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Old 01-12-09, 02:57 PM
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tsl
Plays in traffic
 
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Join Date: May 2006
Location: Rochester, NY
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Bikes: 1996 Litespeed Classic, 2006 Trek Portland, 2013 Ribble Winter/Audax, 2016 Giant Talon 4

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Schwalbe makes 'em in 20".

Near as I can tell, there are four ways to deal with studded snows:
  1. Put 'em on and leave 'em on.
  2. Swap the tires as desired.
  3. Use two wheelsets, swapping as desired.
  4. Use two bikes.

There is no correct choice, only whatever works best for you.

EDIT: This applies to tires with carbide studs. They hold up well against dry pavement. Plain steel studs are probably best swapped ASAP after a melt. /EDIT

My first winter I planned on "Put 'em on and leave 'em on". In 700C, they're much heavier than road tires, and I quickly adopted "Swap the tires as desired".

My second winter, I used two wheelsets, swapping as desired. The other advantage there was that I could use a lower-range cassette to help compensate for the added pedaling resistance. The road wheelset has a 12-23 and the winter wheelset has a 16-27.

Currently in my third winter, I put fenders on my fair-weather bike too. I have lots of choices now.

Last edited by tsl; 01-12-09 at 03:03 PM.
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