TTGTriCkS0tZz

Hey guys, im new to the forum and pretty new frequent cycling. I am hoping someone can chime in and offer some opinions
My situation: I have Mountain Bike with knobbly tires (that came with the bike 5 years ago), they are reasonably worn, not too bad though. I cycle to and from college every day and am pretty much always on the road but since its now winter (in Ireland) its always raining heavily and in the past 3 weeks, i had two accidents, both where i lost traction while cornering and fell.
Admittedly, i ride very fast but my question is: What would be the best course of action for me? (like type of tire, psi, etc). I would however like to stick with the chunky mtb style tire as it looks better and i ocassionally take shortcuts
Thanks in advance for any help!

Bunyanderman

That is a very bad combo; worn tires, wet riding, and fast riding while cornering. Get new tires, and drop the psi. I would think around 35 psi, if you get a tubeless tire you can go to 25psi.

TTGTriCkS0tZz

Ah, it probably doesnt help that my current psi is around 50 then! I increased it to 50 because i thought it would help with drag or something (seeing as my college is very far away i was trying to make it easier for myself)

Edit: Come to think of it, i dont recall traction issues before increasing the psi. I guess ill try lowering that first, Thanks alot!

Team Sarcasm

When it comes to rain, slow down and lower the psi. I have also read a smooth tire (vs a knobby tire) works best because it places the most amount of rubber on the ground.

Avoid metal and painted surfaces and puddles hide pot holes.

chaadster

Yes, lowering the pressure a bit to put down more rubber is good, but not so much you risk flatting over hits. However, knobs are not the best choice for wet, just because you don't have as much rubber on the road as you would with a smooth or lightly textured tread. If you're looking at new tires and want something that's going to roll fast but also handle those dirt shortcuts, look at a semi-slick or urban type tire, something like the Kenda Kiniption (pictured below), Michelin Country Rock, or Continental Tour ride. Those kinds shold offer better wet control than a typical mountain bike knobbly. Check out biketiresdirect.com for a sense of what's out there.

Bunyanderman

Usually less rolling resistance, (high psi) leads to less grip.

milkbaby

You want as much tire rubber in contact with the ground in wet road conditions, so knobbies are not a great choice. People generally lower the pressure in their tires in the wet to increase the size of the contact patch. Unfortunately knobby tires eventually get very squirmy when you lower the pressure too much. Slicks are the best choice for wet road riding.

Regardless of what tires you use, there will always be a maximum speed that you can take a wet corner at without wiping out. No tire can substitute for experience and caution in the wet.

hueyhoolihan

i've run slicks on wet roads and cannot recommend them. a little tread is a good thing, i think i prevents aquaplaning to some degree. and, as mentioned, SLOW DOWN!, especially when cornering, and avoid metal manhole, water-main covers and painted lines.

Canker

tread doesn't help at all in the wet, it just takes more rubber off the road. The contact patch is so small they just squeeze all the water out of the way without tread.

mustang1

all good tips. But i would continue running with slicks as the high pressures involved in bike tires negates the effects of a treaded tires, the grip is there for marketing purposes. However OP also said s/he wants to go off road.

OP: IDK much about mtb tires but I've taken my road specific tires off road and while they are rubbish in the mud, if you dont ride much in those conditions then maybe a road tire is better for you. I use schwalbe 35mm marathon supreme which are expensive but last ages (assuming you dont get any premature damage). I go off road too and they are terrible in mud as expected but for light off road use on hard packed stuff they are fine. My commute also takes me off road you see.

newbie101

Good, sensible points all around.

In general, I find that mtb tires and wet roads don't mix well.