Tyres for cycling through snow

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  • tobyinhelsinki
    tobyinhelsinki Posts: 3
    Cheap second wheels seems sensible (although + cassette, + disc rotors makes "cheap relative I suppose), not the least because getting your Marathon Winters on can turn into something of an epic battle involving a number of broken tyre levers and much frustration. Do not try this outside on a frost night! :lol: Make sure the tyres are nice and warm before you begin fighting with them.
  • Big_Paul
    Big_Paul Posts: 277
    I have spare wheels so I can keep the Marathons on standby, it's not snow I'm worried about, we don't get much of it in Belfast, but it's the lack of gritting that we get in NI that means the side streets can be like ice rinks for days on end, last year it was so bad I could let the clutch out at idle on my motorbike and the back wheel just spun up gently without the bike moving, along with towpaths that aren't gritted because the Roads Service say they aren't roads, and the council won't do it because they say it's the job of the Roads Service. :roll:

    I didn't think they were that hard to get on the wheels, only needed one tyre lever. :)

    Schwalbe sent me some new studs and a few stickers, so I can't complain about any lack of service. :D
    Disc Trucker
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  • passout
    passout Posts: 4,425
    edited October 2012
    I've just bought some winters, £30 from spa cycles.

    Edit: £60 inclusive the pair - delivered next day
    'Happiness serves hardly any other purpose than to make unhappiness possible' Marcel Proust.
  • FJJ
    FJJ Posts: 43
    I'm thinking of some winter tyres for commuting on frosty mornings rather than full on snow - does anyone have any idea what tyres are best for that?

    Was thinking of Marathon Winters at first, but then saw the non-studded Continental Top Contact Winter II tyres which sound like they may be better suited to frosty cycle paths? They are nearly half the weight of the Marathon Winters...

    I cycle on a paved towpath so I'm keen not to end up in the freezing canal :shock:
  • alfablue
    alfablue Posts: 8,497
    I got the Marathon Winters 2 years ago and found them excellent, and at times made it possible to get to work when driving and walking was near impossible.

    I got mine from a German shop as there was no stock left in UK, but worked out a lot cheaper and arrived within 4 days. They are currently 32 euros and delivery is just 5.95 euros, so around £57 for a set delivered.
  • Initialised
    Initialised Posts: 3,047
    FJJ wrote:
    I cycle on a paved towpath so I'm keen not to end up in the freezing canal :shock:
    I'll bet that doesn't get gritted, probably best of with marathon winters.
    I used to just ride my bike to work but now I find myself going out looking for bigger and bigger hills.
  • Bordersroadie
    Bordersroadie Posts: 1,052
    FJJ wrote:
    I'm thinking of some winter tyres for commuting on frosty mornings rather than full on snow - does anyone have any idea what tyres are best for that?

    Was thinking of Marathon Winters at first, but then saw the non-studded Continental Top Contact Winter II tyres which sound like they may be better suited to frosty cycle paths? They are nearly half the weight of the Marathon Winters...

    I cycle on a paved towpath so I'm keen not to end up in the freezing canal :shock:

    If it's proper frost (ie ice/black ice/frozen puddles etc) then you have only two options - don't cycle, or cycle with studded tyres.

    No matter what rubber compound the tyres are or what the grip pattern looks like, nothing will grip proper ice except studs. Trust me, if you end up in A&E with a broken shoulder, an extra half kilo per tyre would have been, in hindsight, well worth it! I know because this happened to me prior to my using Marathon Winters.
  • FJJ
    FJJ Posts: 43
    Bordersroadie wrote:

    If it's proper frost (ie ice/black ice/frozen puddles etc) then you have only two options - don't cycle, or cycle with studded tyres.

    No matter what rubber compound the tyres are or what the grip pattern looks like, nothing will grip proper ice except studs. Trust me, if you end up in A&E with a broken shoulder, an extra half kilo per tyre would have been, in hindsight, well worth it! I know because this happened to me prior to my using Marathon Winters.

