Etc - Tyre temperature

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Tyre temperature

Printed From: BHPC Forum
Category: Public: Open to anyone
Forum Name: Etc
Forum Description: Any other racing-related topics
URL: https://forum.bhpc.org.uk/forum_posts.asp?TID=7852
Printed Date: 26 March 2026 at 11:30pm
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 12.07 - https://www.webwizforums.com

Topic: Tyre temperature

Posted By: LWaB
Subject: Tyre temperature
Date Posted: 20 December 2025 at 10:06am

I have been commuting for years (250-300km/ week pretty much year round) and always found my trip time was significantly slower in winter for the same perceived effort and gear ratio (fixed wheel). My excuses included reduced top end fitness (not a significant factor at my modest average speed), extra warmer clothing increasing resistance to leg movement (trivial) and denser air (not really true).

Escape Collective’s Ronan has been doing tyre testing this year and their most surprising result was “Tyre temperature might be the most critical variable nobody has been measuring”. Apparently rolling resistance noticeably increases as temperatures drop to single figures.

It is good to have another excuse for my lack of performance…

Replies:

Posted By: Yanto
Date Posted: 20 December 2025 at 10:38pm

I thought it was well known, us velomobile riders always notice a big decrease in speed when temps drop due to increased resistance, also well known in automotive world. Something to do with hysteresis of the compounds increasing. I think Wim Schermer did some tyre resistance testing at different temps.

Posted By: LWaB
Date Posted: 21 December 2025 at 7:23am

There has always been a measured increase in rolling resistance as temps dropped but the increase has generally been assumed to be fairly linear and small. This has found it to be strongly non-linear with reliable and repeatable increases in rolling resistance of 20 watts over surprisingly small temperature ranges.

Most of the bicycle tyre rolling resistance comparison tests do not consider or control temperature.