Originally Posted by
JoeyBike
In fairness, the profile tires are lighter and rate higher pressures which improves fuel efficiency. Same as road bikes with 100+ PSI tires accelerate easier and roll with less effort at speed. I get your point, but it's not just for show. Those "Indy" profile tires were designed for race cars driven on perfect surfaces. Cheers.
The low profile tires have to be run at a higher pressure to compensate for the less air volume. Plus, they are typically wider than standard tires to provide an adequate contact patch. They do offer slightly better cornering due to less sidewall deflection, but that's one of the few advantages. While they might offer slightly less rolling resistance on perfectly smooth surfaces, the wheel/tire combo is heavier than a smaller diameter wheel with standard profile tire. This greater mass and rotational inertia yields worse gas mileage in city driving.