Slicks or threads?

Wishbone Ash

I have a Trek hybrid fitted with Bontrager 700x32s which I use almost daily on my 32km commute in the greater Dublin area.

The Bontragers are fine in dry or very wet roads but I've little confidence in them in damp or greasy conditions.

I'm willing to compromise on rolling resistance and was thinking of upgrading to Schwalbe Marathon Plus for extra grip and puncture resistance. My local stockist claims that they won't give any better grip as the more rubber placed on the road, the better. I thought that was only true in dry conditions?

Any opinions/advice would be appreciated before I waste €70.

Thanks.

rp

Marathon pluses are great tyres from a puncture resistance point of view.
But you dealer is correct: tyre tread won't give you better grip, its there for cosmetic purposes only on a road bicycle tyre (unless you regularly exceed 100kph).
Around Dublin, oil/diesel spills on roundabouts is the most likely cause of loss of traction: gave me a scary moment on the Walkinstown roundabout this morning

Wishbone Ash

Thanks rp.

rp wrote: »

Around Dublin, oil/diesel spills on roundabouts is the most likely cause of loss of traction

Yes - roundabouts are where I lose confidence most and find myself going much slower that I would like.

funkyjebus

Dont waste the €70. Threads are cosmetic only, they're there to make you feel better. Don't buy into the lie;)

Lumen

Tread, tread, tread.

funkyjebus

Lumen wrote: »

Tread, tread, tread.

By God:eek: He's right. We all fail:(

dave.obrien

Is this a tread thread?

sorry...

Canis Lupus

This tread thread is dead...Ted.

dave.obrien

That's treadful...