinflation is hardly
likely to bring that figure anywhere near an obtainable value.

--
Mike W