    Sounds like its a set of Marathon Winters then! I'll order up a set this weekend I think as there have been a few frosty mornings already...
  • rolf_f
    rolf_f Posts: 16,015
    Don't worry about the weight - use them only when you need them. Mine go on my MTB which is nice and stable for those conditions. I used the tyres 6 times this year and they probably weren't really necessary on any of them but they give confidence and it's better safe than sorry. If I didn't have a spare bike, I'd just take them off and put normal tyres back on as soon as the ice risk was gone.
    alfablue wrote:
    I got the Marathon Winters 2 years ago and found them excellent, and at times made it possible to get to work when driving and walking was near impossible.

    I got mine from a German shop as there was no stock left in UK, but worked out a lot cheaper and arrived within 4 days. They are currently 32 euros and delivery is just 5.95 euros, so around £57 for a set delivered.

    The German shops are cheap but I wouldn't regard £3 as 'a lot cheaper' :wink: . Spa is a more Brit economy friendly option but they do run out of stock at times. Always a good first point of call.
    Faster than a tent.......
  • alfablue
    alfablue Posts: 8,497
    Rolf F wrote:
    The German shops are cheap but I wouldn't regard £3 as 'a lot cheaper' :wink: . Spa is a more Brit economy friendly option but they do run out of stock at times. Always a good first point of call.
    No that's true, when I bought them there was no UK stock for under £80 per pair. Also, they may sell out quick in the UK if we get some serious winter weather. I agree about Spa, have used them on many occasions, they build great touring wheels.
  • Initialised
    Initialised Posts: 3,047
    Bordersroadie wrote:
    Trust me, if you end up in A&E with a broken shoulder, an extra half kilo per tyre would have been, in hindsight, well worth it! I know because this happened to me prior to my using Marathon Winters.

    Actually this happened to me running Snow Studs, apparently they don't like gripping tarmac through diesel when cornering at 20mph. To be fair I'd probably have wiped out on slicks or semis given the conditions and speed and greased tarmac. Just remember, they aren't magic even if they feel like it when they bite into the ice, don't get overconfident.
    I used to just ride my bike to work but now I find myself going out looking for bigger and bigger hills.
  • IanLD
    IanLD Posts: 423
    Got a pair of Continental Winter Contact 2s and a pair of Schwalbe Marathon Winters delivered last week.

    Fitted both at the weekend to check mudguard clearances on my hybrid.

    Continentals went on and off easily enough by hand. Schwalbe went on by hand, but needed levers to remove as the studs made gripping it akward.

    Continentals are 37mm section, but take up less space than the 35mm studded Schwalbes. I've got a slight concern over snow pick up on the front wheel and the small amount of clearance I have at the front fork crown. Will need to actually try them for real to see how this affects them.

    Haven't run the bike on any of them yet as I wanted some reasonable miles at the weekend on the Sport Contacts before the weather closes in.

    Have to say that I used to ride in all weathers and on sheet ice on tubs and never had a problem. Was careful in what I did, but not so trusting now...

    Looks like it will be a lot colder this weekend, so might try one pair out (and will need to get the Marathon Winters bedded in soon).

    http://www.peterwhitecycles.com/studdedtires.asp has a lot of useful information
  • Initialised
    Initialised Posts: 3,047
    Spray your tyres with GT45 to improve snow clearance and prevent it clogging up your guards.
    I used to just ride my bike to work but now I find myself going out looking for bigger and bigger hills.
  • mtbcommuter
    mtbcommuter Posts: 72
    Having read this post my mind has been made up, I've ordered a set of the Marathon Winters from Spa which I'm going to stick on my MTB to use on the bad days through winter and keep my Hybrid for the dry tarmac days.
  • nigglenoo
    nigglenoo Posts: 177
    I made my own with a spare set of knobblies and a couple of packets of self-tappers, time consuming but very cheap and worked a treat for the two bad winters 2009-2010 and 2010-2011, black ice down steep hills no problem with caution (buses going sideways were a worry though, as was standing up at stops). They have stayed hung up in the garage since then as a sort of talisman.
  • nicklouse
    nicklouse Posts: 50,675
    Initialised wrote:
    Spray your tyres with GT45 to improve snow clearance and prevent it clogging up your guards.
    cooking oil is a more environmental solution.
    "Do not follow where the path may lead, Go instead where there is no path, and Leave a Trail."
    Parktools :?:SheldonBrown
  • corshamjim
    corshamjim Posts: 234
    Initialised wrote:
    Spray your tyres with GT45 to improve snow clearance and prevent it clogging up your guards.

