Originally Posted by
rumrunn6
after riding yesterday my opinion is that if the OP is pumping the tires to their MAX pressure then he doesn't need studded snow tires in that width and those conditions don't warrant it. he would be better off with a narrower road tire (maybe studded). I mean if the roads are clear enough for max pressure on a wide studded tire then maybe he should be running a thinner tire. and of the roads are clear of snow then he should be using a regular road tire. (although he didn't write what size the tires were: 26" 700c?)
I ride 700c tires. I have a 21 mile commute to the office and even though I watch the weather forecasts very closely I've been caught in snows that arrived earlier than predicted several times in the past four years. I over pressurize my tires for a majority of my commutes but reduce pressure when the conditions get worse. I also often encounter ice on the bike paths in the morning when the temps the day before were above freezing. The worst patch is at the bottom of a hill where the path makes a sweeping right turn. I still remember the first time I encountered this ice patch! I'm glad I landed in the deep grass beside the trail.
My original question was asking about risks I was taking by over pressurizing my tires. I know I will be taking an efficiency hit with these tires. I've decided to take the risk of blowing a tire off the rim or worse causing a rim failure. I find the tires run slightly less resistance at 85 psi enough when ridden 40+ miles in a day to make it worth it. Also, on the W106's the studs are set off-center so the noise is less when riding straight so I probably have less stud wear. Again, I bleed off some pressure when the conditions warrant.
Thanks for all the input. I'll let you know if I survive the winter.
Regards,
Tom Moritz