Rubber Is a Visco Elastic Material

Rubber is what's called a visco elastic material. So it sits between an elastic solid and a very sticky or viscous fluid. And that means as a tire rolls across the ground, it kind of lingers in place ever so slightly to give it grip. That concept is called indentation. It's the main way that our tires really, and whether they're race tires or or bike tires, are made.