Anybody on Ice Tyres Yet?

meanredspider

Stuck the Ice Spiker Pros on the MTB in preparation for the ice tomorrow morning - 8.30pm and the temp is a paltry 1.3C. Anybody else on the ice tyres? There's snow already on Ben Wyvis and we flew in through snow as we came into land at Inverness airport last night.

meanredspider

Just a thought - how many other folk are doing a 30 mile RT commute on an MTB with nobblies over the winter months?

asprilla

Not yet. Need to remove a seized bb from a frame so I can build it up and put the spikes on it.

fossyant

Not yet. I will be getting the MTB ready for winter icy commutes shortly. Already have snow studs, coming to their 4th winter. Just got full guards which should just fit as I take an off road route when it's bad, that's often muddy and gritty so will keep the crap down. I will only be using it when the roads are icy though, otherwise I will stick to the road bike.

rubertoe

Down here in Laaaandaaaaan, I'll put the racing ralphs on when it gets a bit colder, doubt i'll go for the full studded jobbies, it just doesn't get that cold or icy.

rolf_f

Not til December January probably. I'd have a bit of a problem with ice right now as my MTB frame is away right now (more to be reported when it returns!).

jejv

No frost forcast here in the next few days.

asprilla

rubertoe wrote:

Down here in Laaaandaaaaan, I'll put the racing ralphs on when it gets a bit colder, doubt i'll go for the full studded jobbies, it just doesn't get that cold or icy.

Dunno; I've had some fantastic commutes in the snow in RP.

Kieran_Burns

I'm sorting my old Tricross with CX tyres and removing the guards so it's going to be my snow / ice bike. I.e. the one I don't mind dropping when things get slippy.

bompington

Had my first proper sub-zero commute of the winter last week, -2.5 in Perth. No ice to speak of on roads yet though.
As last year, I'll get the studs (Schwalbe snow studs) on Bomp jr.'s bike for his paper round, I can then swap them onto my MTB for commutes - last winter was a bit of a damp squib & only used them twice.

Initialised

Got my rear ready and waiting in the shed, the rim has a slight ding but you don't really need a rear brake. New front rim on the way so I'll swap over and keep the worn rim it's replacing for the front Studs. Should just be a case of putting them on the night before the white stuff comes.

I won't be doing 30miles a day but should be doing a fair few 25 mile days as I have 1250ish miles to do by the end of the year (11 weeks) to hit 5000 miles.

roger_merriman

the tyres the MTB has on it are big soft compound spiky things which make short work of snow and ice.

Being london tends not to be needed.

meanredspider

Definitely going to need them this morning - frozen hard here after quite a bit of rain yesterday

itboffin

Going to need a boat and sail here, start sending the animals in pairs please

jonnyboy77

Conti TopContact Winters on stand by

spasypaddy

rubertoe wrote:

Down here in Laaaandaaaaan, I'll put the racing ralphs on when it gets a bit colder, doubt i'll go for the full studded jobbies, it just doesn't get that cold or icy.

really?

I have studded tyres on my CX but then when im on it i take a few trails to get home rather than the direct route.

team47b

WTF. :shock:

Kieran_Burns

Hmmm... I will be running Vittoria XG pro (35c) tyres. I assume that these will be okay for everything except full on ice right? I'd hate to have to fork out for another set of tyres.

rubertoe

spasypaddy wrote:

rubertoe wrote:

Down here in Laaaandaaaaan, I'll put the racing ralphs on when it gets a bit colder, doubt i'll go for the full studded jobbies, it just doesn't get that cold or icy.

really?

I have studded tyres on my CX but then when im on it i take a few trails to get home rather than the direct route.

I'm on Pretty main roads for the whole of my commute - so really not required for me.

spasypaddy

rubertoe wrote:

spasypaddy wrote:

rubertoe wrote:

Down here in Laaaandaaaaan, I'll put the racing ralphs on when it gets a bit colder, doubt i'll go for the full studded jobbies, it just doesn't get that cold or icy.

really?

