EFFICIENCY:
Energy restored/énergy provided = efficiency (always > 1)
It is the capacity of the tire to restore the energy provided by the cyclist
through rolling.
Efficiency depends: on the pneumatic part
• On the nature of the mixture of the tread rubber
• On the density and the construction of casing
• On the architecture of the tire (reinforcements, overlap…)
• On the tube used (butyl or latex)
• On the dimension of the tire
• On the inflation pressure
• On rolling friction
But also:
• On the nature of the terrain
• On aerodynamics
• On the force of gravity related to the downward incline
• On the wheels and bearings
GRIP:
It is the capacity of the tire to answer, under all conditions, the requests
imposed by the cyclist (braking, forward traction, cornering).
For the road: It depends primarily on the pressure of inflation and on the rubber compound,
because the small contact patch (approximately 100 pound per square inch, or 7
kgs / cm2) generates very high pressure on the ground, which is plenty to
evacuate water and eliminate the risk of hydroplaning.
For Mountain and Touring Bikes; It will be related to the sculpture with the pressure of inflation and the
rubber compound.
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COMFORT:
It is the capacity of the tire to absorb the variations in the terrain, to
dampen the vertical vibrations at the handlebar and saddle. It is improved by:
• A latex tube
• A larger volume/width
• The composition of the casing
• Adapting inflation pressure
These four elements combine to optimize comfort without hurting efficiency.
