[jacksonpt]

For the better portion of the last 3 years I've ridden the same set of tires. When I got my new bike this summer, I decided to try out a new tire, somethign that cleaned better in the mud. I went with Ritchey ZMax Pros. They do clean well in the mud, but my bike feels slower than it does when I run my old WTBs. Is this what they mean by a fast/slow rolling tire?

FWIW... the Ritcheys are 2.3s and speced lighter (by about 40g each) than my 2.1 WTBs.

 

[biggins]

a fast rolling tire generally has a much smaller or narrower tread patterrn. the larger the front side of the knobs the more resistance.it is the same principal as the smaller knobs being less effective in breaking situations.

 

[Heidi]

It's all about resistance. Pythons have less rolling resistance then say, a Panaracer Fire XC.

 

[jacksonpt]

OK, the resistance things clears it up a bit... I think.

My WTBs have a tread pattern similar to this:

while the ritcheys look like this:

 

[biggins]

the wtb would have lower rolling resistance because the tread does not cross the tire perpindicular.

 

[jacksonpt]

the wtb would have lower rolling resistance because the tread does not cross the tire perpindicular.

You mean the tread pattern goes down the tire ("parallel") rather than across the tire ("perpendicular")?

 

[biggins]

You mean the tread pattern goes down the tire ("parallel") rather than across the tire ("perpendicular")?

correct. the best example is to look at a semi slick. very small knobs in the center with larger knobs for cornering. for proper cornering you need resistance among other things but to keep the tire moving over the ground faster you want less tread. does that make sense.

 

[Westy]

Rubber compounds and sidewall construction also have a lot to do with it. For kicks I slapped a super sticky High roller on the back of my XC hardtail. Had gobs of traction but an incredible amount of rolling resistance, felt like I was riding uphill both ways.

 

[biggins]

Rubber compounds and sidewall construction also have a lot to do with it. For kicks I slapped a super sticky High roller on the back of my XC hardtail. Had gobs of traction but an incredible amount of rolling resistance, felt like I was riding uphill both ways.

yes but trying to think and explain simpler here mr.technoslowreezay50duroknobbyblingblingkevlatsidewallman.

seriously durometer and wall construction does play a roll just not as signifigant as the tread size, spacing, and pattern.

 

[jacksonpt]

correct. the best example is to look at a semi slick. very small knobs in the center with larger knobs for cornering. for proper cornering you need resistance among other things but to keep the tire moving over the ground faster you want less tread. does that make sense.

Makes lots of sense... the first bike I rode even remotely seriously had a tread like that on it... basically solid tread down the center of the tire, and knobbies on the edges. The solid tread made it roll very smooth/fast, and the knobbies gripped well in the turns. Unfortunately, they had very little traction in rough terrain.

 

[jacksonpt]

Rubber compounds and sidewall construction also have a lot to do with it. For kicks I slapped a super sticky High roller on the back of my XC hardtail. Had gobs of traction but an incredible amount of rolling resistance, felt like I was riding uphill both ways.

I assumed as much, but also figured that unless someone could really explain it well, I wasn't about to understand that part of things.