Would different tyres make much of a difference?

[Vantage]

It's just another case of me talking bollocks as usual.
The air itself doesn't bounce around. It's the tyres vibrations from the ground surface travelling through the air and can be heard more clearly because there's less damping (for the sound) in a thin carcass tyre.
I found that the tyres hummed louder at certain air pressures in the higher range than lower but that's just me.

 

[MichaelW2]

Rolling resistance is caused by tyre deformation and increases proportionately with speed.
Air resistance is caused by tyre width and increases with speed squared.
Weight is caused by more weight and affects changes in rotation speed (braking/acceleration) and climbing.

Wider tyres have less rolling resistance but more air resistance.
Thin walled tyres have lower weight and lower rolling resistance but are more vulnerable to damage and wear.
Tyre tread is useful in mud, loose surfaces and snow but almost no use on road (wet or dry) or ice. The buzzing sound of a knobbly tyre is your energy being converted to noise rather than speed.

The balance of characteristics you need depends on your individual need. A slow utility rider has different needs to a fast commuter. Tracks and trails are different to roads. Good summer roads are different to potholed night-time roads.
My all-round commute/utility/touring tyre is bog standard Schwalbe Marathon (not plus). Not the swiftest or toughest but a good balance for me. On my 26" urban bike I use fat, slick Schwalbe Big Apples which are remarkably swift for a fat tyre.

 

[T675Rich]

How much difference will a tyre with less tread make with frosty surfaces? It's starting to get a bit frosty in some places on my commute and this first time I have really ridden a bicycle in the winter. In my head I feel like my current tyres would be less likely to slip than smoother tyres but I wouldn't be surprised if I was way of in that belief.

 

[MichaelW2]

How much difference will a tyre with less tread make with frosty surfaces? It's starting to get a bit frosty in some places on my commute and this first time I have really ridden a bicycle in the winter. In my head I feel like my current tyres would be less likely to slip than smoother tyres but I wouldn't be surprised if I was way of in that belief.

 

[T675Rich]

Does that mean it is in my head?

 

[SkipdiverJohn]

The summer fast bike uses Michelin pro-race. Fast, light, grippy. God’s own tyre Who cares about punctures when you can have this performance?.

I care about punctures. A lot. The roads I ride on are littered with potholes and road debris, so flimsy tyres are out of the question. Along with getting caught out in the rain unexpectedly and being drenched, punctures are the biggest negative factor about cycling. More than heavy traffic or getting verbal off idiots. It throws a big spanner in the works of estimated journey times and is highly inconvenient if you need to be somewhere at a particular time. Even finding your tyre flat at home when you first go to ride it is a nuisance, although if you have multiple bikes you can at least grab a different steed without undue delay, it still might mean riding the "wrong" bike for the type of journey you are making.
For hack use I have a motley collection of random old tyres, mostly of the cheapo far-eastern variety, to use up and wear out. These have come from skip salvages and secondhand bike purchases. I stick puncture-resistant tyre liners inside these and use them locally. So far the Fairy has stayed away. When I'm going further afield, when I really really don't want a puncture interrupting my ride, I run Schwalbe Delta Cruiser Plus or Marathon Originals (NOT M+) As far as I'm concerned they roll easily enough and have perfectly adequate grip and handling for leisure cycling, but I don't race and don't care about going fast or trying to minimise tyre weight. I would rather be a couple of minutes slower over 10 or 15 miles than have my ride interrupted by a roadside puncture repair.

 

[nickyboy]

How much difference will a tyre with less tread make with frosty surfaces? It's starting to get a bit frosty in some places on my commute and this first time I have really ridden a bicycle in the winter. In my head I feel like my current tyres would be less likely to slip than smoother tyres but I wouldn't be surprised if I was way of in that belief.

