Studded Tyres

iclestu

anyone use studded tyres for frosty conditions? Recommendations?

I'd love to go through winter and the cold doesnt put me off at all its just the icy conditions. I have a lot of my commute on untreated roads. i look out the window and if i see frost I just dont risk it.

Keiron Curtis

iclestu wrote:

anyone use studded tyres for frosty conditions? Recommendations?

I'd love to go through winter and the cold doesnt put me off at all its just the icy conditions. I have a lot of my commute on untreated roads. i look out the window and if i see frost I just dont risk it.

I second that, asked the question here before, didn't get much of a response, but would love to read about others experience with studded tyres, or perhaps no one has?

asprilla

Not yet, but having looked on other boards I've just purchased some Schwalbe Marathon Winters 700x35c with 240 studs. They are currently sitting at my wife's office waiting for her to bring them home.

Sorry, that's no help at all.

jeremyrundle

Actually I dont have studded tyres but just out of interest I tried snow chains, well my own design though probably done many times before.

Get some small link chain, the silver finish usually used in the house like old toilet pull, and cheap cable ties, I use these for almost everything including attaching items to be posted to my bike.

Measure out a length that fits round the tyre, wrapping it between the spokes, I used every other one, and secure across with a cable tie every other one, worked great.

Total cost £15.

downfader

jeremyrundle wrote:

Actually I dont have studded tyres but just out of interest I tried snow chains, well my own design though probably done many times before.

Get some small link chain, the silver finish usually used in the house like old toilet pull, and cheap cable ties, I use these for almost everything including attaching items to be posted to my bike.

Measure out a length that fits round the tyre, wrapping it between the spokes, I used every other one, and secure across with a cable tie every other one, worked great.

Total cost £15.

How are you going to brake? :?

warpcow

I've avoided them for the last few years, thinking they were overpriced and wouldn't make a difference. However I eventually bit the bullet a couple of weeks ago and purchased some Nokian Hakka W106s. I'm really impressed by the improvement over standard tyres. I fitted them immediately to get thorugh the run in period and, when it finally got frosty this week, it's almost like riding with slightly draggy normal tyres. They're not really that expensive when I look at it now (and considering how I change my MTB's tyres with the seasons).

I chose the Nokians because they are generally rated as highly as Schwalbe but without the faff of changing tyre pressure depending on how much snow there is.

squired

Last winter I purchased Schwalbe Snow Stud MTB tyres due to my commute taking in a number of country lanes that get very icy.

I'm not particularly heavy (about 10 st), which probably doesn't help the studs grip. I managed to stay upright all winter with these tyres, so would like to think that they were somewhat successful. Having said that, there was still a little bit of slipping with the tyres (partly because of a lack of studs in the central tread no doubt). I also used them when the snow came and again they worked relatively well. I found them difficult to ride on when the snow became compacted and rutted. I also found riding uphill on snow caused a lot of wheel spin, no matter what the tyre pressure.

As a tyre that can be used in normal conditions but also with ice/snow I think the snow stud is a fairly decent option, but I've no doubt that something like the ice spiker would be far more effective. I'd only use that tyre if I had a spare set of wheels to change over according to conditions.

The Rookie

downfader wrote:

How are you going to brake? :?

Using his discs at a guess?

Simon

jeremyrundle

How are you going to brake? :?[/quote]


Disks........,

For all my life I have had more pleasure in "finding" a solution than buying one.

How much more pleasufun it was finding my own solution for three rear lights than buying one, and at no cost.

http://sirpatrickmooresales.co.uk/Ourpage.aspx

No drilling required.

downfader

Ahh right disk brake. Fair enough.

ndru

Or better still - drum brake.

KentS

I have Nokian Hakka on my MTB for winter commuting. They work very good, especially on ice. The grip is amazing. The weight and rolling resistance is not very fun though. Not a bike you would choose for an ice/snow-free winter day.

shouldbeinbed

I've struggled to find them for my 700 x 35/38 wheels.

I stumbled across some Innova ones in Clas Ohlsen(?) a newish sell everything place in Manchester Arndale. not put em on yet but quite looking forward to trying them out. nothing ventured and all that.

at least I'll have some grip when the cars slide and bounce off me

callow82

Got a set I use on a Tricross, 700c. Never let me down in all conditions last winter, icy patches, shallow snow, deeper snow. Even use them on -10 days for road rides to have a bit of extra confidence and not too bad, just a bit draggy. They got me through some days when there was no way my car was going anywhere. I guess its almost time to dig them out again...

tomb353

I ran two schwalbe winter marathon from november to march last winter. Only change this year is that i'll use front only initially and only fit back when it snows. The back tyre studs were coming thru and puncturing tube by the end of last season so will be bonding old tyre to the inside this year. Schwalbe send me a supply of spare studs and i've a few left.

You quickly get used to the weight and the road buzz, they work......

chicken_leg

Can anyone recommend a stockist?
Our house is within 100m of a treated main road, but the first 20 yards was a real challenge for my car last January. If the bike can be made to do it, it will save me the embarrassment of spending five minutes clearing snow from the car only to spend the next ten squirming about on the slope with no traction. Even at fifty quid a boot it would be cheaper than snow tyres for the car
Cheers
G

Lancslad

callow82 wrote:

Got a set I use on a Tricross, 700c. Never let me down in all conditions last winter, icy patches, shallow snow, deeper snow. Even use them on -10 days for road rides to have a bit of extra confidence and not too bad, just a bit draggy. They got me through some days when there was no way my car was going anywhere. I guess its almost time to dig them out again...

Which ones did you use? As a fellow tricross owner who commutes 17m on it I would like some reliable ones. last winter I couldnt even get the car out of my street a few times.

resus1uk

Last winter I coped on sheet ice with a pair of Marathon Snow Stud tyres on an old MTB.

This year I have put a Marathon Winter tyre on the drive wheel of my winter trike. The Snow Studs are now on the front & idler wheels. These older tyres have two rows of studs, a row on each edge, whereas thenew Winter has them spread across the whole tread.

Running in the tyres on the trike reults in a lot of "scouring" sounds on the road & noticeable increased grip from the drive wheel

tomb353

best price i've found is from bike24.net , just search for winter marathon and they have both 26" and 700C in various widths

asprilla

I ordered my Marathon Winters from Spa Cycles and recieved them a few days later.

resus1uk

I got my Marathon Winter for my trike drive wheel last week from Spa's shop as I was in Harrogate. They only had one left.in 26 inch

They stressed the need to run in the tyres before use on snow & ice, at least 25 miles on tarmac

callow82

On the tricross I had Nokian Hakkepelliita in 700x35. That was what was recommended here in Canada and there's plenty of snowy ice days.

rolf_f

resus1uk wrote:

I got my Marathon Winter for my trike drive wheel last week from Spa's shop as I was in Harrogate. They only had one left.in 26 inch

They stressed the need to run in the tyres before use on snow & ice, at least 25 miles on tarmac

They almost had none left - I'd have bought that tyre if they'd had two! More due in November.

wyadvd

http://www.icebike.org/Equipment/tires.htm

wyadvd

http://www.peterwhitecycles.com/studdedtires.asp

wyadvd

try bike24 (german website)

fossyant

Got Snow studs on my MTB, work well at 30 PSI. The MTB comes out on icy or snowy days, otherwise it's the fixed road bike. They were fab last year with two - three weeks road/track/off road commutes in thick snow and ice.