Ghetto spiked tyres - the write-up
the_moodster
Posts: 273
So i saw the thread on STW about making your own spiked tyres and thought 'i've got an old pair of tyres in the garage, why not!'
so i got a box of 200 12mm screws, a big roll of duck tape and my old tyres and set to. i pilot drilled through the centre of the nobbles so i knew where the screws would go inside the carcass and it used the best part of 200 screws! i didn't bother with trimming or grinding the tips down, and put the best part of three layers of duck tape over the screw heads inside the tyre to protect the tubes.
this was the end result:
after riding on them today, my observations are as follows:
they increase rolling resistance A LOT (yes i know thats obvious when you think about it)
they work! - on sheet ice on the roads i had complete control and could turn and brake with confidence, however they didn't appear to give me much of an egde on powder or soft snow, where the rolling resistance became more of an issue.
use high tyre pressure - i suffered a couple of pinch flats, but they weren't directly caused by the screws in the carcass. i think what happened is that when the bike was trying to slide the spikes were gripping and pulling the tyre over on the rim leading to pinch flats (poor technique is also a likely cause too)
duck tape isn't an effective liner - on removing the tyre from the rim on my return the screws had worn through thinner patches of duck tape.
so the mark 2 will have the screw tips ground down to 1-1.5 mm and be using a proper tyre liner like the jobbies slime make - if the snow and ice stick around that is.
and in the intrests of back to back testing, i'm off out again tomorrow round the same trails on my nobby nics to see how much grip i've got without spikes :twisted:
so i got a box of 200 12mm screws, a big roll of duck tape and my old tyres and set to. i pilot drilled through the centre of the nobbles so i knew where the screws would go inside the carcass and it used the best part of 200 screws! i didn't bother with trimming or grinding the tips down, and put the best part of three layers of duck tape over the screw heads inside the tyre to protect the tubes.
this was the end result:
after riding on them today, my observations are as follows:
they increase rolling resistance A LOT (yes i know thats obvious when you think about it)
they work! - on sheet ice on the roads i had complete control and could turn and brake with confidence, however they didn't appear to give me much of an egde on powder or soft snow, where the rolling resistance became more of an issue.
use high tyre pressure - i suffered a couple of pinch flats, but they weren't directly caused by the screws in the carcass. i think what happened is that when the bike was trying to slide the spikes were gripping and pulling the tyre over on the rim leading to pinch flats (poor technique is also a likely cause too)
duck tape isn't an effective liner - on removing the tyre from the rim on my return the screws had worn through thinner patches of duck tape.
so the mark 2 will have the screw tips ground down to 1-1.5 mm and be using a proper tyre liner like the jobbies slime make - if the snow and ice stick around that is.
and in the intrests of back to back testing, i'm off out again tomorrow round the same trails on my nobby nics to see how much grip i've got without spikes :twisted:
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Comments
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you will have a better ride on the NNs
spikes are only any use on hard pack snow (roads un-salted) and ice."Do not follow where the path may lead, Go instead where there is no path, and Leave a Trail."
Parktools :?:SheldonBrown0 -
Ever thought of Dragons' Den?
Are the NNs Evo? - £40 a tyre? - persumably worn out tyre.Giant XTC SE 2006
Cube LTD Race 2009
Trek Fuel EX 90 -
oh no, i'm not proposing to ghetto spike the NNs, those are my good tryes; they're back on the bike now and ready for the mornings adventures.
this was a set of mythos xc i've had knocking around for about 8 years and the rear carcass was (ironically) shredded by a screw while out on a ride a while back. i chucked a bit of super glue on it reinforce the damaged area and then shredded the rest of the carcass with lots more little screws :shock:0 -
I keep thinking about making some getto spikes, but to be honest Ive not really been having many issues running 2.25 Nobby Nics in the snow. Have been commuting 4 miles each way on them to Reading, and riden 35 miles each to see the other half on them as I couldnt get my car out.
You'd be supprised how good they are. I dont think Im going to bother making spikes as I doubt they'd see any use for the next 10 years come a weeks time.0 -
well after todays outing on the NNs i'm sticking with the NN for snow. they're much better off road.
but if I were doing a lot of commuting on hard packed snow or icey roads i'd be using the spikes for sure. the control they gave me on ice i couldn't stand up on was amazing for something i literally bodged up in the back room.
it was a fun experiment for sh*ts and giggles
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