My car tire impressions- for real

[dantama]

I got a car tire put on my bike on Monday. It's an Sp 500. I also got a cobra front tire at the same time.

Previous to getting it on, I drove through a puddle with the bike tire on, turned nearly floor board scraping tight, and stopped and took a picture of a tape measure laid across the wet track.

I then went through a series of slalom turns while video taping it.

On the day I got the car tire, I did the exact same turns with the camera in the exact same place just to be able to compare.

I also measured that if you lock the rear tire and keep it locked with the bike tire, I stopped in 15 feet, from 15mph. I'll try the exact same place with the car tire just for comparison. I'm expecting the car tire to stop shorter.

I haven't gone back to drive through a puddle and measure yet with the car tire though. I'll repeat the Solomon later with some more experience with the tire. When I'm done, I'll put together a video montage and post it.

But here's my impression now while the contrast is sharp and clear. The car tire behaves very differently, though it could be gotten used to.

On fast back and forth turns like in a slalom, you can feel the tire ride from edge, to flat, to edge. Kind of like it levers a little as it gets on edge. Nothing that you couldn't get used to, but its certainly there. A bike tire doesn't do that. It feels the same no matter where in the arc you are.

The biggest difference is on ridges and troughs in the pavement like you find coming up to red lights where car tracks compact the pavement and leaves ridges and depressions. The car tire follows those in a manner I never felt with a bike tire. It steers the bike from the rear. You can feel it move you over, but starting from the rear, not the front. It's a very weird feeling, that isn't particularly nice. I really wish that it didn't do that. I don't think that the nomad will go on dirt roads as well with the car tire, but that might not be a bummer for most riders.

So I'm still not drinking the cult cool aide and saying that there is no difference, or it's better. It's worse, but it can be gotten used to and compensated for I'm sure. It might be worth the extra miles, I don't know. But if money were no object, I'd keep getting bike tires for sure. They do perform better if you don't count mileage.

Now don't all you cult members start stoning me, I'm just calling it like I see it :)

When I get a video together, I'll post it in this thread if I get it in the next couple of weeks. If it takes longer, I'll start a new thread. I'll amend the title to say video if it's this one.