Tire A tire in which the cord of the sidewalls is only covered with a very thin coat of rubber, if any. This makes the tire more flexible, for lower rolling resistance , but the sidewalls are more easily damaged than those of blackwalls or gumwalls. Every other roller engages a sprocket tooth. This type of chain was in common use up until around World War Two. See also block chain .
Slick tires are smooth and silent running, and have excellent traction.
They have the lowest rolling resistance of all tire styles. Many people reject them because they look slippery, but in practice, they are not. Tread patterns on road tires are purely cosmetic, and have no practical value. SLR Brakes S himano L inear R esponse, a series of friction-reducing modifications introduced in the late 1980's in the Shimano 105 group. Nylon spring bumpers.