Best tire tread for long wear

[wrenchin 4 fun]

Went for a quick jaunt with wifey this morning. The impressive little HuaSheng rips up to 30 without even trying. She sounds good with stock air filter and stock muffler, but roller is noisy on knobbys. Will probably ride this way until the tire wears out. Wifey wants to keep this simple friction setup so guests can ride when they visit. The gravity clutch works flawlessly, couldn't be happier with the scissor lift. For enthusiasts with limited skills, this setup is easy to build from scrap and a reliable engine. Doesn't matter if it's a 2- stroke or 4-stroke and you don't need a clutch or chain.

 

[JDRuby]

My Schwalbe Magic Mary rear tire is great for off-roading, but I'm not sure it's a good fit for the friction drive since it's showing signs of premature wear. Since they are kind of expensive I don't want to wear them out. I've checked my setup and the roller is not slipping so that's not the problem. Could be that knobby tires and friction drive are incompatible? If so, I might be switching this bike to another drive system.

Billy bonkers

 

[3oldfurther3]

If you can use a 26x2.125 tire I have been using this Schwinn branded Inova tire pretty much exclusively for friction drives since the 2000s. It does well enough for me in rocky shallow sand on the rare occasion I am off pavement but I have no Idea how suitable it would be for your needs, however the cost to try would be relatively reasonable if you can use a 26x2.125 tire.

Amazon.com

 

[wrenchin 4 fun]

Thanks for the tip, 3oldfurther3. The Scwalbes on the bike now are 26 x 250 mountain bike tires. Since I brought this issue up, I figured out the noise was not from the knobby tires, but from a loose roller set screw which allowed it to wobble. I have since added a tight spacer between the roller housing and the engine's output shaft. It should run smoother now and the wear is not a big deal since my other bike is my main rider so this one will get limited use.

 

[Darwin]

Consensus is correct, knobbies don't wear well with FD's. Think of the contact area vs a tire with a tread design.