Have bike, will travel
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Lake Geneva, WI
Posts: 12,284
Bikes: Ridley Helium SLX, Canyon Endurance SL, De Rosa Professional, Eddy Merckx Corsa Extra, Schwinn Paramount (1 painted, 1 chrome), Peugeot PX10, Serotta Nova X, Simoncini Cyclocross Special, Raleigh Roker, Pedal Force CG2 and CX2
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Originally Posted by
MinnMan
I'm thinking of running knobby tires this winter instead. The studs - particularly carbide studs on a fat tire - make for a heavy tire with lots of rolling resistance. Holding 14 MPH on the winterbike takes about the same effort as 20 MPH on a road bike (both on a dry road).
I also tend to limit my use of studded tires to those days when icy patches are frequent and unavoidable. When the pavement is 95% dry and the few icy patches are easy to avoid, there are tires without studs that work well.
I've used the Schwalbe Marathon Cross as a winter tire with very good results. The tire is fast on dry pavement and is stable on flat ice and hardpack snow while centered over the bike. Yes, a fall is a risk, but the rider would need to brake or turn abruptly at a faster pace to invite disaster. The Schwalbe Marathon Cross is no longer sold, but the Schwalbe Marathon Dureme should work equally well on mostly dry winter streets.
Continental has a stud-less winter tire, the Top Contact Winter, that is engineered for winter and provides traction without studs:
http://www.conti-online.com/generato...remium_en.html
The Top Contact Winter tire may not offer the high levels of grip on ice and hardpack snow that a studded tire offers, but is much faster on dry pavement.
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When I ride my bike I feel free and happy and strong. I'm liberated from the usual nonsense of day to day life. Solid, dependable, silent, my bike is my horse, my fighter jet, my island, my friend. Together we will conquer that hill and thereafter the world.
Last edited by Barrettscv; 10-19-12 at 02:59 PM.