Martinsnos
Über Member
Brill - thank you!
Schwalbe Marathon
- Thread starter Martinsnos
- Start date
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Brill - thank you!
Martinsnos
Über Member
Noted - if you saw the incident you’d know I was super unlucky (or put another way, the tyres were never going to grip that surface whatever I did - a week later I noticed they were even skidding when I was going in a straight line (it is like ice in the wet - and it’s a cycle path - another story!!)).
Martinsnos
Über Member
Yes, I think it was ‘tree juice’ from the leaves probably (as no actual leaves at the time).
presta
Guru
I've had thousands of trouble-free miles out of my Marathons, but they're HS368s, which aren't available any more.
Not in the wet you don't, wet weather grip derives from a completely different mechanism to dry weather grip:
In the dry, grip is simply the result of friction, but in the wet there's always a residual film of water which lubricates the interface between tyre & road, and removes almost all the friction. When the tyre is pressed onto the road, the rubber conforms to the texture of the road surface creating an interlocking pattern of pits and bumps that mesh like gear teeth, so for the tyre to slip in the wet, this pattern has to move across the tyre surface. As the surfaces move over each other, each point on the tyre is alternately compressed then decompressed by the texture of the road, and in doing so, the hysteresis loss of the rubber absorbs energy. It is this energy absorption that provides the wet weather grip, not friction.
Since energy loss is undesirable from the point of view of rolling resistance, the compromise between these conflicting requirements can be improved by laminating a tread made from high loss rubber onto a carcass made from lower loss rubber.
(Ref: Ashby & Jones, Engineering Materials, Part 1)
Not in the wet you don't, wet weather grip derives from a completely different mechanism to dry weather grip:
In the dry, grip is simply the result of friction, but in the wet there's always a residual film of water which lubricates the interface between tyre & road, and removes almost all the friction. When the tyre is pressed onto the road, the rubber conforms to the texture of the road surface creating an interlocking pattern of pits and bumps that mesh like gear teeth, so for the tyre to slip in the wet, this pattern has to move across the tyre surface. As the surfaces move over each other, each point on the tyre is alternately compressed then decompressed by the texture of the road, and in doing so, the hysteresis loss of the rubber absorbs energy. It is this energy absorption that provides the wet weather grip, not friction.
Since energy loss is undesirable from the point of view of rolling resistance, the compromise between these conflicting requirements can be improved by laminating a tread made from high loss rubber onto a carcass made from lower loss rubber.
(Ref: Ashby & Jones, Engineering Materials, Part 1)
All uphill
Still rolling along
- Location
- Somerset
Vantage
Carbon fibre... LMAO!!!
- Location
- Behind everyone else, Bolton
There's a sweet spot for tyre pressures under which your bike will roll happily along quickly but smoothly.
Too much pressure and the tyre won't deform enough to provide adequate grip and will be harsh. Too low and the tyre will drag and be prone to pinch flats.
I'd suggest pumping your tyres to the max stated pressure and slowly each ride lower that pressure by around 5psi till that sweet spot is found. It'll be different for front and rear tyres and will vary depending on size, make and model of tyre.
Too much pressure and the tyre won't deform enough to provide adequate grip and will be harsh. Too low and the tyre will drag and be prone to pinch flats.
I'd suggest pumping your tyres to the max stated pressure and slowly each ride lower that pressure by around 5psi till that sweet spot is found. It'll be different for front and rear tyres and will vary depending on size, make and model of tyre.
When it comes to stiff tyres like Marathon and even worse, M+, a wider tyre has lower rolling resistance than a thin size. Rolling resistant is constant so has most impact at lower ( cruising) speed. Air resistance of fat tyres has most impact at higher (racing) speed.
rogerzilla
Legendary Member
City Jets were the most slippery I used. Absolutely terrifying in the wet. Low rolling resistance, though: I got the old Thorn Nomad up to 57mph downhill.
Mrs M
Guru
- Location
- Aberdeenshire
I have Schwalbe Marathon + on my Pashley.
Very slippery in mud.
Very slippery in mud.
- Location
- Glasgow
That's because the Pashley is rebelling to you dragging her through mud
Alex321
Guru
- Location
- South Wales
I have Specialised Armadillos on mine, seem to give a similar level of puncture resistance, and still decent grip in the wet.
Nothing will give "great" grip on all surfaces in all weather's, but I've never felt these were about to let go on the back roads I mostly ride on. But I don't tend to take tight corners very quick nowadays anyhow.
Vantage
Carbon fibre... LMAO!!!
- Location
- Behind everyone else, Bolton
I had those on my old Spa Touring. They weren't too bad I thought. Used them right through winter too.
All uphill
Still rolling along
- Location
- Somerset
I have a marathon + on the back of my everyday bike. Its horrible, heavy and unyielding but it just won't wear out, get damaged or otherwise give me a reason to throw it in the bin.
