Commuting - How important to break in my Nokian's?

We have about 3 cm of snow, and are expecting 1-3 cm more. The documentation with my nokian studded tire (hakka something or other in finnish) says that I should ride them in dry conditions (no braking or turning either!) for 50 km to condition them before putting them to a snow test.

So how important is it? Has anyone skipped the conditioning and had their studs fall out?

My other question is that I have the stud on the front only - there's a lot less weight on the front - so does it get conditioned that way anyway?

Thanks

I rode my Extreme 294's on dry pavement for 75km as instructed and it didn't make a difference to loosing/keeping studs.

On my commutes, I did not loose any studs as road surfaces are fairly flat without obsticals.

However, on every off road MTB trip, I lost studs to the amount of about 35 studs last season. They were spread equally between the front and back tires but were limited to the side knobs only. The studs in the middle knobs were fine. I figure that when the side knobs go over a rock/obstical they would slip a bit and the stud would get pried out. After ride inspections found a few studs that were seated sideways and were ready to fall out.

I sent Nokian an email complaining about the missing studs and they sent me a bag of 50 studs and a tool to re-stud the tires. I'm re-studded and ready for another year. I hope to keep more studs this year.

http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c76/TequilaJoe888/Nokian%20Extreme%20294/IMG_1712.jpg

It's not that important. The run in time I think is to just seat them into tire and helps get rid of sharp edges on the carbide studs. Just take turns with care and no super hard accelerations at first. They will be fine I have never lost a stud on a Nokian before.

If your going to run just one its best on the front.

They were spread equally between the front and back tires but were limited to the side knobs only. The studs in the middle knobs were fine. I figure that when the side knobs go over a rock/obstical they would slip a bit and the stud would get pried out.

I sent Nokian an email complaining about the missing studs and they sent me a bag of 50 studs and a tool to re-stud the tires. I'm re-studded and ready for another year. I hope to keep more studs this year.


Interesting I have never had a stud rip out. You must ride more aggressive then I do. I need to e-mail Nokian just in case.

Interesting I have never had a stud rip out. You must ride more aggressive then I do. I need to e-mail Nokian just in case.

Nokian was bought by Soumi tire corporation. Here is thier site;
http://www.suomityres.fi/

Here is thier email address for warrantee.
bike@suomityres.com

Thanks.

We have about 3 cm of snow, and are expecting 1-3 cm more. The documentation with my nokian studded tire (hakka something or other in finnish) says that I should ride them in dry conditions (no braking or turning either!) for 50 km to condition them before putting them to a snow test.

So how important is it? Has anyone skipped the conditioning and had their studs fall out?

My other question is that I have the stud on the front only - there's a lot less weight on the front - so does it get conditioned that way anyway?

Thanks

I'm on my second set of Nokians, I wasn't aware of any break-in procedure. I didn't lose any studs on the first pair, I replaced them after 5 winters when the studs started wearing through the casing and puncturing the inner tube. The only riding I do on my Nokians is commuting, most of it is bare pavement and patches of ice unless I'm going to work just after a snowfall.

Studs on the front only will save you from losing front wheel traction in a turn, but the rear wheel can still go out from under you. That's not as bad as a front wheel skid, but it can still hurt. I'm told that most people who start with studs on the front only end up putting a studded tire on the rear.

I'm told that most people who start with studs on the front only end up putting a studded tire on the rear.

This is very true and I'm one of them. I started out with just one on the front and with in 3 weeks I had the second one on order.

The reason that I go with the one is that I'm doing my winter riding in Calgary, where the riding conditions are 90-95% dry pavement with patches of ice or snow. If I had two studded tires, my rolling friction and noise factor would go waay up, without much apparent benefit. My main goal is to hold a straight line on random ice patches rather than manouvering. I have found that when the conditions are hardpack snow, the riding is very easy.

Thanks for your advice guys, I'm gonna put my nokian on my rim now - I'll update you as to how it went.

Which Nokian are you running? Have fun riding the snow an ice it is truly something all cyclist need to experience.

What part of Calgary do you commute? I commute from Panorama Hills to the Foothils Industrial Park along the Nose Creek MUP. The path is not plowed at the extreme North & South ends.

TJ, that's excellent Nokian sent you the tool to install studs.. Time to open shop and stud tires for others ;)

Our LBs here makes tires with Ice Racing screws. They are inserted in the side knobs as such allow running on pavent, concrete with out problesm, but once the snow kicks in, so do the studs.

What part of Calgary do you commute? I commute from Panorama Hills to the Foothils Industrial Park along the Nose Creek MUP. The path is not plowed at the extreme North & South ends.

Usually along the bow path from 10th to 29th street and then up to the UofC. If i'm in a hurry to get home, I'll take the street that follows the CTrain on the east side of Crowchild and then down 19th.

Today I just went along 5th ave up to 19th st to north hill mall. Good times were had by all, but I was fairly slow. I had to walk up the steepest part of the hill b/c my rear lost traction (I still don't think it's worthwhile to run 2 studded tires all winter for the 5-15 snow days vs the 95-120 ice days).

I use my Nokians only for commuting, I never broke them in, I've never lost a stud.

The 19th street hill would've been fun after todays snow storm. it was pretty slick all over.

I was suprised how studded tires increased traction on icy/slick surfaces. riding on glare ice is almost like riding on dry pavement at slow speeds. I would go with 2 studded tires to maximize traction and saftey.