Originally Posted by
jonathanf2
I believe the lack of adequate side tread on the Nanos made me lose grip.
In my experience, tread (or lack of it) doesn't really do much to cause a loss of grip in the dry (especially on hardpack or dirty tarmac). It does significantly impact breakaway characteristics. Tire pressure can make a significant difference, in that too much of it can cause the tire to lose contact with the road while lower pressure allows the tire to conform to the terrain and stay incontact. The biggest thing to cause a tire to loose traction in the dry is even pressure on the tread - which again goes back to tire pressure.
Realistically, it is mostly technique - but hey I've gone down in those conditions just because I was going to fast when the surface conditions changed. Smooth inputs and loose supple upper body will keep the tires in contact with the road surface, and maximize your grip.
As for the specific tires in question, the Nano's are known for being one of the slowest, most draggy tires out there. Specifically it takes about 60 watts to power those at 18mph. Interestingly, the SS+ is just as awful.
Contrast that to the regular SS, that takes about 46 watts, or the SK that takes 50 watts to maintain the same speed. So yeah, you can do a lot better.