Tire Pressure: Data and Details

The science of friction… tire pressures, rolling resistance and speed-

Perceptions versus reality….

Thanks to Jan and Off the Beaten Path for another insightful and informative article.

Off The Beaten Path

A little while ago, I wrote about how new scientific research has allowed us to design wide, supple tires that offer the speed of narrow, high-end racing tires. The key finding is that above a certain threshold, increasing tire pressure no longer results in lower rolling resistance. While these new data have become widely accepted – witness professional racers adopting wider tires and lower pressures – it’s natural that new ideas are met with skepticism. In order to contribute to a better understanding of how tires work, I’d like to share more data from Bicycle Quarterly‘s testing. The data above came from Bicycle Quarterly rolldown tests of various tires. The results indicate that above a certain threshold, for clinchers, tire performance increases only very slightly, if at all. It’s not surprising that the 38 mm-wide Mitsuboshi tire rolled faster at 35 psi than at 25 psi – it was…

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2015 DUCATI MOTOGP LAUNCH

Introducing, the incredible, Italian engineered, sleek and slippery beauty…the new Ducati GP15 prototype.

BikeGP

Ducati launched their 2015 Factory MOTOGP Team as well revealed their new GP15 prototype to be ridden by Italian duo of Andrea Dovizioso and Andrea Iannone in the forthcoming 2015 MotoGP™ World Championship season on Monday, 16th February, 2015 at the Ducati Auditorium, in Borgo Panigale, Italy.

The new bike, which will make its public on-track debut at the Sepang 2 test before the end of the month, is more compact than its predecessor the GP14.

The most visible updates to the machine relate mainly to new aerodynamics, with details such as a new air intake and a sleeker, smaller tail fairing. Further technical upgrades, such as improvements to electronics and the new version of a ‘seamless’ gearbox were also explained at the launch by Ducati Corse General Manager, Luigi Dall’Igna.

The GP15 will only be made available this season to Dovizioso and Iannone, so the rest of the Ducati…

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