Post
by Jonathan Harms » Mon Mar 01, 2010 5:14 am
John, I agree with Jani, as I think most people would. Why? Because TS and GS typically make very different demands of a wheel. GS tends to have wider, more drawn-out turns (across the fall line) that favor traction, while TS tends to have much quicker, less offset turns (down the fall line) that favor snappiness and fast reaction; they still need some grip, obviously, but not as much as GS. (This is also why some riders will shave down the width or the lip of their wheels for TS; by shaving off some or all of the flexible lip(s) of the wheel, the wheels react even more quickly to turns instead of "mushing" or flattening out.) So yes, most riders can and do use softer wheels for GS than for TS.
That's the general "rule." However, as Robert and Philip point out, some people find that if the weather and/or pavement gets really hot, a firmer wheel might actually offer better traction than an overly soft wheel. Also, although the durometer of a wheel is "fixed," how it actually feels is somewhat relative, depending on the rider's weight. An 80A wheel may feel firm and cushy and fast to someone who weighs 120 lbs., but to someone who weighs 260 lbs., that same wheel may feel extremely mushy, like trying to drive your car on underinflated tires. That explains why Philip, Miguel "Mig" Marco and other bigger guys tend to ride harder wheels. For them, an 86A or 89A rides more like a softer durometer does for lightweight riders.
