In another forum here, it was posted that "tires are notto be used under 30degree weather.....they will hold no grip". I'm very curious about this. I have noticed as the weather has been dropping into the low 30's here in NY,my bike feels "bouncier" over the same light bumpsIhave beenrideing over regularly. I've made rebound damping and preloadadjustments to try and compensate. I keep my tire pressure at 36 front and 42 rear as per the manual. My present tires are Metzler Z6's with about 1100 miles. I only ride solo.Would lowering the tire pressure beadvisable for a better gripif I want to continue riding safelyincolder weather? Thanks.

 

Yes, the tires will heatbetter and they willmake a larger footprint. Even though, the grip will be far less than on a warm day, but this is just to take into account. Thepractical low temperaturelimit is when the roads are freezing, that they can do here in Sweden even above 30 deg F. If the current air temperature is 35 deg F, the road can still be freezing due to a lower night temperature.

I usually stop commuting with the bike when the temperature gets below 45 deg F even though it can be used occasionally down to 40.

The temperature here today reads 15 f [X(].

 

Whatever you do, when it's bloody cold you've got way less grip. Also, I find that I wear so much extra gear that I'mmuch less mobile. This also affects my control as well as my ability to look around properly.
When it's really coldI take the car...yes I'm over 40 and getting soft.
Cheers, Dave.

 

The rubber isn't as flexible when it cold. A bit like a squash ball, when its cold it has a fair bit of tension, when you've smacked it around a bit its gets hot and the ball goes all flexible and sticky.

The problem gets worse with old tyres as well. As the rubber ages it gets stiffer.

Old cold tyres, must feel like riding on bricks.

 

hey roger,i'm in atlanta ga. and i too am still riding to and from work with low temp in the low 30's and high in the 60's, currently riding a Diablo corso on the front and a dunlop on the back.After pulling off the 3 sleeping bags i wrap her up in before bed i back her out of the garage let her warm up and away i am, on my subdivision street i try to warm the tires a bit by doing the "nascar weaving" you see them do this on yellow flag laps to warm up the tires, i figure it cant hurt , i also take my gloves off after the 10 mile commute to work and feel just how warm my tires are, i do worry about the road being so cold but i just take it easy since i'm currently waiting for a "freind" to pay me back on a loan so i can afford a small car to get around on in the cold.

 

Just one tip. Weaving a bike side to side like a drunken fly doent heat up the tyres much in road tyres. Better off doing sudden acceleration in a straight line.

I know we dont have the cold weather like you have in the Northern Hemispher, but really modern touring & sports touring tyres are quite grippy from the word go.

 

Thats what I've learned to, the best method to geat heat in the tyres is to drive asfast as possible. The heat spreads well in the tyre and low speed weaving is less effective.