I have studded tyres on my CX but then when im on it i take a few trails to get home rather than the direct route.

I'm on Pretty main roads for the whole of my commute - so really not required for me.

i know, im a barnet boy born and bred. but even still id get ice tyres for the winter as when it snows IT snows.

rubertoe

spasypaddy wrote:

rubertoe wrote:

spasypaddy wrote:

rubertoe wrote:

Down here in Laaaandaaaaan, I'll put the racing ralphs on when it gets a bit colder, doubt i'll go for the full studded jobbies, it just doesn't get that cold or icy.

really?

I have studded tyres on my CX but then when im on it i take a few trails to get home rather than the direct route.

I'm on Pretty main roads for the whole of my commute - so really not required for me.

i know, im a barnet boy born and bred. but even still id get ice tyres for the winter as when it snows IT snows.

Might get them for a bit of Hillside Garden snowy Hill repeats! :shock: :shock:

spasypaddy

rubertoe wrote:

Might get them for a bit of Hillside Garden snowy Hill repeats! :shock: :shock:

haha fuck that, in the snow ive come off just on the high road between finchley and whetstone, i was also riding fixed and clipped in, and came off in new barnet going under the bridge.

Now i ride a CX with studs and MTB pedals when it snows and its much more fun and safer. I go over to the brent reservoir and ride a few trails there just for fun when im on the CX

rubertoe

spasypaddy wrote:

quote]

Now i ride a CX with studs and MTB pedals when it snows and its much more fun and safer. I go over to the brent reservoir and ride a few trails there just for fun when im on the CX

Will definatly be changing To SPD fron the SPD - SL in the near future

vorsprung

meanredspider wrote:

Just a thought - how many other folk are doing a 30 mile RT commute on an MTB with nobblies over the winter months?

Couple of years ago I was doing the icey period on Marathon Winters

Nowhere near enough cold here in Devon for even thinking about the ice tyres yet!

There's only been a couple of frosts

Clairep

No problem on main roads to Dingwall today, too early to put studs on mtb - only used it for 3 weeks in December last year ..

meanredspider

The roads were mostly clear today with the only ice on the road being at the top of my first climb despite heavy ice on the cars. The ground is still too warm (an effect that reverses in the spring :roll: ). It's given my legs a good workout though which they needed after two weeks not riding and eating American-style.

DrLex

To those of you who've requested spare studs from Schwalbe, did you just mail the contact link on the U.K. website?
Should get cracking with the pliers to get back to 100% coverage - one bedding-in ride cost me 6 studs. On the up side, no need for them 'twixt December & March - my major concern being the trajectory of other road users when such are required.

meanredspider

DrLex wrote:

To those of you who've requested spare studs from Schwalbe, did you just mail the contact link on the U.K. website?
Should get cracking with the pliers to get back to 100% coverage - one bedding-in ride cost me 6 studs. On the up side, no need for them 'twixt December & March - my major concern being the trajectory of other road users when such are required.

Were they Marathon Winters? I found them by far the worst for losing studs - both Ice Spikers and Ice Spiker Pros were better for me than the W***ers - my Pros are on their 3rd winter and have lost only about 6 studs out of over 300 per tyre

DrLex

meanredspider wrote:

[...]
Were they Marathon Winters? [...]

Yes; but I'm happy with their performance as a talisman against icy weather.

meanredspider

DrLex wrote:

meanredspider wrote:

[...]
Were they Marathon Winters? [...]

Yes; but I'm happy with their performance as a talisman against icy weather.

They're the only one of the 3 ice tyres I've used that I've crashed on - and they are sooooo heavy. That said, they're good for 700c wheels. I use Ice Spiker Pros since I realised my CX bike with Winters on was heavier than my MTB with Spikers.

meanredspider

Well the gritting lorries were out tonight and it's already 1C - another Spiker day tomorrow perhaps. Certainly giving the legs a good workout