Does the tread on road bicycle (slick) tyres actually have a function or is it purely cosmetic?

I would just like to know if it has any function as I have heard that bikes can have completely smooth tyres in the wet any, answers much appreciated. Also if people in professional bike racing believe this to be true.Does the tread on road bicycle (slick) tyres actually have a function or is it purely cosmetic?
jman4117 is correct








The tyre compound is more important than the tread, I use


Vredestein fortezza tricomp they are the best slicks I have tried in the wet so far. (even though I avoid riding my best bike in the rain)





Bikes do not go fast enough to hydroplane, the more rubber on tarmac, the better. Tread pattern gives a false sense of security.





hope this helps mate.











.Does the tread on road bicycle (slick) tyres actually have a function or is it purely cosmetic?
yeah its made for a high rate of speed just like a car so you dont slide around the corner.....the peeps on the Tour De' France use these tires.....normal people cant go fast enough to get any real use out of it....It is also because those tires have less friction with the ground than the tire of....hmmm....a mt bike
Tread wicks away water like car tires in rain. I never use 'em since I rarely ride in rain.
I see that we don't have many bicycle racers here.





A slick tire has LESS rolling resistance, and BETTER traction in both wet and dry conditions. PERIOD.





http://www.faqs.org/faqs/bicycles-faq/pa鈥?/a>





The tread is purely cosmetic. The type of rubber that a tire is made of, as well as the casing, and the tire pressure, all have a large impact on the tires handling characteristics.
I usually prefer slick tires at about 120 psi. Lately I've become addicted to Continental GP 4000's. They have minimal tread and I haven't noticed any difference in traction, but the tires seem to last longer, they are ultra light, and they perform better overall than Hutchinsons, Vittoria, Michelins (yuck), and any other tire I've tried.
it's for grip around curves/rain
there is better grip on the road and there is less friction which means more speed
They're just for show.
It's purely cosmetic. They have tread on them because people are afraid to use a slick tire. Bikes don't have wide, flat tires like cars and they go at a much slower speed. They can't hydroplane, so get a slick and put as much rubber on the road as possible.
Actually, because the tread is inverted on a road bike tire, its purpose is NOT to give traction the way a knobby tire does. In fact, the greater the surface area of a tire that's able to be in contact with the road surface, the more traction you have. Don't believe me? Try cornering hard on a road bike. Then take the same corner at the same speed on a mountain bike. On a smooth surface, the mountain bike is far more likely to skid out, because only the knobs are touching the road, not the whole tire.





This inverted tread's function is to shed water and dirt and to prevent hydroplaning on wet surfaces.
what little tread is on a road tire is, as stated above mearly to push water away from the contact surface lessening the instances of hydroplaning. obviously the smoother the tire the lest resistance it will create as it moves against the air. the ground however is a diferent story. some friction (resistance) is necesary or you would spin tire every time you accelerated. the softer compounds in the rubbers of ';slicks'; accomplish this by finding the balance point at which frictional resistance does not impeede speed.


cheers