Cyclist0108

Why are some mountain and CX tires reverse-tread? What is the advantage (if any)?

Dannihilator

Most are for grip in looser terrain

Cyclist0108

I am at a bit of a loss for understanding how that works (and if it does, why not have reverse-tread on all tires)?

JonathanGennick 

Tread that appears reversed is usually made that way to make the tire a little more pavement friendly, and the trade-off is reduced grip on dirt.

Canker

Or setup one way for the front and one for the rear.

bikeme

The theory is that reverse chevrons on a rear tire will scoop more for climbing traction. While this may be true to some extent, I think that a well-designed tread with ramped, forward facing vee-treads will do just as well and roll much easier.

Rocket Mouse

I've got a set of WTB TrailBoss tires on mine right now and I flip the front around reverse direction and I personally notice much better cornering traction on hard and loose dirt trails. Don't know if they intended for people do that that with it, but it works for me so I stay with it.

There's also something to be said about tire designs like these that have a lot of siping built into them for extra traction too.

bikeme

Ah, reread this and I think I get what you mean now...do you mean tires that have treads that appear to be flipped (scoop of Vs forward vs the point of the Vs?) even when the mfr.'s directional arrow points forward? I ask because I have Kinda Kwiks on my gravel bike and having the scoops forward (what they direct/recommend) seemed counter to what I was used to see on my mtb tires. I personally can't tell traction or rolling-resistance wise. If I reverse the direction against what the mfr. shows, the side knobs would be facing a weird way. I always just go with what direction the mfr. says--they're supposed to know best, lol.

Shimagnolo

I still have a pair of old 1.9" Ritchey Cross-Bites on a mtn bike.
They are fantastic!
On pavement, they roll and corner like slicks.
But on unpaved surfaces, there is enough tread to be useful.

Cyclist0108

Yes.

>>>>> vs. <<<<<<

kevrider

some motorcycle tires are designed this way. the front has a bigger traction demand on braking, the rear on acceleration, and these forces are obviously applied in opposite directions.

Shimagnolo

+1
The photo is a matched pair of Dunlop Roadsmart II sport/touring tires, oriented exactly as they go on the bike.

(I had planned to be putting these on the bike this month, but 18 days ago an idiot cager in a truck chose to blow through a stop sign, knocking the bike out from under me, and trashing it.)