Tyre temperature

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   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…

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LWaB Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List BHPC Member Joined: 13 August 2016 Status: Online Points: 277	Post Options Post Reply Quote LWaB Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Topic: Tyre temperature 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…

Yanto Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Moderator Group Joined: 11 July 2005 Status: Offline Points: 1521	Post Options Post Reply Quote Yanto Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply 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.

LWaB Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List BHPC Member Joined: 13 August 2016 Status: Online Points: 277	Post Options Post Reply Quote LWaB Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply 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. Edited by LWaB - 21 December 2025 at 9:55am