You're right to question your first assumption
That bit of tread they put on tyres will have zero effect on the grip of the tyres. It is purely for marketing purposes. Slick or treaded tyres will be equally problematic in icy conditions. The only tyres that overcome this are those with a mechanical grip advantage ie studded winter tyres

 

[Truth]

I have only done maybe 150 miles on my new original marathons and I am happy so far . I find they roll absolutely fine and the grip does feel a lot better than my previous Zaffiro Vittoria . I have always had Conti Gatorskins in the past (the Vittoria's were on the bike when I bought it) and the current ones suit me better , they feel sturdier and grippier to me.
Just a laymans view on the topic really !

 

[andrew_s]

How much difference will a tyre with less tread make with frosty surfaces? It's starting to get a bit frosty in some places on my commute and this first time I have really ridden a bicycle in the winter. In my head I feel like my current tyres would be less likely to slip than smoother tyres but I wouldn't be surprised if I was way of in that belief.

Thread on road tyres doesn't give any extra grip (a bit less, in fact), but can still be useful in that tyre squirm can give a bit of warning that you're getting close to the limit, rather than letting go suddenly. Ice would probably be sudden anyway, but you may get useful warning on frost if you're paying attention.
Tread can also be useful if there's leaf mulch or mud on the road.

What does make a difference is the rubber compound used in the tyre.
There are a few tyres (eg Continental Top Contact Winter II) that use the same compounds as are used in car winter tyres, and which can give enough grip to ride straight uphill on sheet ice at something like 8-10%.
Care is still needed, they aren't as good as studded tyres, but on the other hand they are a lot nicer to ride (read quicker).

 

[xzenonuk]

years ago i switched the 2.10 inch knobbly tyre's on my mountain bike to 1.75 or 1.65 tyres with no knobbles, it really changed the handling of my bike as in it would steer pretty rapid and the terrain felt rougher.

i got a few more mph added to my average speed just by changing the tyres, i suffered on any off road stuff though but they tyres worked through a few winters.

only put 2 inch knobblys on it a while back since i got a road bike that has 23mm slicks lol

i sprained my ankle on black ice with the smaller mtb tyres the other year, it was my fault though, i accellerated to take a turn and didnt notice i was on black ice

last winter i almost came off a few times with my 2 inch tyres but experience saved me from coming off, i hate black ice.

pro tip if there is any sign of ice be wary of shaded areas as that is where the black ice likes to hide

 

[Alan O]

...Marathon Originals (NOT M+)...

I was horrified a couple of weeks ago to have my first flat tyre when riding on Marathon Originals (which have the additional advantage of still being available in 27 x 1 1/4 size). I could see no obvious puncture and it was a fairly slow flat, so I pumped up and tried again, but it was flat again within a few hundred metres. So I stopped and replaced the tube and carried on home, planning to find the puncture and fix it in the warm comfort of home.

I only just got round to checking it this morning, and it's weird. Immersed fully in a sink of water and then pumped up, it deflates quickly... but with no bubbles. Clearly the air must be escaping back through the (Schrader) valve, so I pumped up again and quickly disconnected the pump... and it stayed inflated.

But I conclude that it's a failed valve and that riding pressure was making it leak even without a pump attached. I've thrown it away - which offends my hatred for waste, as I only like discarding a tube when there's no room between the patches for more patches.

But at least I know that my beloved Marathon Originals have still not had a puncture.

 

[DCBassman]

I've thrown it away - which offends my hatred for waste, as I only like discarding a tube

So why not replace just the core?

 

[Alan O]

So why not replace just the core?

Hadn't thought of that - is it easy to replace a Schrader core?

 

[DCBassman]

They just unscrew, although you need the appropriate tool. Any motor factors should be able to supply both tool and cores. There are different length cores, but I've used whatever I've had in bikes and cars with no problems.

 

[Alan O]

They just unscrew, although you need the appropriate tool. Any motor factors should be able to supply both tool and cores. There are different length cores, but I've used whatever I've had in bikes and cars with no problems.

Thanks - yes, it looks like a tool is needed to poke down inside the valve. I'll investigate, for the fun of learning new mechanical stuff if nothing else