    Don't forget to spray your rims and disc brake rotors as well to stop them from corroding with all that road salt about. :twisted:
  • Initialised
    Initialised Posts: 3,047
    Might be putting the Studs on tomorrow if the forecast holds out.
    I used to just ride my bike to work but now I find myself going out looking for bigger and bigger hills.
  • nigglenoo
    nigglenoo Posts: 177
    The day I had to stop and walk round a bus that was sideways across the whole road which was a sheet of black ice I could have done with these: UK_75397_01_b.jpg As it was I looked like a reject from Dancing on Ice with my feet sliding out every which way. (These will be in Lidl shortly, wonder if they could be trimmed to fit round SPDs?)
  • Initialised
    Initialised Posts: 3,047
    nigglenoo wrote:
    The day I had to stop and walk round a bus that was sideways across the whole road which was a sheet of black ice I could have done with these: UK_75397_01_b.jpg As it was I looked like a reject from Dancing on Ice with my feet sliding out every which way. (These will be in Lidl shortly, wonder if they could be trimmed to fit round SPDs?)
    Couldn't you just get a code of packs of spare studs and fit them to your shoes?

    Anyone else used their cleats to help stop on ice?
    I used to just ride my bike to work but now I find myself going out looking for bigger and bigger hills.
  • corshamjim
    corshamjim Posts: 234
    Initialised wrote:
    Might be putting the Studs on tomorrow if the forecast holds out.

    Yep me too. I need to clean the bike first though. All this rain has washed the entire field on to the road and turned it in to something resembling a Glastonbury Festival.
  • Initialised
    Initialised Posts: 3,047
    Was nice to have (mostly) dry day today even if it was bitterly cold. Overheat up the hill, brainfreeze on the way down.
    I used to just ride my bike to work but now I find myself going out looking for bigger and bigger hills.
  • BR 1979
    BR 1979 Posts: 296
    I have a commute consisting of 5 miles on back roads in North Bedfordshire. On the council gritting plan, but I am sure ice will feature at some point (first winter of being here). I take my bike on the train and then have 2-3 miles in London.

    Am I going to kill a set of Marathon Winters using like this? How quickly do the studs wear if used on non icy tarmac? Clearly one can't take a temperature reading every morning and one never knows where some runoff from a field might have frozen etc.

    Actually, can I even get these in the size I'd need? Probably max I can fit is 700 x 28 (R500 rims).
  • BUR70N
    BUR70N Posts: 182
    I have been pondering this, changing tyres to something like CX or proper studded affairs.

    But how do I know they will fit/clear the frame etc? I have 700x23c Gators currently on my Langster but is it a case of just measuring the clearance?
    http://www.bluebirdnet.co.uk
  • corshamjim
    corshamjim Posts: 234
    BR 1979 wrote:
    I have a commute consisting of 5 miles on back roads in North Bedfordshire. On the council gritting plan, but I am sure ice will feature at some point (first winter of being here). I take my bike on the train and then have 2-3 miles in London.

    Am I going to kill a set of Marathon Winters using like this? How quickly do the studs wear if used on non icy tarmac?

    I used my Marathon Winter tyres right through from November to March last year every day 4 mile each way commute and they're still bearing up well. Studs still making a reassuring crunchy noise on the tarmac. My riding style is very sedate though. Your mileage may vary.
  • IanLD
    IanLD Posts: 423
    Schwalbe Winter Marathon's bedded in now and on to Continental Top Contact Winter II. No weather up here to warrant them yet - slicks are fine apart from wet leaves.

    No stud loss in 35 miles on the Schwalbe's with them run at 70psi.
  • fossyant
    fossyant Posts: 2,549
    Tungsten Carbide studs will outlast the tyres. On my 4th winter with snow studs.

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