Rubber compounds for heavy-duty truck and bus tire treads and methods relating thereto

A method comprising:

• compounding:
• 5 to 100 parts by weight per hundred parts by weight rubber (phr) of a long chain branched cyclopentene ring-opening rubber (LCB-CPR) having a glass transition temperature (Tg) of −120° C. to −80° C., a g′vis of 0.50 to 0.91, and a ratio of cis-to-trans of 40:60 to 5:95;
• 0 phr to 95 phr of a rubber selected from a group consisting of a natural rubber (NR), a polybutadiene rubber (BR), and a combination thereof;
• 30 phr to 90 phr of a reinforcing filler;
• and
• 0.5 phr to 20 phr of a process oil.

A heavy-duty truck or bus tire tread comprising rubber compound that comprises:

• 5 to 100 parts by weight per hundred parts by weight rubber (phr) of a CPR having a glass transition temperature (Tg) of −120° C. to −80° C., and a ratio of cis to trans of 40:60 to 5:95;
• 0 phr to 95 phr of a rubber selected from a group consisting of a natural rubber (NR), a polybutadiene rubber (BR), and a combination thereof;
• 30 phr to 90 phr of a reinforcing filler;
• and
• 0.5 phr to 20 phr of a process oil.