Tires - page 2

In 1920, John F. Sipe worked on a slaughterhouse floor in New York City’s meatpacking district. He spent his days shoveling guts into machinery wearing work boots with thick rubber soles. These boots slipped a lot on the slick factory floor, and after falling one too many times, John started to experiment with modifying them. 

He found that carving perpendicular notches into the tread of his work boots improved his traction drastically — plummeting his rate of workplace falls. 

And thus, the “sipe” was born. 

At least, as legend would have it.

While bouncing over rocks, free-falling down drops, and full-sending off dirt ramps, a downhill mountain biker can reach speeds of up to 30 miles per hour. It’s the kind of speed where a wrong move results in a gnarly scrape, on a lucky day. An intoxicating mix of nerves, balance, and potential calamity, the adrenaline rush that results from an intense downhill trail ride is necessary to stay alive and alert — and thrilling enough to keep everyone pedaling back for more.

When it comes to carving your mark upon rugged and untamed terrain, the best tire can make all the difference.