What do these butcher’s boots and tyres have in common?
Ever wondered what those tiny cuts in tyres are? Well, they are called sipes, but the story goes back to 1923 when Sipes were first invented and patented by John F. Sipe. John worked in a slaughterhouse and grew tired of slipping on the bloody floors. He found that cutting slits in the tread on the soles of his boots provided better traction than the uncut tread.
Same goes for tyres, these tiny cuts reduce slipping in the wet. As the tyre tread comes in contact with the bitumen, the Sipes expand, forming an area which sucks in then squeezes water out giving you more bite and providing a firm contact between the tread and the road.
Sipes are a critical feature, especially in the winter months to keep the tyres firmly and squarely on the road and running balanced and true.
Cooper’s latest generation sipes are thinner and have an interlocking mechanism – it’s called the 3D Micro Gauge Sipe. The benefit of having the thinner Sipe is that it can be cut deeper into the tread block so the tyre will keep gripping right through its life, not just the first 20 or 30 thousand kilometres.
This locking mechanism prevents the tread block from twisting and this increases stability and performance, keeping its shape while the Sipe does its job clearing the water out of the tread.
The 3D Micro Gauge Sipe is all about safer and longer performance.
Find a tyre with this technology or call 1300 858 476.