Grippy Tire Front or Rear

I always put my grippiest tire on the front wheel (don't ask why I
don't have two of the same tires). I figure a front wheel slip-out is
more dangerous than a rear wheel slip out. Is the front the best
place for the grippiest tire? -- Jay Beattie.

P.S., I am now experimenting with Gatorskins and the Schwalbe Blizzard.

On Mon, 8 Dec 2008 20:41:33 -0800 (PST), Jay Beattie
wrote:

I always put my grippiest tire on the front wheel (don't ask why I
don't have two of the same tires). I figure a front wheel slip-out is
more dangerous than a rear wheel slip out. Is the front the best
place for the grippiest tire? -- Jay Beattie.

P.S., I am now experimenting with Gatorskins and the Schwalbe Blizzard.

Dear Jay,

It's a good idea to have as much traction as possible up front.

That's where you do your braking.

Cheers,

Carl Fogel

"Jay Beattie" wrote in message
...
I always put my grippiest tire on the front wheel (don't ask why I
don't have two of the same tires). I figure a front wheel slip-out is
more dangerous than a rear wheel slip out. Is the front the best
place for the grippiest tire? -- Jay Beattie.

A long time ago I rode to school. One day it snowed, so I borrowed my
father's CX back wheel, but left the front alone (not sure why, maybe it
wasn't mounted/inflated/whatever). I still did a lot better than my stronger
mate who had his normal tyres on, and I suspect the fact I could actually
pedal helped.

(oh for being young. I remember blithely riding through the slush pile
between the lanes as I swapped whenever a car coming the other way prevented
me from overtaking the near stationary traffic. Not sure I'd be happy doing
that these days - the recent ice was definitely a bit wibble-inducing).

This of course has little relevance to your question as your likely problem
isn't going to be lack of traction for pedalling :-)

On Dec 9, 4:41*am, Jay Beattie wrote:
*I always put my grippiest tire on the front wheel (don't ask why I
don't have two of the same tires). *I figure a front wheel slip-out is
more dangerous than a rear wheel slip out. *Is the front the best
place for the grippiest tire? -- Jay Beattie.

P.S., I am now experimenting with Gatorskins and the Schwalbe Blizzard.

Better to slide on your ass than your face.

On Dec 9, 9:36*am, JennyB wrote:
On Dec 9, 4:41*am, Jay Beattie wrote:

*I always put my grippiest tire on the front wheel (don't ask why I
don't have two of the same tires). *I figure a front wheel slip-out is
more dangerous than a rear wheel slip out. *Is the front the best
place for the grippiest tire? -- Jay Beattie.

P.S., I am now experimenting with Gatorskins and the Schwalbe Blizzard.

Better to slide on your ass than your face.

Exactly. I run the most traction possible up front, for 2 reasons.

First, as Jenny so aptly pointed out, a front washout is a lot less
fun than a rear slide. Secondly, as Carl pointed out, you brake with
the front. I don't mind the rear getting loose, be it on a road bike,
mountain bike, dirt bike or street bike. Easy enough to recover from,
and even if you don't recover the result is usually a fairly easy
sliding out and sitting down. The front losing traction is something
I don't like much.

On Dec 9, 6:45*am, " wrote:
On Dec 9, 9:36*am, JennyB wrote:

On Dec 9, 4:41*am, Jay Beattie wrote:

*I always put my grippiest tire on the front wheel (don't ask why I
don't have two of the same tires). *I figure a front wheel slip-out is
more dangerous than a rear wheel slip out. *Is the front the best
place for the grippiest tire? -- Jay Beattie.

P.S., I am now experimenting with Gatorskins and the Schwalbe Blizzard.

Better to slide on your ass than your face.

Exactly. *I run the most traction possible up front, for 2 reasons.

First, as Jenny so aptly pointed out, a front washout is a lot less
fun than a rear slide. *Secondly, as Carl pointed out, you brake with
the front. *I don't mind the rear getting loose, be it on a road bike,
mountain bike, dirt bike or street bike. *Easy enough to recover from,
and even if you don't recover the result is usually a fairly easy
sliding out and sitting down. *The front losing traction is something
I don't like much.

This has always been my approach. I just wanted to make sure I was
not missing some RBT magical and counter-intuitive truth about
traction. -- Jay Beattie.

Jay Beattie wrote:

I always put my grippiest tire on the front wheel (don't ask why I
don't have two of the same tires). I figure a front wheel slip-out
is more dangerous than a rear wheel slip out. Is the front the best
place for the grippiest tire?

P.S., I am now experimenting with Gatorskins and the Schwalbe Blizzard.

How do you know how "grippy" a tire is and how are you experimentally
assessing Gatorskins and Blizzards?

Jobst Brandt

On Dec 9, 10:12*am, wrote:
Jay Beattie wrote:
I always put my grippiest tire on the front wheel (don't ask why I
don't have two of the same tires). *I figure a front wheel slip-out
is more dangerous than a rear wheel slip out. *Is the front the best
place for the grippiest tire?
P.S., I am now experimenting with Gatorskins and the Schwalbe Blizzard.

How do you know how "grippy" a tire is and how are you experimentally
assessing Gatorskins and Blizzards?

Jobst Brandt

I am talking about wet performance and not dry -- as I have never had
a problem with dry traction with any slick road tire.

I am assessing these two tires by riding to work in the rain or on wet
pavement every day -- and up and down several steep hills I have
ridden for the last 20+ years. I get a good idea of front tire slip
resistance on the downhill in to my parking garage which is a 20+%
grade and smooth concrete. I crashed there on a first generation clay
pigmented Micheline tire and an Umma Gumma. I also test on a steep
down hill with a sharp, off camber turn at the bottom on SW Westwood
in to Hillsdale -- which was like a waterfall when I rode it on
Sunday.

Rear wheel traction I test on the short hill between SW Barbur Blvd
and SW Terwilliger -- which puts me right below where that house slid
down the hill (and is still sitting there, BTW). These little tests
are fairly good indicators of slip resistance. Tires that have not
been that good on this uphill have included Vittoria Rubino Pro, the
Performance version of the Vredestine Fortezza and the Bontrager Hard
Case. Best were Michelin SuperComp HD, Avocet and my giant, generic
35mm 70psi slicks from Performance. The Gatorskin is good, too, as
are many of the Contis.I have the Schwalbe on the front and have had
no slippage not withstanding a report I saw on the internet about
these being banana peels on wet pavement.

My testing is really just paying attention to how tires behave in the
rain, and my "test locations" are just areas where I pay attention
more for the purpose of determining my next purchase. I cannot claim
that I conduct rigorous scientific experiments like Fogel Labs. -- Jay
Beattie.

On Mon, 8 Dec 2008 20:41:33 -0800 (PST), Jay Beattie
may have said:

I always put my grippiest tire on the front wheel (don't ask why I
don't have two of the same tires). I figure a front wheel slip-out is
more dangerous than a rear wheel slip out. Is the front the best
place for the grippiest tire? -- Jay Beattie.

P.S., I am now experimenting with Gatorskins and the Schwalbe Blizzard.

IMO, yes, and also "good tire in front" is another prudent policy.

--
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As many have pointed out, best traction ("grippiest tire") in front is
best; "better your ass than your face".

However, you don't have to run two different tires to do this. Rubber
hardens with exposure to the elements, and so loses some of it's
grippyness. Also, the rear will wear out before the front. So when it
comes to replacing the worn out rear tire, put the new (more grippy)
tire on the front wheel and move the old (less grippy) front tire onto
the rear.

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