Bicycle tire question

[charlie chitlin]

On some mountain bike tires there is an arrow for direction of rotation.
How could it possibly make a difference?

 

[Colo Springs E]

Hey Charlie, I think it's the same principle as certain car tires being directional. The pattern/knobbies help it grip better in the correct position. As a pretty avid mountain biker, I can tell you, good tires make all the difference in the world as far as climbing/getting through rough patches, especially on wet rock.

 

[charlie chitlin]

Grip in which direction?
It seems that the one edge of the tread would need traction to brake, and the other to accelerate...on the rear, anyway.
Or is mountain biking more about braking?

 

[tiktok]

On some mountain bike tires there is an arrow for direction of rotation.
How could it possibly make a difference?

Well, consider how tires are designed to handle water. There's a definite direction involved in that aspect.

 

[Wayne Alexander]

It makes a difference. The front tire needs the lugs to be oriented right so it doesn't slip/wash out when the dirt gets sketchy (believe me, you don't want the front tire to slide out from under you on a hard corner, last time that happened to me I broke my femur). And the back tire needs to be oriented right for climbing and braking traction. Mountain bike tire designers have gotten very good at designing rubber types, lug shapes, etc., and the designs tend to be directional.

 

[TG]

In certain situations and even certain micro-seconds it might well make the difference between holding firm and slipping, so personally I'd put them on the way they were designed to. I think a lot of research has been done on treads and traction in the car and motorcycle industry.

 

[charlie chitlin]

Car and motorcycle are easier to imagine.
Should a bike tire only have one arrow?
I've seen some motorcycle tires with 2.
One for front mounting, the other for rear.