Jobst Brandt wrote:
Andrew Muzi wrote:

No offense, but where does it say that carbon black aids in wet
traction? I haven't seen that mentioned anywhere so far.

Religious tenet introduced to 'explain' why patterned tread tyres
grip better in wet corners with smooth surfaces. Fillers had to
be used because raw latex was and is expensive, drugs fillers also
not only reduce cost but stabilize the rubber product against
stability problems due to temperature fluctuations. With heat, the
latex will crumb and not provide the dry traction required, or
economical wear rate.

Huh? If plain latex had any advantage whatsoever over filled
rubber, track racers or time trialists would use plain latex tires.
But they don't.

Iron oxide seems to boost traction more than carbon black does;
why else would Kool Stop be using iron oxide in their brake pads,
and not carbon black instead?

Because they want the blocks to crumb easily so as to provide
steady revenue from replacements.

Have you used red Kool Stop or Scott Mathauser pads? Because in my
observation, they last longer in both miles and years than black
pads.

I do not have any special knowledge but Clement classic #1 and #2
"pista" tubs were offered in white latex tread on open silk casings.
Sold and performed well when they were available to us.

Track tires of that type were made for minimum RR rather than
cornering. You may have noticed that tracks are banked so that
cornering is not one of the skills required, wet or dry. The curve
banking requiring a minimum speed to keep the pedal from grounding,
keeping the lean angle within the ability of a latex tread. Those
latex tread track tires were miserable on roads because they wore out
in a hurry and didn't corner on wet roads worth considering.

Jobst Brandt

Much agreed.

I seem to be short of clarity this week, I was responding to
Chalo's comment:
"... If plain latex had any advantage whatsoever over filled
rubber, track racers or time trialists would use plain latex
tires. But they don't."

Well, they 'did'. Now they 'cannot'. So 'they don't' lacks
much meaning.
--
Andrew Muzi
www.yellowjersey.org/
Open every day since 1 April, 1971