In article >,
"Dana H. Myers" > wrote:

> No. See above. I believe the tread pattern may be designed to
> intentionally flex and heat up under normal operation.

I think you're stretching here, Dana. I have never heard of a tire
designer trying to do anything with heat except get rid of it.

> In particular,
> sipes that are small and go "nowhere" - of no use for water evacuation -
> are specifically for this purpose.

Sipes exist to provide extra gripping edges on wet, snowy, or icy roads.
Nothing to do with heat.

> Certainly, I found that slicks and tires made from what I was
> reassured were very similar compounds differed in that the
> slicks needed to be ridden harder more consistently to
> achieve operating range - at least on motorcycles.

That's simply because the tread on slicks isn't flexing as much. Flex
generates heat. One reason slicks are treadless is to minimize heat
buildup. If you can't keep slicks up to temperature, you should be using
treaded tires instead--the extra contact area of a slick will be moot if
it's too cold to work properly.

Every tire is designed to operate efficiently in a specific temperature
range. Rather than trying to alter the temperature, choose the correct
tire for the current conditions.

--
Lanny Chambers, St. Louis, USA
'94C
the alignment page:
http://www.hummingbirds.net/alignment.html